Subtypes Guilds - Journeymen's Organizations - Germany

German journeymen’s boxes differed from boxes in the Northern Netherlands because they were part of journeymen’s associations (and these were virtually unknown to the Northern Netherlands). These journeymen’s associations – the Gesellenverbände - were founded as a result of the Wanderschaft, an obligatory journey that journeymen had to make as part of their training (see also Adler, 1985, 339) The Gesellenverbände organized social activities; maintained close relations to the church; and provided support for travelling journeymen and a sickness and burial benefit for destitute members. These benefits were often loans. At the end of the eighteenth century, journeymen’s associations also established separate burial and sickness boxes.

(Bos, 1998, 295-326)

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