Articolul are drept scop analiza modelelor corporaţiei, formate în perioadele antică şi medievală. Breslele şi ghildele, municipalităţile şi ordinile religioase – fiecare avea statutul, structura şi obiectivele sale. Statul era cel care reglementa drepturile corporaţiilor şi dicta condiţiile de activitate a acestora. Funcţia principală a corporaţiilor rămânea reprezentarea intereselor membrilor săi în afara acestora.

The prototypes of the corporation as a modern institution that combine elements of private and public life and links the individual and the outside worlds appeared during the ancient and medieval periods. The corporation’s character, functions and rights were determined by the state. Each individual that was part of a corporation was represented by a legal entity, without having the right to apply to another institution in order to receive protection. The analyzed examples of guilds and trades, boroughs and religious brotherhoods demonstrate the fact that the membership ensured the high standard of professional competition. At the same time, the main function of these corporations remained the representation of the individual interest of their members in the public sphere.