The statue on the facade of the building at Kramgasse 12 is closely linked to the history of this house and the guild housed inside it.
The origins of the Zunft zum Mohren [Moors Guild] date back to 1383, when it was founded, and in 1474, when the Guild acquired the house Zum Mohren, which stood in the same location as the current building, at Kramgasse 12 / Rathausgasse 9. The Guild was soon named after its house sign, and with the statutes of 1530 it officially became known as the Zunft zum Mohren.
The significance of the Moor statue, which was also depicted in the Guild’s coat of arms until 2022, has not been conclusively determined. The Moor may refer to Saint Maurice (3rd century AD), who was often depicted as a dark-skinned man because of his North African origins. Saint Maurice was among other things the patron saint of dyers and dressmakers. It could also be tied to one of the Three Wise Men, who was the patron saint of travellers, which is why inns named Zum Mohren were common.
The Zunft zum Mohren has, as far as we know, always rejected any form of discrimination and racism. As the Zunft zur Schneidern, it returns to its origins and places the trade, which it has represented since its founding in 1383, at its core: that of tailors and cloth shearers.
The statue on the facade remains an integral part of the valuable architectural monument that is Kramgasse 12. It serves as an important historical testimony to the history of the Guild and the house.