THE STONEMASONS OE GERMANY.
ii6
of
Habsburg iu
1275.
Shortly
he
afterwards
reinstated
all
guilds
former
their
in
privileges.'^
We
thus find in the
original freeholders, in
German towns
whom
First, the
distinct classes.
underwent various denominations in the
Tliis "uild
burghers' suild.
Middle Ages, two
of the
resided the whole government of the town, represented by the
different cities
it
:
was
In some cases,
the high guild, the guild, the patrician guild, etc.
the chief trade (not craft), it was otherwise styled for instance, the
monopolised
But under whatever denomination, it had grown exclusive it no longer
weavers' guild.
called the old guild,
where
—
it
;
burghers, not even if they possessed the territorial qualification demanding,
in all cases, that the claimant to the honour should have forsworn his craft for a year and a
"
"
"
day and that none with dirty hands," or witli blue nails," or who hawked his wares in
admitted
all free
;
;
the street," should be admitted.-
Thus a
distinct class
had been formed
—the patrician
class,
the rights and emoluments of which were hereditary, and acquired with great difficulty by
and whose members reserved to those among themselves who were not
strangers
;
thoroughly independent of all labour, the most lucrative and considerable trades, such as the
goldsmiths, the bankers, the general merchants, etc.
They had also grown proud,
and aggressive so that no sooner did the second class, the craft guilds, feel
domineering,
;
themselves strong on their legs, than in one city after another bloody feuds ensued the final
result of which was the dethronement of the patricians from their supremacy, and in some
;
cases the breaking-up of the high guild.
Generally, however, the conquerors, with rare magnanimity, still allowed the patrician
guild to contribute its delegates to the municipal council, and in some cases even granted
them a
casting vote in consideration of their past services.^
Brentano
*
fi.xes
the time of the
final
victory of the craft guilds as towards the end of the fourteenth century, although in
some
cities the
consummation had been arrived
at
much
earlier.
having thus acquired a high position, we now find another movement
the masters