Typification
- Type of institution for collective action: Guild (Religious Brotherhood)
- Name/description institution: The brotherhood of the guild of grocers of Saint-Eleftherios
- Country: Greece
- Region: Ionean Islands
- Name of city or specified area: Corfu
- Further specification location: Temple of Saint-Eleftherios
- Patron Saint: Saint-Eleftherios
- Recognized by local government: Yes.
Foundation – termination
- Foundation/start of institution, date or year: August 31, 1714
- Confirmed year of founding or first mention: This is the confirmed year of the brotherhood’s foundation.
- Foundation act present: Yes.
- Description of Act of foundation: On August 30, 1714, 32 members of the guild of grocers in Corfu were gathered in the grocery shop of Kostadis Toutos and decided to form a scuola, following the example of other guilds. With this act they appointed six representatives, who should arrange the acquisition of the church of Saint Eleftherios and incorporate to the brotherhood all the other members of the guild, who desired to do so. The next day, on August 31, 1714, the agreement with the owner of the temple of Saint Eleftherios, Theodorela Vervitzioti, was signed. The latter nominated the aforementioned members of the guild as well as the future vicar of the temple, two priests, and one more person, as brothers. The agreement on the donation of the church was certified by the local authorities on October 21, 1714.
- Year of termination of institution: Mid-nineteenth century
- Year of termination estimated or confirmed: Estimated. There are no available data on the continuity of the brotherhood after 1852, although it is known that the church of Saint Eleftherios maintained its fraternal character until 1925, when it became parochial.
- Act regarding termination present: No.
- Reason for termination: Since the mid-eighteenth century, several problems related to the function of the brotherhoods in Corfu, including the brotherhood of the grocers of Saint Eleftherios, intensified, resulting in the dissolution of the brotherhoods in the course of the nineteenth century. First, the low interest of the brotherhood’s members to participate in the governing board caused important problems for the election procedures, followed by the inability of the brotherhood to replace the governing board’s members. Second, the interventions of Venetian authorities increased, with the latter controlling not only the economic management of the brotherhoods, but all aspects of the brotherhoods’ structure and function. In addition, the fall of the Venetian state in 1797 and the constant state changes and warfare in the early nineteenth century contributed not only to the preservation, but also to the expansion of the disruptive trends that had characterized the functioning of the brotherhoods in the late eighteenth century.
Concise history of institution
The brotherhood of Saint Eleftherios, created mainly by members of the guild of grocers in Corfu in 1714, is a characteristic example of how religious brotherhoods in Venetian colonies – and specifically brotherhoods of guilds in Ionean islands – functioned, what kind of problems they faced, and what their contribution to society and relation to the Venetian authorities was. The book (mariegola) of the brotherhood of Saint Eleftherios has been preserved, including the brotherhood’s charter, the obligations of the members, the records of decisions taken at the general meetings, as well as the administration of the revenues and expenses of the brotherhood. All the above shows that the primary objective of the brotherhood was the preservation of the temple. In addition, the brotherhood was active in charity, although its economic status was average.
In the early nineteenth century, the Ecclesiastical Regulation of 1811 was implemented, integrating also the parishioners in the brotherhood. The excessive number of members (241) is considered as one of the causes of the dis-functioning of the brotherhood’s general assembly. Gradually, the low interest of the members to participate actively in the brotherhood and the increasing interventions of the Venetian authorities weakened the brotherhood. As a result, when the Venetian state fell and Corfu subsequently was occupied by the French (1797) and the British (1814), and finally was integrated to Greece (1864), the brotherhood of Saint Eleftherios, as many other brotherhoods, was too weak to continue its activity and must have been dissolved in the middle of the nineteenth century.
Special events? Highs and lows? Specific problems or problematic periods?
