Zunftsiegel

A Zunftsiegel, literally "guild seal", is a seal or emblem used by a crafts guild (Zunft) to certify the origin and quality of goods and to uphold the standards and authority of the guild. In the German-speaking regions, Zunftsiegel emerged in the late Middle Ages and continued into the early modern period.

Seals were applied to objects, packaging, or documents such as master certificates, apprentices’ warrants, or guild licenses. The seal functioned as a guarantee that a product complied with guild rules, that the maker belonged to the guild or had earned the right to work within its jurisdiction, and that trade in certain goods was restricted to authorized members.

Seals could take various forms, including physical wax seals, metal stamps pressed into metal or wax, or marks placed on paper and labels; many featured the guild’s insignia or coat of arms.

Today, Zunftsiegel are studied as historical artefacts documenting craft regulation and commercial practice in past centuries. In museums and archives they help illustrate how quality control, apprenticeship, and market access were organized. Some modern crafts communities or regional brands revive the concept as marks of authenticity, though they no longer carry the legal functions of historical seals. See also Zunft; Siegel; Markenzeichen.