Safran Zunft (Basel)

The E. Safran Guild was founded in the Middle Ages as one of the four gentlemen's guilds among the twenty guilds of Basel. Originally founded by the spice merchants of Basel, confectioners, apothecaries, wigmakers, silk merchants, adventurers and other craftsmen were soon admitted to the guild. Originally located on Andreasplatz, the E. Zunft zu Safran acquired the property still occupied today in 1423. Unfortunately, the guild house built at that time had to make way for the extension of Gerbergasse in 1899. The new guild house between Marktplatz and Barfüsserplatz, which has preserved the historical character of an old guild house, was officially inaugurated on January 20, 1902 . Today, the task of the guilds is primarily to preserve the remaining guild houses and to maintain local traditions. The E. Safran Guild is one of the four Gentlemen's Guilds that celebrate their annual guild dinner on Ash Wednesday and visit each other on that occasion.