Specific problems confronted by the brotherhood were:
- the intensive disagreements over the prerequisites of inheriting the membership right (should the membership right be inherited also by descendants who did not practice the profession of grocer?) in 1715, one year after the brotherhood’s foundation;
- the low interest of the members to participate in the governing board of the brotherhood, especially after the late-eighteenth century;
- the fact that the elected “gastaldi” sometimes avoided to donate the required amount (as had been determined and recorded in the charter of the brotherhood) to the church of Saint Eleftherios. Consequently, on August 7, 1741 the local authorities ordered the gastaldi of that time to hand over to the head of the brotherhood (prioris / priore) the owed amount; otherwise, the offenders would have to pay a penalty fee of 300 dukata (Venetian currency).
Membership
Numbers of members (specified)
There were 38 members at the time of the brotherhood’s foundation.However, in the book of the brotherhood 149 subscriptions are included for the period 1714-1828, when the last recording of 12 new members being registered took place.
Membership attainable for every one, regardless of social class or family background?
In contrast with the cases of “closed” brotherhoods (which were characterized by the stability of the number of families that participated in them), in the case of the brotherhood of Saint Eleftherios, new members could subscribe regardless their family background and even regardless of their religious affiliation.
In addition, the membership rights were hereditary and could be transferred from one generation to the other. There was no restriction regarding the sex of the subscribed members. In the case that there were no male descendants, then the female descendants could inherit the membership right.
However, as being a brotherhood of a guild, the social class criterion was important. The only fundamental prerequisite in order for one to become a member of this particular brotherhood was to participate in the guild of grocers. However, this condition was not applicable for the founding members of the brotherhood, among whom were also brothers who were no members of the guild of grocers.
Specific conditions for obtaining membership? (Entrance fee, special tests etc.)
Any person who was interested in obtaining membership, had to submit an application to the brotherhood; the brotherhood subsequently voted at its regular meetings either to accept or reject the applicant. The registration of new members used to become official with the execution of a related notary act and required the new member’s accordance with all chapters of the foundation act and the charter of the brotherhood. Furthermore, the donation of goods to the temple was the most important condition for obtaining membership. However, there was no minimum price, since the amount of the offered gift was determined by the custom, the piety and the assets of the new members. In general, the value of the contributions used to increase over the years, ranging from 4 to 12 talara (Venetian currency) in the late eighteenth century.
Specific reasons regarding banning members from the institution?
Banning a member from the brotherhood, by depriving them of the title of “brother” and take the membership rights from him and his descendants, was imposed as penalty for violations of rules, and for any kind of acts that harmed the temple and its assets and / or the internal life and activity of the brotherhood.
Advantages of membership?
The main advantages of membership derived from the main right of the brothers: the “fraternal” right / the right to elect and be elected. The members participated in the decision making, appointed the chaplain of the temple, registered new members, and managed the financial affairs of the brotherhood.
Moreover, the members of brotherhoods usually had the right of burial in the church. However, in this case a member should declare from the beginning that he desired to reserve a tomb in the temple and make a higher contribution to the temple.
Obligations of members?
The obligations of the members of the brotherhood and particularly the obligations of the guild of grocers towards the temple of Saint Eleftherios were laid down in the brotherhood’s book (mariegola), the chapters (capitola) of which were written down and voted on during three meeting sessions. On August 16, 1715, eight chapters referring to the election of the administrative committee and the obligation of the guild to make a contribution to the temple depending on its revenues, were accepted by vote. Specifically, it was indicated that:
- the elected gastaldi should buy goods on behalf of the guild and supply the members;
- the members should donate half a percent of their invested capital to the church of Saint- Eleftherios;
- the gastaldi should give to the head (prioris / priore) of the administrative committee (banca) half of the profits they obtained from the merchants, so the prioris / priore could donate this to the temple.
Furthermore, according to the chapters that were voted on January 17, 1715, at least 30 members should participate in a regular meeting to make the decisions, taken at that meeting, become valid.
Finally, a charity box containing donations for the poor was kept by the brotherhood and from January 15, 1772 on a gastaldos, who was elected for two years, was responsible for it.
