Page "Guild" Paragraph 29

In many German and Italian cities, the more powerful guilds often had considerable political influence, and sometimes attempted to control the city authorities.

In the 14th century, this led to numerous bloody uprisings, during which the guilds dissolved town councils and detained patricians in an attempt to increase their influence.

In the early 14th century, some guilds in the cities of North-East Germany introduced statutes, under which persons of Wendish, i. e. Slavic, origin were forbidden from joining the guild.

According to Wilhelm Raabe, " down into the eighteenth century no German guild accepted a Wend.