The first records of gingerbread bakers in Nuremberg date back to 1395. However, the path to official recognition of this profession was long and difficult. It took until 1643 before the Nuremberg City Council approved the establishment of a sworn gingerbread guild. The Nuremberg master gingerbread bakers - there were 14 as the guild was formed - enjoyed great respect from near and far. The path to the coveted master qualification was complicated and expensive. The most convenient - but not always most pleasant - path was through marriage to the daughter of a master baker. The gingerbread statutes of 1645 contained a multitude of strict regulations. Gingerbread could only be sold by those who owned their "own smoke" i.e. their own oven.