Literature on case study
- Karydis, S.C., 2004. Orthodox brotherhoods and fraternal churches in Corfu (15th – 19th cent.) [Ορθόδοξες αδελφότητες και συναδελφικοί ναοί στην Κέρκυρα (15ος-19ος αι.)]. Athens: Ath. Stamoulis. Esp. pp. 200-1; 363; 393; 462-81; 660.
- Karydis, S.C., 2007. The code of the holy temple of Saint Eleftherios of Corfu [Ο Κώδικας του ιερού ναού Αγίου Ελευθερίου Κέρκυρας]. Corfu.
- Sakellaropoulos, S., 1902. Notes and memories from Corfu [Σημειώσεις και Αναμνήσεις εκ Κερκύρας].
Sources on case study
- Historical Archive of Corfu
- Archival series Church Documents
- The books of the brotherhood of Saint Eleftherios; including the charter of the brotherhood and the decisions taken at its general meetings as well as its revenues and expenses.
Current case study composed by Kleoniki Alexopoulou, Utrecht University.
Typification
- Type of institution for collective action: Guild (Craft guild)
- Name/description institution: Guild of coopers (varelades / barileri)
- Country: Greece
- Region: Crete
- Name of city or specified area: Handakas (Candia)
- Further specification location: Church of Santa Maria Pandanassa
- Patron Saint: Initially Saint-Martin. Later: Saint-Minas.
- Recognized by local government: Yes.
Foundation – termination
- Foundation/start of institution, date or year: June 28, 1579
- Confirmed year of founding or first mention: This is the confirmed year of the guild’s foundation.
- Foundation act present: Yes.
- Description of Act of foundation: The foundation act of the guild consists of 22 chapters, which were written by 10 electors, appointed by the general assemblee of the guild’s members. According to the statutory provisions, the board members of the guild were a “vardianos” and two consultants, who were elected for one year. In addition, two trustees / assignees (procuratori) were also appointed, in order to take care of the guild’s legal affairs, while two “gastaldi” and four comrades (compagni) were elected to keep records of the revenues and the expenses of the guild. Furthermore, all the coopers and the ones who were going to practice this profession in the future, as well as any person who wanted to, could subscribe to the guild. Finally, in order for the decisions of the general assemblee to be valid, at least 40 members should be present at the meeting, including the members of the board (banka).
- Year of termination of institution: In 1669, the Ottoman Empire completed the occupation of Crete and the members of the guild of coopers, just like the members of other guilds, migrated to Zakynthos, which was still under the Venetian rule. So, the guild actually did not terminate its operations, but the location of its activity changed.
- Act regarding termination present: No, see above.
- Reason for termination: In 1669, the Ottoman Empire completed the occupation of Crete and the members of the guild of coopers, just like the members of other guilds, migrated to Zakynthos, which was still under the Venetian rule. So, the guild actually did not terminate its operations, but the location of its activity changed.
Concise history of institution
On April the 22nd of the year 1566, three leaders (kapi) of the thirty coopers in Handakas appointed Giorgis Malakis – who resided in Venice – as their legal representative, in order for him to ask the Venetian authorities to satisfy the request of the coopers in Crete to found a guild and to certify the chapters of the guild’s charter. The procedure must have been long and time-consuming, since the application was approved only on June 28, 1579, thirteen years later.
Initially, the guild did not have its own church. The members used to gather in the church of Santa Maria Faneromeni, which was close to the workshops of coopers. However, in 1617 the church of Santa Maria Pandanassa was granted to the guild by the family Mouzouraki.
Besides coopers, honorary members were also subscribed to the guild. Most of them were persons with intensive social and economic activity, such as the vicar of the Santa Maria Faneromeni, Markos Moresinos, and the brother of the great painter Domenicos Theotokopoulos (El Greco), Manousos Theotokopoulos.
The guild’s social and philanthropic work, including the financial support of the weaker and older members as well as the endowment of their daughters, was significant. Moreover, the guild of coopers, as other guilds in Venetian Crete did, contributed to the beautification of the church, where the meetings of the members used to take place.
