Haus zum Notenstein
Originally built as a society house in the 16th century, the building served as the headquarters of the “Gesellschaft zum Notenstein”. After renovation, it served as a residential and commercial building and later as the headquarters of a bank.
History:
Guilds have been recorded in St.Gallen since the 14th century. Their most important function was to create and enforce economic standards in the various trades. However, the town's wealth was not only based on textile production, but also on trade and export.
In addition to the craft guilds, there was therefore also a merchants' association, the so-called “Gesellschaft zum Notenstein”, which is documented from 1451. This society differed from the craftsmen's guilds in that it pursued cultural and social goals rather than professional ones. Through their economic, political and family connections, the “Notensteiner” had a decisive influence on the development of the town. From the 16th century until the end of the 18th century, the social house of the “Notensteiner” was located on the Bohl, on the site of today's Haus zum Notenstein.
In 1798, in the course of the Napoleonic reorganization, the society was dissolved. Hans Anton Zyli, the heir to the “Caspar Zyli” forwarding and trading company, bought the old society house, had it demolished and in 1801/02 built today's Haus zum Notenstein on the same site as a residential and commercial building.
From the middle of the 19th century and with the arrival of the Wegelin family, the company focused entirely on the banking business. In 2012, Notenstein La Roche Privatbank AG (until 2015 Notenstein Privatbank AG), which had emerged from “Wegelin and Co.”, moved into the Notenstein building. Notenstein La Roche Privatbank AG was a Swiss private bank headquartered in St. Gallen that belonged to the Raiffeisen Group. It was sold to Bank Vontobel AG in 2018 and subsequently fully integrated into the latter.
Architecture:
Built around 1800 for Johann Anton Zili. Together with the Waaghaus, the classicist mansard roof building with cross gable forms the eastern end of the Bohl. The arcade on the south side and the balcony on the west side were created during a renovation in 1916/17.
Current use:
Today, the building houses a branch of Bank Vontobel AG.
