Guildhall
Encyclopedia
A guildhall, or guild hall, is a building historically used by guild
s for meetings and other purposes. It is also the official or colloquial name for many of these specific buildings, now often used as town halls or museum
s.
used to have guildhalls in every city, often one gildenhuis (Dutch, literally "guild house") for each trade. They were often elaborate, ornate buildings, demonstrating the guild's status. Occasionally a single hall would be used by all the city's guilds.
The guildhall was used as the offices of the deken (deacon) and other guild officers, and for meetings by the overlieden (board of directors). The guild members would occasionally be called to the guildhall for meetings on important matters.
In Amsterdam
, every guildhall had its gildeknecht (guild servant), often the guild's youngest member, and was guarded by a gildehond (guild dog). Every evening, the guild brothers gathered in the tavern room of the guildhall to discuss the events of the day while the gildeknecht served beer. Once a year, the guildmen would gather in the guildhall for a communal meal.
The guildhall of the merchants' guild also served as de facto commodity market. Therefore, there was no need in the Middle Ages
for a separate building for this purpose.
In the Low Countries, each guildhall was marked by the coat of arms of that guild, hanging from the facade of the building. Occasionally, the coat of arms was replaced with a gable stone
depicting a member of the guild, surrounded by the tools of his trade.
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Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
s for meetings and other purposes. It is also the official or colloquial name for many of these specific buildings, now often used as town halls or museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s.
Guildhalls in the Low Countries
The Low CountriesLow Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
used to have guildhalls in every city, often one gildenhuis (Dutch, literally "guild house") for each trade. They were often elaborate, ornate buildings, demonstrating the guild's status. Occasionally a single hall would be used by all the city's guilds.
The guildhall was used as the offices of the deken (deacon) and other guild officers, and for meetings by the overlieden (board of directors). The guild members would occasionally be called to the guildhall for meetings on important matters.
In Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, every guildhall had its gildeknecht (guild servant), often the guild's youngest member, and was guarded by a gildehond (guild dog). Every evening, the guild brothers gathered in the tavern room of the guildhall to discuss the events of the day while the gildeknecht served beer. Once a year, the guildmen would gather in the guildhall for a communal meal.
The guildhall of the merchants' guild also served as de facto commodity market. Therefore, there was no need in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
for a separate building for this purpose.
In the Low Countries, each guildhall was marked by the coat of arms of that guild, hanging from the facade of the building. Occasionally, the coat of arms was replaced with a gable stone
Gable stone
Gable stones are carved and often colourfully painted stone tablets, which are set into the walls of buildings, usually at about 4 metres from the ground. They serve both to identify and embellish the building...
depicting a member of the guild, surrounded by the tools of his trade.
Lists of guildhalls
Belgium
- The Round Table (or Tafelrond, in Dutch) in LeuvenLeuvenLeuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
. Designed 1479 by Matheus de LayensMatheus de LayensMatheus de Layens was a Brabantine architect from the 15th century.He was employed in Leuven from 1433, first under the architect Sulpitius van Vorst , and afterwards under Jan Keldermans II, whom he succeeded in 1445 as master mason...
, guildhall built 1480-1487 internally comprising 3 houses, demolished 1817, reconstructed following original plans 1921. The old building's meeting rooms had been let to the guilds; the new had been in use by a bank and became a personal private property.
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- House The Salmon (or De Zalm, in Dutch) in MechelenMechelenMechelen Footnote: Mechelen became known in English as 'Mechlin' from which the adjective 'Mechlinian' is derived...
. Built ca. 1530 in early RenaissanceRenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
style by architect Willem van Wechtere for the prosperous fishermen's guild, it is one of the city's finest historical houses. The artist Willem Geets (1839–1919) used to live there. In the mid-20th century it became city property and held a museum, then the Tourist Information Office, and later again a museum.
United Kingdom
- Bath Guildhall
- Blakeney GuildhallBlakeney GuildhallBlakeney Guildhall is a building in the coastal village of Blakeney in the north of the county of Norfolk. The property is in the care of English Heritage but is managed by the local parish council. Blakeney is just off the A149 coast road and is nine miles west of Sheringham...
