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Inhalt
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About the Stadtzunft
Today’s
active guilds in Zurich include the Constaffel
Society and 25 guilds. The
Central Committee of the Guilds of Zurich (ZZZ) assumes a coordinating
function. The historical guilds were founded in the year 1336. The Stadtzunft was created in 1867 as the first of the “new” guilds.
Between
1887 and 1975 the establishment of the so-called District Guilds took place. A newly founded Women’s Guild has applied so far without success for acceptance
into the ZZZ.
Membership
in the Stadtzunft covers a
maximum of 100 active guild members, guild veterans (after 25 years of
membership) as well as “junior guild members” (Jungzünfter)
and “boys who serve wine” (Schankburschen).
The
guild master, Balz Rust,
together with the board members, leads all guild activities. The main
guild attraction is the annual festival Sechseläuten,
although many other social activities take place. The proud group of
riders, led by their chief, Hans Hess, is an important part of the Stadtzunft
as is the guild’s brass band which has a prominent role in the Sechseläuten
celebrations.
The
Stadtzunft has its headquarters
in the Marriott Hotel Zurich, Neumuehlequai 42, Zurich, Switzerland.
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Sechselaeuten
(which means “the
bells ringing at 6.00 o’clock”) is always held on the third Monday in
April. It is the most important historical festival in Zurich and the main
event for the guilds. On that day the guilds march through the center of
town and come together in order to burn the Boegg,
the snowman, which is the symbol of winter. The group of riders is
galloping around the snowman's pyre, until the Boegg
explodes.
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| Guild Master |
Balz Rust |
| Deputy Guild Master |
Peter Furrer |
| Delegate ZZZ |
Hans Kohlere |
| 1st Secretary |
Juerg Isler |
| 2nd Secretary |
Juerg Schlatter |
| Treasurer |
Michael Haessig |
| Master of Ceremonies |
Peter Husy |
| Keeper of requisites |
Kaspar Hammer |
| Chief Horseman |
Hans Hess |
| Assessor |
Ulrich Meier |
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The Coat of Arms of the
Stadtzunft
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The
Stadtzunft’s coat of arms,
picturing a swan, originates from the house emblem of its first meeting
quarters in the hotel Zum Schwanen
(of the swan) at the Schwanengasse
(swan alley) in Zurich. That original sign now belongs to the Stadtzunft is carried by the guild in the Sechseläuten procession, since 1960.
The
guild chose its coat of arms on June 20, 1874, following the suggestion of
the art historian Prof. Rudolf Rahn. A silver swan was placed in the
center, raised by a black tournament collar. By 1927 a third banner had
been designed, in which the swan appeared against a blue background
together with the tournament collar. This is the picture (but without the
tournament collar) which figures in the book on the guild’s coats of
arms by Eugen Schneiter and Emil Huber. The fourth and final banner,
created by the heraldic specialist, Adrian Boller in 1951, was based on
this previous version and remains the coat of arms which is still used
today.
The
Stadtzunft was founded by 43
citizens and residents of the city of Zurich in 1867. It was a union
created to uphold and maintain the civic ideas and traditions, which they
supported. The traditional guilds had lost their political function in
1866, so that by 1867, the creation of a new form of guild had become
possible. The ideals and purpose of the guild and its functions were (and
still are) deeply, imbedded in the consciousness of the people. |
Emblazement
In blue a walking silver swan with spread wings, golden
armouring and red tongue. |
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