Guild (Schaffhausen)

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The Vordergasse in Schaffhausen is festively decorated with the coats of arms of the 12 guilds and societies

The ten old guilds of the city of Schaffhausen were originally craft associations and emerged in the 15th century. In addition to these craft associations, the city nobility and the merchants also formed the two companies, lords and merchants. The guilds and societies shaped the economic, political and social life of the city ​​of Schaffhausen for centuries .

history

origin

From the 11th to the 15th centuries, numerous craft associations and corporations emerged throughout Europe, which represented the interests of their trade and, the longer, more and more tried to be politically active. In the surrounding cities of Zurich , Basel and Constance , the guilds took power in the 14th century. However, Schaffhausen was still ruled by the nobility, although the craftsmen became more and more powerful. In 1281 and 1332, the city council of Schaffhausen expressly forbade craftsmen to form guilds. In the Battle of Sempach (1386) and the Battle of Näfels (1388) the Schaffhausen residents fought alongside the Habsburgs . Many influential Schaffhausen aristocrats fell in the two battles. The craftsmen took advantage of the weakness of the nobility and in 1411 asked the city's highest lord, Frederick IV of Austria , to grant them the right to found guilds. On July 1, 1411, he already issued them the necessary certificate, which allowed the craftsmen to enact a corresponding law.

Foundations

On July 12, 1411, after the guild constitution was introduced, the craftsmen formed 10 guilds and each elected their guild master. The aristocrats formed the “upper society for lords”, named after their meeting house at Fronwagplatz. The merchants founded the “Gesellschaft zu Kaufleuten”. They each met in the lower room on the front street. Both societies chose their overlord.

Political influence

The guilds took power in the city-state. Each association was allowed to send two members to the 24-member Small Council. The Big Council with 84 members each had 5 representatives and the whole Small Council. The “upper society for men” was allowed to send 4 members to the small council at times. Not much should change in this new order for more than 400 years.

The end of the guild supremacy

With the French Revolution (1789) and the Napoleonic Wars (1798–1815) a new era had dawned in Europe. The people, especially in the oppressed villages, longed for freedom and equality for all residents. With the emergence of industrialization , factories sprang up all over Europe. In 1840 the Schaffhausen industrial pioneers Johann Conrad Fischer and Heinrich Moser had to fight with many Schaffhausen craftsmen who resisted any kind of large-scale business. More advanced guilders, however, realized that trade and industry were changing. As early as 1831, with the fall of the city-state, the guilds lost their political supremacy. From 1847 onwards they were no longer allowed to participate in the election of the council members. In 1855 the new trade law came into force in the canton of Schaffhausen. This also ended the influence of the guilds in the economic field and paved the way for industrialization.

Order of mention

The “upper society for gentlemen” would have liked to have been named first in the list of the 12 Schaffhausen guilds and societies. However, the craft guilds decided to determine the order according to the original location of the guild houses from the Rhine. Some guilds later set up their guild houses in other places in the city. This did not change the original order. The official order was: Guild to fishermen, guild to tanners, guild to shoemakers, guild to tailors, guild to blacksmiths, society to merchants, guild to basins, guild to rebels, guild to males, society to gentlemen, guild to butchers, and guild for weavers.

The importance of the guilds

The guilds were handicraft associations which established rules as to who, how and where was allowed to practice a handicraft. According to today's ideas, guilds were protectionist cartels . They also bought raw materials and tools together. The guilds made arrangements to ensure that all guild members had more or less the same amount of work and earned the same amount. In this way they also kept unpleasant competition from outside the city away. The apprenticeship system was also regulated by the guilds and whoever wanted to become a master had to take an exam before the guild. Only city citizens were admitted to the master craftsman's examination. In addition, they had to have enough assets to buy a workshop. If the masterpiece met the requirements, the craftsman was raised to the master class and at the same time accepted into the guild. When a guild member died, the corpse was laid out in a special room in each guild house. Together with the families, the guild said goodbye to its deceased member. The guild also looked after the widows and orphans. The guilds were the main organization of the city of Schaffhausen. That is why they also took care of other issues relating to city life at that time. The fire fighting was in their care. When a fire broke out, the citizens were alerted by the sound of trumpets from one of the four high watchmen on the Munot , St. Johannturm , Obertorturm or Schwabentor . In times of war, each guild formed a "banner". The guilds had their own weapons, artillery and ammunition, as the admission of new guild members often involved procuring their own sword or crossbow. The weapon depots of the guilds are considered to be the first arsenals in the medieval city. The guarding of the city in times of peace was also regulated by the ten guilds and two societies. Every night, 60 men guarded the walls around the city. Every tenth had their turn once every 10 nights on average.

Admitted / excluded professions and women

Only those professions that were regarded as honorable were allowed to join a guild. The dishonorable professions such as executioner, gravedigger, washer-master (disposal of dead animals), musicians and night watchmen, like farmers, servants and serfs, were excluded from participation in guild life. Over the centuries, new professions continued to emerge. In order not to have to increase the number of guilds, the new professions were assigned to the existing guilds. Today it is often no longer understandable why a profession was assigned to a particular guild. In the Middle Ages, master craftsmen among tailors and weavers were still members of the guild with equal rights. The juniors preferred to keep to themselves. Access to the guilds was completely denied to women from the 16th century. Many women helped their husbands in the craft business. If a master craftsman died, the right to carry out the craft passed to his wife. Nevertheless, she was not allowed to become a member of the guild.

