Guild house for carpenters

Zunfthaus zur Zimmerleuten in October 2010 after completion of the renovation work

Zunfthaus zur Zimmerleuten around 1700, drawing by Gerold Escher

The Zunfthaus zur Zimmerleuten at Limmatquai 40 in Zurich is one of the traditional guild houses in Zurich and one of the most historically valuable buildings in Zurich. On the night of November 15, 2007, it was largely destroyed by fire, but then restored to its original state.

history

Archaeological excavations after the fire of November 15, 2007, revealed traces of Roman times. There are considerable amounts of stones and alluvial gravel that served to stabilize the subsoil. In the 10th or 11th century a wooden house was built at this point, which stood on thresholds that were let into the ground. The house fell victim to a fire. All that remains are the thresholds, charred wood and some ceramic shards and tubular tiles, which suggest that the earlier building had a tiled stove and that ceramic dishes were used for cooking.

The core of the successor building came from the 12th century: By dendrochronology it was established that some beams come from trees that were felled in the winter of 1156/57. They were part of a three-story residential tower, which was built after the fire in the previous building.

The first documented owner of what was then known as "Ze der Becki" and "In der Beck" was the future mayor of Zurich, Rudolf Schön. From 1456 the house, now under the name "Zum Roten Adler", belonged to the guild of carpenters , masons and binders founded in 1336 , today the guild of carpenters . It retained its name until the 19th century, when today's name "Zunfthaus zur Zimmerleuten" became popular. The red eagle is the heraldic animal of the carpenters' guild, the oldest depiction dates from the 16th century. It is not clear whether the name was transferred from the guild to the house or from the house to the guild.

On the Murer map from 1576, the house can be seen directly on the Limmat, with a wooden porch in which the large guild hall was located. The Reichsstrasse ran along the Limmat under the porch. In the 18th century the wooden porch was replaced by a stone building. The guild hall contained therein, now on the second floor, was one of the most valuable baroque art monuments in Zurich according to the judgment of the preservation authorities until the fire in 2007 .

The house was renovated twice in the 20th century, the last time in 1987. The ground floor and first floor were used by a restaurant. In addition to its function as a guild hall, the guild hall on the second floor was also the traditional meeting place of the Liberal Democratic Party of Zurich for parliamentary groups and party assemblies.

As part of the reconstruction, wall paintings from the beginning of the 15th century came to light behind an old panel.

fire

Fire on November 15, 2007

On the night of November 15, 2007, the attic and the second floor were destroyed by fire. The fire broke out on November 14th at 11.30 p.m. A non-commissioned officer from the Zurich professional fire brigade was killed while fighting the fire, and seven other firefighters were injured. The archive of the guild society was also a victim of the fire, and a number of costumes, flags and historical documents were burned. Since there was no inventory, it is unknown which goods were actually destroyed. A considerable part of the archive material had already been handed over to the State Archives earlier. The guild's silver and gold treasure (silver jugs and gold eagle), which was also in the building, remained intact.

The fire was triggered by a smoldering fire as a result of a defective cable that was laid in a 25 to 30 centimeter thick cavity. The reason for the defect could no longer be determined. In the completed criminal investigation, a technical defect was named as the cause of the fire. The investigation also revealed that the roof structure of the guild house was a hanging roof structure, which explains the rapid, complete collapse of the roof structure, which cost the fire fighter his life. The reconstruction should be completed by Sechseläuten 2010, but was delayed. It reopened on October 4, 2010.