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Hanseatic port of Hamburg
Hanseatic League Summary
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guild Article

guild summary

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Below is the article summary. For the full article, see guild.

guild, Association of craftsmen or merchants formed for mutual aid and for the advancement of their professional interests. Guilds flourished in Europe between the 11th and 16th century and were of two types: merchant guilds, including all the merchants of a particular town or city; and craft guilds, including all the craftsmen in a particular branch of industry (e.g., weavers, painters, goldsmiths). Their functions included establishing trade monopolies, setting standards for quality of goods, maintaining stable prices, and gaining leverage in local governments in order to further the interests of the guild. Craft guilds also established hierarchies of craftsmen based on level of training (e.g., masters, journeymen, and apprentices).

apprenticeship Summary
Apprenticeship, training in an art, trade, or craft under a legal agreement that defines the duration and conditions of the relationship between master and apprentice. From the earliest times, in Egypt and Babylon, training in craft skills was organized to maintain an adequate number of craftsmen.
Hanseatic port of Hamburg
Hanseatic League Summary
Hanseatic League, organization founded by north German towns and German merchant communities abroad to protect their mutual trading interests. The league dominated commercial activity in northern Europe from the 13th to the 15th century. (Hanse was a medieval German word for “guild,” or