History
Zunft zum Kämbel was originally a guild of food dealers and wine merchants. Its first Trinkstube (tavern and association meeting place) was located near the town hall. In 1487, the guild acquired the House zum Kämbel, located at the Münsterhof. The "Haue" building was originally three separate buildings: the upper and lower "Wetzwilerhus", first mentioned in 1373, and the "Ropoltzhus". All three were later rebuilt into the complex that is the building as it exists today. In 1358, the Zurich knight Götz Mülner II had sold sovereignty rights granted by Emperor Louis of Bavaria to the city of Zürich. The newly acquired possessions were administered by an Obervogt with its administration centre in the "Haue" building.
In 1442 the building was in the possession of salt merchants, and from 1450 it was known as the "Salzlütenhus", "Houw", or "Salzhouw". The term Houw is derived from the axe featured on the salt merchant's coat of arms. The buildings near the town hall at the Limmat were among the most desirable private houses, the town hall being not only the political but also the economic center of the city. In 1532, the cloth merchant Konrad Rollenbutz acquired the property and gave it to his two sons. From the second half of the 16th century, the "Haue" was in the possession of Salomon Hirzel-Rollenbutz (1544–1605) and his son, the Zurich mayor Salomon Hirzel (1580–1652). A memorial plate and the deer on the roof are reminiscent of those times.
On the Murerplan of 1576, the building can be seen on the right shore of the Limmat river, north of the Zunfthaus zum Rüden, on the so-called Reichsstrasse (imperial street). In 1781, the building was the home of Rudolf Hirzel Rordorf-Sprüngli. In 1878, it was sold to the colonial goods merchant Beckert, who had the facade rebuilt and decorated with painted ornaments and Gothic windows. The prominent crow-stepped gables were built by Beckert's nephew Albert Beckert-Irniger.
On May 31, 1956 – 150 years after its dissolution – the newly established Gesellschaft zum Kämbel bought the "Haue" building. The guild hall on the first floor was renovated by the architect Armin Meili in 1979. Since 1980 it houses a restaurant (Weinstube).
Read more about this topic: Zunfthaus Zur Haue
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