The guilds of Bern: 13 societies and their houses

Walking through the Kramgasse, you see coats of arms and figures on many house fronts: a monkey, a craftsman with a tool, a pretzel. They are the signs of the societies and guilds (Gesellschaften und Zünfte). Bern has 13 of them, and each owns its own society house in the Old Town.

Why Bern says “societies”

In the Middle Ages, craftsmen in many towns held political power through their guilds. The council of Bern wanted to prevent this. In 1373 it banned the guilds and ordered the crafts to organise themselves as “Stuben” or societies under the supervision of the council. That is why most of them are still called “Gesellschaft” (society) today, and only a few “Zunft” (guild).

One society could bring together several crafts. The Gesellschaft zu Zimmerleuten, for example, included carpenters, joiners, wheelwrights and coopers. Four societies carried special weight: Pfistern, Schmieden, Metzgern and Gerwern. From the 15th century on, the city's four Venner, high officials who carried the city banner, were chosen from these societies. A figure of such a banner bearer stands on the Vennerbrunnen on Rathausplatz.

The Gesellschaft zu Pfistern

Pfistern was the society of the bakers and millers. The name comes from the Latin word “pistor”, baker. It appears in the sources in the 14th century, at that time with two “Stuben”, Niederpfistern and Oberpfistern. Many families of Pfistern later turned to politics and belonged to the Bernese patriciate. Since 1926 the society has had its seat in the house at Kramgasse 9, a town house built in 1769 and 1770.

The 13 societies and guilds

In their official order, with the location of their house:

1. Gesellschaft zum Distelzwang, Gerechtigkeitsgasse
2. Gesellschaft zu Pfistern, Kramgasse
3. Zunftgesellschaft zu Schmieden, Schmiedenplatz
4. Zunftgesellschaft zu Metzgern, Kramgasse
5. Gesellschaft zu Ober-Gerwern, Amthausgasse
6. Gesellschaft zu Mittellöwen, Amthausgasse and Marktgasse
7. Zunft zu Webern, Gerechtigkeitsgasse
8. Gesellschaft zu Schuhmachern, Amthausgasse
9. Zunft zur Schneidern, Kramgasse
10. Gesellschaft zu Kaufleuten, Kramgasse
11. Gesellschaft zu Zimmerleuten, Kramgasse
12. Zunftgesellschaft zum Affen, Kramgasse
13. Gesellschaft zu Schiffleuten, Münstergasse

What the societies do today

Today membership no longer depends on your trade. Some societies still honour the best apprentices of their old craft, though: the Pfistern, for example, every year for bakers and confectioners. You become a member by descent or by admission, and only if you hold the citizenship of the Burgergemeinde Bern (Burgerrecht). Since 1888 you can also be a member of the Burgergemeinde without belonging to a society. In law, the 13 societies are public corporations with the same standing as the Burgergemeinde Bern. They admit new members and are responsible for social assistance for their members. The tasks in child and adult protection passed to a joint authority of the Burgergemeinde in 2013.

Good to know

The society houses are not museums, and you can usually see them inside only at events. From the outside, a walk along the Kramgasse and the Gerechtigkeitsgasse is worth it: look out for the coats of arms above the arcades. The figure in the photo above is the house sign of the Gesellschaft zu Zimmerleuten in the Kramgasse. You will find more about the Old Town among the sights in Bern.