The main sources of income for the guild were the contributions of the members and the donations of wealthy citizens. Just like other guilds, the guild of coopers was also confronted with some economic problems, usually related to debts that members did not pay off.
The history of the guild continued after the occupation of Handakas by the Ottoman Empire in 1669, since its members migrated to Zakynthos, transferring their sacred objects and their charter to their new home, the church of Forty Saints (Agii Saranda), in the Cretan community of Zakynthos.
Special events? Highs and lows? Specific problems or problematic periods?
See above.
Membership
Numbers of members (specified)
At the time of its foundation (1579) the guild of coopers had 78 members, of which 71 were coopers and the rest were honorary members. It was one of the largest guilds in Handakas.
Membership attainable for every one, regardless of social class or familybackground?
The access to the guild was quite open, both regarding social status and family origins as well as regarding ethnicity and religious affiliation.
Specific conditions for obtaining membership? (Entrance fee, special tests etc.)
Each apprentice (lavorante) who wanted to practice the profession of cooper should have been tested succesfully by the guild first; otherwise he had to pay a penalty fee of 25 hyperpyra (Venetian currency). If the apprentice proved capable and became member of the guild, then he was held to pay one dukato as an entrance fee (bona entrata).
Specific reasons regarding banning members from the institution?
None mentioned.
Obligations of members?
The obligations of the members of the guild were various:
- all coopers of the city should be subscribed to the guild and do charities, depending on their economic capacity;
- each year they should give two of their (daily) salaries, one in March and one in August, to the guild;
- members of the guild who were not coopers, should pay only the annual fee (luminaria), which was one mocenigo per year, on the celebration day of the guild’s patron saint;
- the coopers, who wanted to open workshops, should pay two dukata (Venetian currency) per year.
- no master could keep an apprentice or servant without the permission of the latter; the penalty fee for this case was 100 hyperpyra, of which half was given to the shipyard of Handakas and the other half to the guild;
- the sixth chapter of the charter refers to the obligation of the vardian and the consultants to prepare the celebration of the patron saint of the guild, an occasion that all members had to attend;
- according to the seventeenth chapter, the guild should give to each member incapable of working and to each elderly member of the community ten hyperpyra;
- the eighteenth chapter indicated that the guild should dower two daughters of the poorest members of the guild each year;
- the nineteenth and twentieth chapters refer to the obligation of the guild to take care of the burial of the indigent dead members;
- finally, according to the twenty-first chapter all members should participate in the processions and funerals, with a penalty fee of five hyperpyra for each time a member would be absent.
Literature on case study
- Kiskiras, I., 1968. The apprenticeship contract in Crete under the Venetian rule (along with unpublished documents from the Archivio di stato of Venezia). Athens.
- Konomos, N., 1968. Crete and Zakynthos. Athens.
- Panopoulou, A., 2001. Guilds and religious fraternities in Crete of Venetian period. Unpublished PhD dissertation, University of Crete (Rethymnon), esp. pp. 384-93; 477-85.
- Panopoulou, A, 1989. The craftsmen of the shipyards of Handakas and Chania during the 16th and the 17th centuries. Kritiki Estia, 3, 173-94.
- Zois, L., 1893. The guilds in Zakynthos. Zakynthos.
- Zois, L., 1940. Cretan Notes. Athens.
Sources on case study
- Archivio del Duca di Candia
Current case study composed by Kleoniki Alexopoulou, Utrecht University.
Typification
- Type of institution for collective action: Guild
- Name/description institution: Guild of furriers (gounarades)
- Country: Greece
- Region: West Macedonia
- Name of city or specified area: Kozani (location on Google Maps: click here)
- Recognized by local government: Yes.
