City of Zug, 31.01.2025
When mutschli, sausages and oranges fly through the air
Countless children enjoyed treats from Zug's Guild of Millers, Bakers and Confectioners at this years ‘Bäckermöhli’
The last Wednesday in January is traditionally the day on which ‘mutschli’ (bread rolls), ‘guetzli’ (biscuits), sausages and oranges are distributed in the city of Zug.
This is part of the main feast of the Guild and Brotherhood of Millers, Bakers and Confectioners of the City of Zug (Zunft und Bruderschaft der Müller, Bäcker und Zuckerbäcker der Stadt Zug). Yesterday was the 339th such event. After the official part, the guild delegations visited the town's kindergartens to tell the youngest children about the customs and crafts of millers, bakers and confectioners, according to a press release on Thursday. The highlight took place in the afternoon: the ‘Bäckermöhli’.
The shouts of the children could be heard far across the Kolinplatz: ‘Bäckermöhli! Bäckermöhli!’ The guild members and their esteemed guests didn't take long to get round to it, throwing mutschli, biscuits, sausages and oranges to the children from the windows of the Restaurant Aklin and from the balcony of the Restaurant Aklin on the Fischmärt. The newly elected ‘wohlwiisi, geschträngi und fürsichtigi’ (knowledgeable, scrupulous and prudent) guild chairman Hugo Trütsch was also part of the party. The procession then moved on to the Hotel-Restaurant Ochsen.






The children were happy about the bread rolls
The bakers' guild distributes bread rolls to the public Photos: Stefan Kaiser
The tradition of the Bäckermöhli is as old as the guild itself, which was founded in 1688. The organised distribution and throwing out of ‘mutschli’ was only mentioned for the first time before the outbreak of the First World War, however. The guild's patron saint is St Agatha of Sicily. That’s why the event always takes place on the Wednesday before St Agatha's Day on the 5th of February.