Guilds and Societies in Old Basel

Description

Already in Roman times, professional guilds were widespread in all major cities of the empire, but they only reappeared in Basel in the High Middle Ages. The oldest documented guild in our city is the Honorable Guild of Furriers. Its guild charter dates back to 1226 and was issued one year after the bridge over the Rhine by the Bishop of Basel, Heinrich von Thun. This is the oldest preserved guild charter on Swiss federal soil. It underscores the importance of the city of Basel as an important trading city on the Upper Rhine and documents with its content the "order of the fur trade" created "for the honor and benefit" of the city. In the following decades, other professional associations followed this example, all benefiting from the flourishing trade and gradually taking the fate of the city into their own hands. So you can expect a "guild-like" lecture, and of course, we will also take a joint look across the Rhine at Kleinbasel's honorary societies!

Highlights

• Lecture by Mike Stoll
• Focus on Basel's oldest guild, the Furriers
• Insight into the history of professional guilds

General Information

The lecture highlights the development of guilds in Basel from the High Middle Ages to the present. The focus is especially on the Honorable Guild of Furriers, whose guild charter from 1226 is the oldest on Swiss federal soil.

Location

Baslerstrasse 242, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland

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