“Mr Schmid holds a bachelor’s degree in history and geography from the University of Lausanne and is a connoisseur of the city of Lausanne,” said the university in a press release on Tuesday. The medieval history enthusiast will succeed Renato Häusler, who has held the post since 2002 and is retiring.
Like his predecessor, the new watchman will call out the hours from 10pm to 2am, 365 days a year. He will be assisted by a team of one watchman and five replacement watchmen.
The first written mention of Lausanne Cathedral’s watchmen dates from around 1405. At the time, its mission was not only to call out the hours but also to warn of attacks or fires, a preventive role that has since disappeared. Lausanne is one of the last places in the world to house a historic watchtower, whose daily activity has never been interrupted since it was established in the Middle Ages.
The European Brotherhood of Watchmen lists 58 towns in nine European countries where this tradition is still practised, mainly in Germany and Denmark. In Switzerland, it still exists in Lausanne, Schaffhausen, Bischofszell and Stein am Rhein.
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. You can find them here.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
Free trade remains ‘core’ Swiss value despite Trump tariffs
This content was published on
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter says Switzerland remains committed to free trade despite a new 31% tariff on Swiss exports to the United States.
This content was published on
The new regulation targets plants developed through new breeding technologies that don’t include transgenic genetic material.
WHO faces $1.8 billion budget shortfall amid US withdrawal
This content was published on
The 2026-2027 budget for the Geneva-based organisation has been reduced to $4.2 billion, on top of this year’s $600 million shortfall.
Swiss government proposes lifting nuclear power ban
This content was published on
While the centre-right and the energy sector are welcoming the Swiss government’s counter-proposal, the Greens are threatening to call a referendum.
Switzerland provisionally signs agreement on EU programmes
This content was published on
The agreement on EU programmes covers Switzerland’s involvement in initiatives like Horizon Europe, Euratom, ITER, Digital Europe, Erasmus+, and EU4Health.
Record-breaking winter for Swiss tourism driven by foreign visitors
This content was published on
A survey by Switzerland Tourism suggests this winter has outdone last season's record, largely thanks to foreign visitors and favourable weather conditions.
Swiss study predicts rise in global antibiotic use in farming
This content was published on
Global antibiotic use in livestock farming could rise by 2040, says a study by FAO and the University of Zurich. Switzerland expects minimal change.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.