Foundation – termination
- Foundation/start of institution, date or year: February 1768
- Confirmed year of founding or first mention: It is the year this institution is first mentioned. It is estimated that up to this year the guild of furriers had already fully developed. According to a synodal letter of Bishop Ignatios (1752-1786) in the code of the Diocese of Serbia and Kozani, in February 1768 the official representatives (protomastores) of the guilds in the region of Kozani asked the Diocese to determine the church calendar, so they could close their workshops during the feast days. The text of the synodal decision on the church calendar is signed by the representatives of several guilds, including the craft guild of fur processors.
- Foundation act present: Yes.
- Description of Act of foundation: The guild of furriers was the first guild in the region of Kozani that convened to compose its written foundation act on October 26th, 1786. The foundation act was certified by the Bishop of the Diocese of Serbia and Kozani, Theofilos (1785-1811), and three clerics of the community of Kozani. The act consists of ten chapters. The first chapter refers to the respect that all members have to show to the leaders of the guild (protomastores). The second chapter indicates that the raw material should be distributed to all members equally, unless someone could not pay for it. The chapters three to eight describe the hierarchy of the workshops’ staff: master, apprentice, servant/underling (baskalis, kalfas, tsiraki) and their obligations. The ninth chapter refers to the duty of the guild’s members, as Christians, to preserve and honor all the feast days. Finally, the tenth chapter provides the record of the guild’s resources and debts.
- Year of termination of institution: First decade of the twentieth century.
- Year of termination estimated or confirmed: Estimated.
- Act regarding termination present: No.
- Reason for termination: Lower economic performance and increasing external competition.
Concise history of institution
It is estimated that the guild of furriers in Kozani had been operating a long time before the composition of its foundation act in 1786. The harsh climate and the general socio-economic development of the city of Kozani favored the art of fur processing. The performance of the guild in the manufacture sector was sufficient in terms of internal needs, within the geographic limits of West Macedonia.
However, in the last decades of the Ottoman rule in Kozani (which was deliberated and incorporated to Greece in 1912) the guild of fur processors was in rapid decline. Specifically, it confronted increasing difficulties, since European fabrics started to be imported. The guild was not able to cope with external competition. Furthermore, in contrast with their fellow guild in Kastoria, the members of the guild of fur processors in Kozani had not developed bonds with other larger regions of Ottoman Empire, such as Constantinople (Istanbul), in order to transfer their technical knowledge and prevent the extinction of the experts in this sector.
Special events? Highs and lows? Specific problems or problematic periods?
See above.
Membership
Numbers of members (specified)
From known sources for the year 1786 (at the time of the foundation act): 20-22 members.
Membership attainable for every one, regardless of social class or familybackground?
Every person who practiced the profession of fur processing could become member of this guild, regardless of social class or family background. The membership limitations were related more to the religious beliefs and the ethnicity of the members, who were all Christians and Greek-speaking citizens.
Specific conditions for obtaining membership? (Entrance fee, special tests etc.)
According to the third chapter of the guild’s foundation act, the specific conditions for obtaining membership and license to practice the profession were mainly: the successful completion of the apprenticeship under the supervision of a master and the payment of the entrance fee called “ntestiri”, of which the amount is not specified in the document.
Specific reasons regarding banning members from the institution?
No.
Advantages of membership?
The main advantage of membership was the equal distribution of the raw material (the animal skins coming from the mountains of West Macedonia) among the members of the guild. This way, the unfair competition was avoided and all members had equal chances to succeed.
Obligations of members?
Masters
The masters were obliged not to accept an apprentice, who had left his previous master without completing his apprenticeship, without the permission of the other members of the guild .
Apprentices
The apprentice, who wanted to leave his master before completing his apprenticeship, should not receive the salary (roga) of that year.
Servants / Underlings
The underling, who had worked under a master for a year in his own expense, had to be remunerated by this master the second year. The servant, who worked under a master in the latter’s expense, had to work for this master for three years and only the fourth year he could be remunerated.
Whoever violated the aforementioned rules was obliged to pay a fine of 10 aslania (Turkish currency equivalent to grosia), of which one third was given to the community church of Saint Nikolaos, the other third was given to the Bishop and the last third was given to the guild.
