Canute Guild House

Canute Guild was one of the two craftsmen’s guilds in Tallinn. It was named after the guild’s patron saint, Danish prince Knud Lavard, whose statue can be seen on the building’s neo-Gothic facade next to that of Martin Luther. The guild’s membership was composed of artisans mostly German by nationality. Some trades included were bakers, shoemakers, smiths, goldsmiths, surgeons and tailors. For Estonians, becoming a guild’s member was mostly restricted until the closing of the Olaf’s Guild next door in 1698. The Canute guild itself was closed in 1920 and today the building is a home to a contemporary dance venue.

The medieval guilds were the basis of the economy and held the monopoly of whatever was produced by their members. It regulated everything: working hours and wages, even work procedures. The guilds also standardized the quality and price of the product.