Zünfte of Zürich

There are fourteen historical Zünfte (guilds, singular Zunft) of Zürich, under the system established in 1336 with the "guild revolution" of Rudolf Brun. They are the 13 guilds that predated 1336, plus the Gesellschaft zur Constaffel, originally consisting of the city's nobles.

Guilds founded in 1336

There have been two mergers of historical guilds since, so that there are 12 contemporary Zünfte continuing the medieval guilds:

Name	Coat of arms	Description	Guild house	Website
Gesellschaft zur Constaffel		Originally members of the nobility. From December 6, 1490 ("Constaffelbrief") until 1798, all adult Zürich citizens (including women), not belonging to another guild.	Haus zum Rüden	Website
Zunft zur Saffran		Originally merchants of textiles and spices	Zunfthaus zur Saffran	Website
Zunft zur Meisen		Originally wine merchants, saddle makers and painters	Zunfthaus zur Meisen	Website
Zunft zur Schmiden		Originally blacksmiths, silver- and goldsmiths, clockmakers and physicians	Zunfthaus Zur Schmiden	Website
Zunft zum Weggen		Originally bakers and millers	Restaurant Weisser Wind	Website
Vereinigte Zünfte zur Gerwe und zur Schuhmachern		Formerly two guilds, tanners and shoemakers, united in 1877	Hotel Savoy	Website
Zunft zum Widder		Originally butchers and cattle merchants	Widder Hotel	Website
Zunft zur Zimmerleuten		Originally carpenters, builders, wainmakers	Zunfthaus zur Zimmerleuten	Website
Zunft zur Schneidern		Originally tailors	Zunfthaus Zum Königstuhl	Website
Zunft zur Schiffleuten		Originally fishermen and boatmen	Hotel zum Storchen	Website
Zunft zum Kämbel		Originally food dealers, wine merchants	Zunfthaus zur Haue	Website
Zunft zur Waag		Two separate guilds, the linen weavers (Zunft der Leinenweber) and the wool weavers (Zunft der Wollweber), united in 1440. The new guild took the name of its house and became the Zunft zur Waag (= balance). Since then it brought together the wool and linen weavers, the hatters and the linen merchants	Zunfthaus zur Waag	Website

19th century guilds

In the 19th century, with the expansion of Zürich, incorporating various formerly separate villages, a number of new "guilds" were established to represent these. By this time the old guilds had ceased to be tied to specific trades and had acquired a mostly folkloristic and societal function, uniting the upper strata of old and well-to-do clans of Zürich.

	Coats of arms	Founded in	Description	Guild house	Website
Stadtzunft		Guild of the City of Zürich (Altstadt)	1867	Hotel Marriott (Zunftstube)	Website
Zunft Riesbach		Guild of Riesbach quarter	1887	Restaurant Zum Grünen Glas	Website
Zunft Fluntern		Guild of Fluntern quarter	1895	Kunsthaus Restaurant while Sechseläuten	Website
Zunft zu den Drei Königen		Guild of Enge quarter	1897	Kongresshaus, Dreikönigsaal
Zunft Hottingen		Guild of Hottingen quarter	1897	Zunfthaus Am Neumarkt	Website
Zunft zu Wiedikon		Guild of Wiedikon quarter	1897	Gasthof zum Falken/Falcone	Website
Zunft Wollishofen		Guild of Wollishofen quarter	1900	Restaurant Belvoirpark
Zunft Hard		Guild of the Aussersihl and Hard quarters	1922	Restaurant Werdguet	Website
Zunft Oberstrass		Guild of Oberstrass quarter	1925	Taverne zur Linde	Website
Zunft St. Niklaus		Guild of the Affoltern, Oerlikon and Seebach quarters	1933	Restaurant Carlton	Website
Zunft Höngg		Guild of Höngg quarter	1934	Restaurant Mülihalde/Desperado	Website
Zunft zur Letzi		Guild of the Altstetten and Albisrieden quarters	1934	Restaurant Letzistube / Zum Turm	Website
Zunft Schwamendingen		Guild of Schwamendingen quarter	1975	Gasthof Hirschen, Hotel Glockenhof while Sechseläuten	Website
Zunft Witikon		Guild of Witikon quarter	1980	Restaurant Elefant (Zunftstube), Hotel Schweizerhof while Sechseläuten	Website

See also

• Sechseläuten
• History of Zürich
• Gesellschaft zu Fraumünster

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Zünfte of Zürich.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Guild houses at Zürich.

• sächsilüüte.ch: Zentralkomitee der Zünfte Zürichs (German)