Haus zum Notenstein
Since the 15th Century, the guild «zum Notenstein» had been the association of the tradesmen, in a few cases also joined by members of other professions, for example other independent professionals. Thanks to their political, economic and personal connections, the «Notensteiner» had a considerable influence on the development of the city.
History:
In St. Gallen, the presence of the guilds can be dated back to the 14th Century. Their key function was the creation and implementation of production norms in the area of each of the crafts. The wealth of the city was however based not just on textile production, but also trade and export. Next to the craftsmen’s guilds there was also – according to records from 1451 – a merchant’s association, the so-called «Gesellschaft zum Notenstein». This association differed from the craftsmen’s guilds in that it pursued less professional and rather cultural and societal goals.From the 16th Century until the end of the 18th Century, the association’s house at the «Bohl» stood on the site of today’s Bankhaus Notenstein (previously Bank Wegelin & Co.). The former building was a castle-like construction built around 1555, which was built onto the former Brühltor (Brühl gate).
Architecture:
The association was disbanded in 1798, in the wake of the new Napoleonic order. Hans Anton Zyli, the heir of the haulage and trading establishment «Caspar Zyli», bought the former association building, had it torn down and in 1801/02 had today’s Notenstein («Nothveststein») built in the same place as a residential and commercial building. Since the mid-19th Century and the arrival of the Wegelin family, the company has focused entirely on banking.
Present-day use:
Today, the «Nothveststein» (the old name is still paraded on the façade in wrought iron) holds the headquarters of the Notenstein Private Bank, owned by the Raiffeisen Group, which emerged from Wegelin & Co.