Historical guilds

Surname jobs Typical family names Guild / Society House Webpage
Guild for fishermen Fishermen, cabbage dealers, clippers, boatmen, boat makers and servants at the Salzhof Oechslin, peacock, bird Fishermen's Guild, Fischerstubengässchen 2, sold in 1854, today the Fischerzunft restaurant Website
Guild for tanners Tanners, carters, saddlers Altorfer, Bäschlin, Beck, Biedermann, Hauser, Homberger, Hurter, Müller, Murbach, Pfister, Schalch, Schelling, Sigerist, Stierlin, Vogel, Wüscher Gerberstube, Bachstrasse 8, sold in 1864, today Restaurant Gerberstube
Guild for shoemakers Shoemaker Amsler, Brunner, Faccani, Fischer, Frauenfelder, Höneisen, Joos, Keller, Murbach, Pfeiffer, Pfister, Richli, Schalch, Schatzmann, Schlatter, Späth Haus zur Granate, Vordergasse 18, sold in 1849
Guild for tailoring Tailors, furriers, cloth clippers Blanz, Brütsch, Classen, Dalla Valle, Deggeller, Frey, Habicht, Hanser, Jezler, Joos, Karrer, Kressler, Müller-Forrer, Rubli, Schmid, Schwyn, Sigg, Spichiger, Ulmer, Von Grüningen, Vontobel, Walter, Winzeler Schneidergang 7, sold around 1840, the ballroom on the 1st floor has been preserved Website
Guild to Schmiden Bell foundry, goldsmith, armor, stoner, harp caster, bonnet caster, farrier, pot maker, blade smith, coppersmith, bricklayer, cutler, nailer, grinder, locksmith, plumber, sporer, carpenter, stonemason, sword sweeper, carpentry, brickworker Abegg, Bäschlin, Becker, Beglinger, Bendel, Bodmer, Brupbacher, Fischbacher, Gut, Hurter, Jezler, Kübler, Leu, Moser, Pesci, Rauber, Ruckstuhl, Schachenmann, Schäpper, Schnezler, Sigg, Sorg, Steinacher, Stierlin, Sulzer, Wormwood Vordergasse 61, sold in 1848 Website
Society to merchants Merchants, bleachers, dyers Harder, Huber, Peyer / de Peyer, von Waldkirch , Ziegler, von / de Ziegler Vordergasse 52, ballroom on the 1st floor preserved
Guild to pool Baker, miller Brülisauer, Ermatinger, Forster, Furger, Kirchhofer, Lang, Meyer, Müller, Neithardt, Rohr, Schärrer / Scherrer, Siegerist, Stierlin, Veith, Wäffler, Weckerle Beckenstube 8, sold around 1850 Website
Guild to rebels Rebels Bürgin, Forster, Ith, Mezger, Müller, Schenk, Schlatter, Spahn Rebleutegang 2, 1859 sold on April 1, 1944 US bombing destroyed Guild Directory (anno 1831)
Guild for male dogs Shopkeepers, lathe operators, glaziers, belters, painters, secklers, rope makers, landlords Abegglen, Ammann, Andreae, Frey, Hüninger, Neher, Schwarz, Seiler Haus zum Rüden, Oberstadt 20, sold in 1862, today Hotel Rüden, ballroom preserved
Society to the Lord Representatives of the old noble families Im Thurn , Brümsi , von Mandach, Stokar von Neuforn, von Stokar Herrenstube, Fronwagplatz 3
Guild for butchers Butchers, fork makers, cooperators, doctors, in particular field doctors and surgeons Altorfer, Baeschlin, Beck / Bek, Bendel, Bührer, Ermatinger, Fehrlin, Greuter, Habicht, Meyer, Moser, Oechslin, Schmid, Spleiss, Stierlin, Suter, Ulmer, Weber, Wirth Fronwagplatz, sold in 1857 Website
Guild of weavers Weavers, hat makers, sieve makers, cloth dealers, tub makers Augsburger, Bardoczy, Berger, Birchmeier, Bolli, Bollinger, Bürki, Dubach, Eberli, Gloor, Graf, Gründler, Hallauer, Harzenmoser, Hofer, Hurter, Kirchhofer, Maier, Mittler, Narr, Ott, Schalch, Swiss, Sinniger, Sorg, Vieli, Zryd Vordergasse, sold around 1857

Guild houses

Each guild had a mostly magnificent guild house with a guild room, in which events and events of the respective guild took place during the year. In the middle of the 19th century, after the guild constitution was repealed, all guilds had to sell their properties for lack of money. The stately houses with their beautiful facades still shape the old town of Schaffhausen today. Some magnificent guild halls have been preserved, such as B. the hall of the guild for male dogs, the hall of the society for merchants and the hall of the guild for tailors. Other properties are now used as restaurants, e.g. B. the Gerberstube or the gourmet restaurant Fischerzunft by André Jaeger .

