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A guild - zumft of old high German ""to ziemen () - is a body of craftsmen, those in the Middle Ages for the keeping of common interests developed and to in 19. Century existed. In the guilds the rules of the respective skilled trades were set up and supervised, for example to training rules, work times, product quality and all craftsmen of the Middle Ages had to be for practise of the profession member of their guild. Besides they organized themselves for the keeping of their own interests in Gilden, in those also different occupations such as buyers, in addition, e.g. Gleichgesinnte of a religion were united. Guilds had their seat in larger places, or, where a certain occupational group was to be found particularly frequently.

History

The beginnings lie in the high Middle Ages. In most German cities power lay initially only in the hands of the urban aristocracy and the Ministerialen of the monasteries, bishops and high-noble. Later also the remote buyers could fight for certain rights and political influence. The combination from craftsmen to guilds, i.e. its organization within the city were often strongly reduced or forbidden during this time. A union of a group of humans or one "conspiracy "like one that contemporarily called, meant in a medieval city nearly automatically political influencing control. The establishment of the guilds was therefore in most cities connected with "a guild revolution in such a way specified "or a political reversal. In some cities in the German Reich it succeeded to conquer the craftsmen organized in the guilds even political power totally or partly, so e.g. in Zurich, which had one until 1798 even "guild condition ". In the late Middle Ages and the early modern times however most guild republics under the pressure of the national princes disappeared again and the political influence of the guilds were again limited or to the economy reduced completely.

Internal solidification connected with the abolition of the guild condition and the introduction handels and of the freedom of trade after the French revolution introduced the end of the guilds. With the arising of Manufakturen and the preindustrial mass production the guilds lost 19 at the beginning. Century at meaning. The obligation to join a guild and the economic power of the guilds were therefore strongly limited or waived completely. In Switzerland the removal of the power of the guilds in the city cantons was connected with the forced political and economic equal rights of the with the urban population around 1830. The modern successors of the guilds are the trade guilds. At some places guilds still exist as folkloristische or social associations, e.g. in Zurich.

Kodex

To guild members a code of ethics applied. With offences against this Kodex, that behavior, one could lose the membership. As exterior indication of the exclusion was torn frequently a Ohrring - which as payment for the Bestatter served - from the belonging to the Zunfttracht. The thereby developing slot ear became proverbial the name for cunning, through-trieven humans.

Elite

In order to keep high the quality of the handicraft work, against the entrance to the master activity high requirements one placed.

Those associate, which wanted its mastership examination placing, had the following conditions to fulfill:

a masterpiece at own expense make
the citizen photograph money pay
an own chest tank to make leave themselves
different amounts to the guild pay
for the guild church Wachskerzen buy
a house possession or the necessary money in addition submit and
a meal of several courses for all masters of the guild donate.

To many associate was missing the necessary capital over to become independently active.

The guild covered both the independent masters as well as their coworkers, associates and apprentices.

Entrance

After Etienne Boileau - 1258-1271 of Paris - is delivered that from approximately hundred skilled trades at least five pure occupations of woman exist, in addition some mixed.

For Paris are vouchers for pure woman guilds:

For Cologne is a voucher for a mixed guild:

Besides there were further guilds, which accepted women as guild members like e.g.: the Garnmacher, the silk webers and the Seidenmacher.

When relatives were women involved in some achievements of the guilds, could however usually no full membership acquire. (After: LexMA Bd. IV. Frame 865)

If a master died, the widow had to again marry within in or two years, otherwise she lost the workshop of her man. In some cities it was also possible that the widow, if she possessed a son and a successor resumed the shop up to its majority.

For the exercising of a certain branch of profession obligation to join a guild existed. The membership in a guild was refused Jews.

Sociology

The guilds formed a social, economic and religious system for the regulation of raw material supplies, employment figures, wages, prices, sales volumes up to the widow supply. They consisted partly of several occupational groups and symbolized themselves frequently by coats of arms and/or guild characters and guild clothes.

The guilds prescribed frequently also the production methods for their members. Thus they repelled on the one hand overproduction, on the other hand one they prevented the introduction of new, more productive, occasionally fewer health-endangering production engineering. Thus it guarantees an according to rank, "fair "income to its members and the consumers by elimination of price competition a stable price performance ratio - however on high price level.

Regional characteristics

In Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein these craftsman unions were called "office ".
In Cologne they participated in Corporationen called "Gaffeln the ".
In the context of the Burgergemeinde Berne the guilds are today still bodies of the public right.
In Zurich each year the six-ringing, a removal of the guilds takes place.