“Han sori zu Fir und Liacht
(Take care of the hearth and the candle)
This was the recommendation the night watchman made to his fellow citizens when he began his shift. In fact, it’s the raison d’être of this municipal job: to prevent fires.
An unlit candle or a poorly-controlled fire could trigger a catastrophe: the paltry means of fire-fighting available at the time made it difficult to contain a disaster.
Over the years, the watchman would also be responsible for announcing the hours and ensuring order in the streets; later, he would also become a field warden and gravedigger.
There is little mention of the night watchman in our archives, only of appointments and a few reprimands for negligence in service. The guilds paid the watchmen, of whom there were usually two, and each family paid the quarterly “Wachtgeld”. We still have the “Wachtgeldbücher”. When guilds were abolished in 1791, the Turckheim night watchman disappeared. Nightly rounds will be organized by local residents. The watchman’s duties were reinstated in 1795 and continued until 1939, the eve of the 2nd World War.
Turckheim’s last night watchman was Mathias JAMM, who took over from his father Joseph JAMM (watchman from 1873 to 1920) with his brother Auguste, who died in the fighting during the liberation of the Poche de Colmar.
Modern-day advances, such as the widespread use of electrical installations, would spell its death.
In 1953, the Wickram Historical Society decided to put this character back in the limelight, and it was M.Joseph LIECHTY who took over the rounds from August 1, 1953.
For over 50 years, from May 1 to October 31, the watchman’s song has once again resounded through the streets of the old town during the 10 p.m. round. In addition to Mr. Joseph LIECHTY (1953-1958), Mr. Joseph JAMM fils (1958-1968) and Mr. Charles MEYER (1968-1985) helped keep this tradition alive, much to the delight of locals and visitors alike.
Today, there are three of them, taking turns during the tourist season.
Jean-Luc KILLY
Louis MEYER
Marcel SATTLER