  • The Gerberstube from 1593 was the guild house of the Zunft zu Gerbern until 1864

  • The former guild house of the zu Schmiden guild

  • The former guild house of the Gesellschaft zu Kaufleuten.

Events throughout the year

Four times a year the guilders were called up to the so-called Bott . They held the guild meeting in their guild room. The resolutions are considered a law, a command . The craftsmen often met for drinks in their guild rooms after their day's work was done. The following occasions were even celebrated with feasts:

The Berchtelismahl (January 2nd): On this day the first Bott of the year took place and important events of the coming year were discussed. The Bott ended with the festive Berchtelis meal.

The Epiphany Parade (January 6th): With drums, pipes and lanterns, the guilds marched through the streets of the city on Epiphany and visited each other in their guild rooms. This custom lasted until 1822.

The Lichtmessbott (February 2nd): The new guild servants, who were responsible for catering in the guild rooms, were hired on that day. The guilds could register their interest in an office in the guild. The division for security and fire fighting was also made.

Ash Wednesday Supper: Reformed Schaffhausen did not adhere to the 40-day fasting period. The guilders allowed themselves a sumptuous feast at 11 a.m., which was continued in the evening.

Whit Monday: This day was the most important day in the entire guild year. The guilds gathered in their guild rooms to reappoint the guild master, sixes and the other offices. On that day, the new mayor was also chosen from among their ranks. A lavish feast was of course a must on this day. Often there was another festive dinner one day later.

The St. Jakobi-Bott (July 25th): The guild treasury was settled on this day. If the result was positive, the guilds treated themselves to a feast.

Bartholomäusmarkt (August 26th): August 26th was the start of a five-day festival. The focus was on the Bartholomäusmakrt, where u. a. Tightrope walkers, jugglers and fire-eaters performed. Since a lot of vegetables were also sold, the market was popularly known as Böllemarkt (onion market). The guilds held a big parade. The city donated several barrels of wine to the guilds.

Martin's Day (November 11th): On this day the farmers had to hand over the tenth part of their harvest and their livestock to their landlords. On this day, too, the guilds held a large feast.

New Year Celebration (December 25th): Until 1701, the guilds celebrated the New Year according to the old Julian calendar . On this day, the youngsters made music through the streets in the evening and played all kinds of jokes.

The offices and the guild drawer

Each guild was headed by a guild master (called overlord in both societies ). He headed the Bott (guild assembly). The guild masters were allowed to take a seat in the small as well as in the large council. The six guild members who sat on the grand council were called sixes . One of them was also elected to the Small Council. The guild keeper was responsible for the guild treasury. The decisions were recorded by the guild clerk. The silver lord took care of the valuable jugs, plates, pewter and silver cups and the guild drawer . The guild drawer was a small chest. Important documents such as the guild letter and the guild stamp were kept in it. The rules of the guild were written down in the guild letter. The room attendant was responsible for the physical well-being in the guild room . The showers were responsible for ensuring the quality of the handicraft products. They carried out regular inspections at the master craftsmen. The guild defender was ultimately responsible for ensuring that peace and order prevailed during the meetings and in the guild room . He pronounced fines for violations.

Guild silver

The pride of every guild were the artfully and lavishly designed silver guild cups. A rich selection of the precious one-offs, which are still owned by the guilds, are exhibited in the treasury of the All Saints' Day Museum.

  • Guild cups for fishermen

  • Guild cups for tanners

  • Cups of the guild for shoemakers

  • Goblets of the guild for tailoring

  • Cup of the guild for forging

  • Cup of society to merchants

  • Cup of the guild for rebels

  • Cup of the upper society to gentlemen

  • Guild cups for butchers

The guilds today

The guilds of Schaffhausen, unlike the Zurich guilds , do not play a major role in the social or cultural life of the city of Schaffhausen today. For many Schaffhausen residents, they are completely unknown. Today's members of the Schaffhausen guilds are descendants of old craft families. Hardly anyone still has the relevant profession and many have not lived in Schaffhausen for years. The maintenance of tradition and common history leads many guilders to the annual Zunftbott on Karlstag in January in Schaffhausen. The guilds are organized as associations . The twelve Schaffhausen guilds and societies are united in the Foundation of Schaffhausen Societies and Guilds . Joint activities are initiated and organized within the framework of the foundation. The foundation represents the overall concerns of all Schaffhausen societies and guilds externally and maintains contacts with authorities and business. On the occasion of the anniversary celebrations "600 years of Schaffhausen guilds" in 2011, various festivities were held to bring back memories of the guilds in Schaffhausen. For the first time since 1822 a parade of the Three Kings was carried out.

literature

  • Martin Harzenmoser: 600 years of Schaffhausen societies and guilds. What I always wanted to know about guilds . Societies and guilds of the city of Schaffhausen, Schaffhausen 2011.

Web links

Commons : Guilds of Schaffhausen  - Collection of images, videos and audio files