The History of the Making of the Kraków Bakers’ Guild Banner
Abstract
This article investigates the circumstances surrounding the establishment of the banner of the Krakow Bakers’ Guild, completed in 1912, on the basis of two principal sources: Gazeta Piekarska (The Bakers’ Gazette) and the guild’s record book. A comparative reading of the press coverage and the internal guild documentation reveals notable discrepancies between the public, official narrative and the actual process recorded in the minutes. While the newspaper presented the foundation of the banner as a unanimous and enthusiastically supported initiative, the guild protocols point to organizational difficulties, limited participation of master bakers, financial constraints, and the eventual need to obtain a loan. The study also examines the iconographic programme of the banner, designed and executed by Emilia Pydynkowska, including depictions of Our Lady of Częstochowa, St Stanislaus, and various national and guild symbols. The findings highlight the banner’s foundation process as an important source for understanding the functioning of Krakow’s craft organisations in the early twentieth century.
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