Literature on case study
- Kalinderis, M., 1950. The guilds of Kozani under the Ottoman Rule, pp. 21-4; 27-33. Athens.
- Kalinderis, M., 1939. Historical notes from West Macedonia, pp. 11-2. Ptolemais.
- Kalinderis, M., 1951. The unbound documents of the Public Library of Kozani (1676-1808), pp. γ’-δ’. Thessaloniki.
- Lioufis, P. N., 1924. History of Kozani, pp. 64-5; 285; 318. Athens.
Sources on case study
- Code of Diocese of Serbia and Kozani (1745-1826), pp. 29a’-b’, 70a’-b’
Case study composed by Kleoniki Alexopoulou
Typification
- Type of institution for collective action: Guild (Craft and Merchant guild)
- Name/description institution: Guild of producers and traders of wool fabrics (abatzidhes)
- Country: Greek territory under the Ottoman rule (current Bulgaria)
- Region: Northern-Eastern Thrace
- Name of city or specified area: Phillippoupoli (current name: Plovdív)
- Patron Saint: Saint-John-Baptist
- Recognized by local government: Yes.
Foundation – termination
- Foundation/start of institution, date or year: May 15, 1685
- Confirmed year of founding or first mention: It is the year when this institution is first mentioned: on May 15, 1685 the first meeting of the Greek craftsmen and merchants of wool fabrics in Philippoupoli took place. In that meeting Hatzidimos was elected as the leader (potomastoras) of the guild.
- Foundation act present: No, but there is the guild’s charter, which was written in 1804. Until then the functioning of the guild was based on customary rules.
- Description of Act of foundation: The charter of the guild consists of eight chapters:
- the first chapter refers to the unity that the guild members should maintain;
- the second chapter refers to the obligations of the members regarding the general meetings of the guild;
- the third chapter indicates the entrance fees that new masters should pay;
- the chapters 4-6 describe the obligations of the masters regarding their social activities, the supply of the raw materials and the pricing;
- the chapters 7-8 describe the obligations of the apprentices and the servants regarding the duration and the tasks of their apprenticeship or service;
- finally, it was mentioned that whoever violated the aforementioned rules or helped somebody to hide an offence should be punished.
- Year of termination of institution: 1898
- Year of termination estimated or confirmed: Estimated.
- Act regarding termination present: No.
- Reason for termination: The conflict between different ethnic groups in Philippoupoli in the mid-nineteenth century, followed by the division of the guild of “abatzidhes” in 1857, and the War between the Ottoman Empire and Russia in 1877-78 caused the dissolution of this guild, among other craft guilds which were also in decline at the same period.
Concise history of institution
The guild of producers of wool fabrics not only dominated the local market of Philippoupoli, but also regulated the economic and social life of the whole Thracian region. The development of the guild of “abatzidhes” was rapid: during the eighteenth century, their workshops absorbed 50,000 ok. (64,145 kilograms) wool per year and produced annually 15,000 tons of wool fabrics.
During the nineteenth century, there were important commercial houses in Philippoupoli with representatives in many commercial centers of the Ottoman Empire and the West, where the wool fabrics, produced by the members of the guild, were sold. In 1762, the guild evolved to “credit bank”, providing loans to its members at 12-14 percent for bonds. In parallel, the entrance fees were constantly increasing.
Moreover, it is claimed that the guild contributed to a large extent to the modernization of the governance of the Greek communities: in the early nineteenth century, the economically powerful producers of wool fabrics were the leaders of the movement for democratization. In 1809 the “karabatzidhes” (as particularly the traders of wool fabrics were called), influenced by the liberal ideas of the West, fought in order to participate in the communal government, which was until then appointed by the Bishop. In the end, guilds’ members succeeded to be elected as laity both to the body of Elders and to the Ecclesiastical Court.
