Trade guilds were organizations formed by skilled workers or artisans in the Middle Ages and early modern period. They aimed to regulate the standards and practices within their specific trade, protect the interests of their members, and maintain a monopoly over the trade. They provided apprenticeships for newcomers, established rules for the quality of products, set prices, and had control over who could work in their trade.
Trade guilds were influential in shaping the economy and social structure of medieval cities.
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