- Boston Guildhall
- Cambridge GuildhallCambridge GuildhallCambridge Guildhall is a listed building designed in 1939 by Charles Cowles-Voysey in the centre of the historic city of Cambridge, England. It includes two halls, The Large Hall and The Small Hall, and is used for many disparate events such as comedy acts, conferences, craft fairs, live music,...
- Chester Guildhall
- Chichester GuildhallChichester GuildhallChichester Guildhall is an ecclesiastical building in Chichester, West Sussex, England. The name is a bit of a misnomer, as the building was constructed as a chancel by the Grey Friars of Chichester, an Order of Franciscans...
- Derry Guildhall
- Exeter GuildhallExeter GuildhallExeter Guildhall in High Street, Exeter, Devon, England has been the centre of civic government for the city for at least 600 years. Much of the fabric of the building is medieval, though the elaborate frontage was added in the 1590s and the interior was extensively restored in the 19th century...
- Guildford Guildhall
- High Wycombe Guildhall
- Hull Guildhall
- Kingston upon Thames Guildhall
- Leicester GuildhallLeicester GuildhallThe Guildhall in Leicester is a Grade I listed timber framed building, with the earliest part dating from c1390. The Guildhall once acted as the town hall for the city until the current one was commissioned in 1876....
- London GuildhallGuildhall, LondonThe Guildhall is a building in the City of London, off Gresham and Basinghall streets, in the wards of Bassishaw and Cheap. It has been used as a town hall for several hundred years, and is still the ceremonial and administrative centre of the City of London and its Corporation...
, headquarters of the Corporation of LondonCorporation of LondonThe City of London Corporation is the municipal governing body of the City of London. It exercises control only over the City , and not over Greater London... - Middlesex GuildhallMiddlesex GuildhallThe Middlesex Guildhall is the home of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. It stands on the south-west corner of Parliament Square in London.-History:...
, Westminster, home to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council - Much Wenlock Guildhall
- Newport Guildhall, a timber-framed building dating from 1540
- Northampton GuildhallNorthampton GuildhallNorthampton Guildhall is a building which stands on St Giles' Square in Northampton, England.-Original building:It was built to the design of Edward William Godwin begun when he was only 28 between 1861 and 1864 in neo-gothic style. As well as housing Northampton Borough Council, it is also used...
- Norwich Guildhall, built in 1410
- Oxford Guildhall (1292–1752), replaced by Oxford Town Hall
- Portsmouth GuildhallPortsmouth GuildhallPortsmouth Guildhall is the biggest events venue in the Hampshire city of Portsmouth in England. The building, completed in 1890, was designed in the neo-classical style by architect William Hill, who had earlier been responsible for the design of the town hall in Bolton...
- Rochester GuildhallRochester GuildhallThe Guildhall is an historic listed building located in Rochester, Kent, United Kingdom. It was constructed in 1697 and has been part of the Guildhall Museum since 1979. A notable feature is a weathervane dating from 1780 in the form of an 18th century warship...
- Southampton GuildhallSouthampton GuildhallSouthampton Guildhall is the former town hall of Southampton, Hampshire. It is now in use as a multi-purpose venue for cultural events. It is part of the Civic Centre complex, which also includes includes a police station, council offices, the well-endowed city art gallery, and the city...
, City Hall and events venue in Southampton, Hampshire - Swansea GuildhallSwansea GuildhallThe Guildhall is one of the main office buildings of the City and County of Swansea Council.Prior to local government re-organisation in 1996, it was the headquarters for the former Swansea City Council. The Guildhall complex comprises the City Hall, Brangwyn Hall and the County Law Courts for...
- Totnes GuildhallTotnes GuildhallTotnes Guildhall is a 16th century Tudor historic guildhall, magistrate's court, and prison, in the town of Totnes, south Devon, in southwest England.- History :...
- Windsor Guildhall, location of the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
- York Guildhall