So, both the social status and the economic power of the “abatzidhes” were steadily increasing, allowing the guild to be active in philanthropy. In 1830, the guild provided a loan of 10,000 grosia (Ottoman currency) at a ten percent interest rate to the Church, under the condition that the profit from the interest would be distributed by the Bishop of Philippoupoli to the poor of the city. In 1852, the reserve fund of the guild reached the amount of 150,000 grosia.
However, from 1850 onwards, conflicts between Greek and Bulgarian citizens started to challenge the stability of many guilds, including the guild of the “abatfzidhes”. In 1857, the guild was divided, and although it maintained relatively powerful for a couple of decades, in the last years of the nineteenth century it finally terminated its operations.
Special events? Highs and lows? Specific problems or problematic periods?
See above.
Membership
Numbers of members (specified)
There were 126-130 members when the charter of the guild was signed (1804).
Membership attainable for every one, regardless of social class or family background?
The access to the guild was rather open to everyone, regardless of social status or family origins, but not regardless of ethnicity or religious affiliation. The third chapter of the guild’s charter was explicit about this: no master coming from an other ethnic group than the Greek one could be accepted as member of the guild.
Specific conditions for obtaining membership? (Entrance fee, special tests etc.)
According to the third chapter of the guild’s charter, any master who wanted to become member of the guild had to pay an entrance fee. The sons of guild’s members used to pay the half fee, which was called “filia” (meaning “friendship”), because a banquet followed after each nomination of a new master . From 1789 onwards, the entrance fee was called “mastoria”. The amount of the fee was not stable; in contrast, it increased rapidly from 10 grosia at the beginning of the guild’s operation to 40 grosia in 1772, 100 grosia in 1805 and finally to 200 grosia in 1815. Sometimes the government tax (20-50 grosia) was also added to it.
Advantages of membership?
- For the producers of wool fabrics, the main advantages of membership were the supply of the raw materials and the pricing of the products in equal terms, avoiding unfair competition.
- For the traders of wool fabrics, the most important advantage of membership was the distribution of the products in fair terms, making use of the developed commercial networks in both the local market and the markets abroad.
Obligations of members?
- The younger members should show respect towards the older ones.
- All members should participate in the general meetings of the guild and make decisions considering the common good and not their personal interest.
- Guild members should accompany only other members of the guild and should not accompany apprentices or members of other guilds.
- The servants should work for two years for a master and then be free to leave, while the apprentices should not be accepted by any other master if they had not yet completed their service to the previous one.
- The leader of the guild (protomastoras) should be elected, after the control of the accounting records, jointly by the masters (craftsmen and merchants). He should take over the fund and convene general meetings whenever important issues came up.
- In the first century of the guild’s operation, the masters had to elect an Administrative Committee of five or even ten members, in which clerics also participated.
Literature on case study
- Apostolidis, M., 1940-1941. The archives of the guild of abatzidhes in Philippoupoli. Archives of Thracian Folklore and Language Thesaurus, 7, 9-65.
- Apostolidis, M., 1936-1937. The archives of the guild of abatzidhes in Philippoupoli. Archives of Thracian Folklore and Language Thesaurus, 3, 145-95.
- Apostolidis, M., 1929. Two documents for Philippoupoli from the early 19th century. Thrakika, 2, 325-68.
- Deligiannis, B.N., 1935-1936. The abatziliki in Thraki. Archives of Thracian Folklore and Language Thesaurus, 2, 68.
- Diakovitch, B. (ed.), 1921. Annuaire de la bibliotheque nationale de Plovdiv, p. 206.
- Oikonomidou, N.G., 1933. K. Oikonomos. Thrakika, 4, 207.
- Papathanasi-Mousiopoulou, K., 1985. Guilds and Professions in Thraki 1685-1920. Athens.
- Vourazeli-Marinakou, E., 1950. The guilds of Greeks in Thraki under the Ottoman rule. Thessaloniki.
Sources on case study
- National Library of Philippoupoli:
- inv.nr. 104: The charter of the guild of abatzidhes (1804)
Current case study composed by Kleoniki Alexopoulou, Utrecht University.