Trade Guild Chest of the Graz Gingerbread Bakers Anonymous, 1744

The Diligence of Bees and Citizens

The rich decor of the Gingerbread Baker’s Chest bears witness to the wealth of the guild members. On the chest’s lid there is a view of the city of Graz, inside we see the Holy Trinity. The chest was used for storing important documents such as, for example, the Crafts Code, which was established by Ferdinand II in 1597 and was confirmed several times—most recently by Maria Theresia. The gingerbread bakers worked with and traded in honey. They made candles of beeswax and a special right to brew mead, which secured them a profitable additional income.