THE NIGHT WATCHMAN OF ROTHENBURG

At eight in the evening, we went on a walking tour with the Night Watchman. During tourist season, the Night Watchman conducted tours, twice a day, seven nights a week, relating the amazing history of the town.

One of the things he pointed out was the duty of the Night Watchman. People considered his job as the third to the lowest job in town—the other two being that of the executioner and the undertaker—yet, it was a very important job because he was responsible not only for the safety of the people but also of the town itself. Although he made sure that no intruder made it inside after midnight, his first duty was to prevent the occurrence of fire. Fire was the number one fear of the people because the houses within the walls were right next to each other and a single fire could raze the whole town.

Another interesting thing he mentioned was that every house had to have a good storage space on the top floor to store the main staple, wheat. Each house would also need to have a good store of salt to cure meat. Any house owner who failed to keep a good store of wheat would have to pay a stiff fine. The people believed that in a siege, the easiest way to capture a walled city is to starve the people. The enemy needed not attack the city; it just had to surround it, making sure, nobody escaped until the people starved. (This could take a while). Therefore, to protect the city, there had to be rules and regulations and severe punishment given to violators.

Impressive?