Germanic Trivia
The Papal Swiss Guard
German Cultural and Language Trivia
Die Schweizergarde
Swiss Guards at the Vatican.
Photo © Hyde Flippo
Is the Papal Swiss Guard actually Swiss? In a word, very. To be more precise, the Papal Swiss Guard (Päpstliche Schweizergarde) is mostly German Swiss. In 2006 the Papal Swiss Guard, responsible for the pope's personal security and the protection of the Vatican, could look back on 500 years of history.
Established in January 1506, the Papal Swiss Guard (there were other Swiss Guards in France), an official Vatican City security unit, is still made up of Swiss volunteers. Although it is over 500 years old and its members wear colorful uniforms dating back centuries (see photo), the Swiss Guard is a highly trained security unit, much like the U.S. Secret Service that guards the U.S. president. Following the 1981 assassination attempt on the life of Pope John Paul II, the level of training for the Swiss Guard was intensified even more. The official languages of the Swiss Guard are German and Italian.
The first and most deadly military engagement of the Swiss Guard came on May 6, 1527 when 147 of the 189 Schweizergardisten, including their commander, died fighting the forces of Charles V during the Sack of Rome. Their valiant efforts allowed Pope Clement VII to escape the Vatican with his life.
The history of the Swiss Guard dates back five centuries to 1506 when Pope Julius II asked the Swiss Diet to provide him with a permanent protective force of Swiss mercenaries. Today's Swiss Guard consists of 100 soldiers—four officers, 23 NCOs, 70 halberdiers (named for their "halberd" battle-ax/pike weapon), two drummers, and a chaplain—all with an equivalent Italian army rank. The Swiss Guard serves as the armed forces of the sovereign state of the Vatican. Recruits must be Swiss male citizens between the ages of 19 and 30, Catholic, at least 174 cm (5'9") tall, and must have completed Swiss military training. New guards are sworn in every May 6 (the date of the Sack of Rome) in the San Damaso courtyard (Cortile di San Damaso) in the Vatican, swearing an oath in German to protect the pope with their lives if need be. Since 1506 the commanders (Kommandanten) of the Swiss Guard have been mostly Swiss Germans from Zurich, Lucerne, and St. Gallen. The current commander, Elmar Theodor Mäder of St. Gallen, has headed the unit since 2002. Today the Swiss Guard protects Pope Benedict XVI, who was born in the German state of Bavaria.
For more information about the Swiss Guard see the official Schweizergarde Web site and other links below.
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Related Links
WEB > Schweizergarde.org - in German, French, Italian, and English
WEB > Wikipedia - Schweizergarde (Deutsch)
WEB > Wikipedia - Swiss Guard (English)
WEB > Schweizergarde.ch - Ex-Gardisten (former Swiss Guards site, in German or French)
Famous Germans > Inventors > Trivia > Swiss Guard
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