Village night watches were a crucial element of the rural security system. They were an obligation that, importantly, was omitted in the inventories of feudal duties. According to historical documents, night watchmen were required to patrol the village during designated hours, ensuring order and public safety. This article presents details about the organization and functioning of night watches in Galicia, based on available historical sources.
Origins and Structure
Night watches were tied to the feudal system of obligations, and their roots reached back to the times of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, when maintaining public order was the responsibility of rural communities. In 19th-century Galicia, under Austrian rule, this obligation continued to be enforced. Each village was required to designate night watchmen, and the system was formally redefined by a gubernatorial decree issued on March 18, 1826. The number of watchmen depended on the size of the village—two were sufficient in smaller settlements, while in larger ones, the number could rise to five or six. In the face of particular threats, such as roaming robber bands, the number of watchmen was increased. Watchmen were appointed to night duty in rotation from among household heads, according to household numbering, which aimed to ensure an even distribution of duties. In a medium-sized village with 150 households, with two watchmen on duty each night, each household head served about five times a year. It is also worth noting that under an official decree (dated April 13, 1784) village leaders – mayor and sworn assessors – were officially exempt from night watch duties. Naturally, children and women were not appointed for night watches.
Duties of Night Watchmen
Appointed night watchmen were required to patrol the village during specific hours, which varied depending on the season. From St. Michael’s Day (September 29) to Easter, their duty lasted from 9:00 PM to 4:00 AM, while from Easter to St. Michael’s Day, it ran from 10:00 PM to 2:00 or 3:00 AM. During patrols, watchmen had to traverse the village from one end to the other individually, meeting at designated points and signaling their presence with a rattle, trumpet, or agreed-upon shout. They were forbidden from stopping at inns or houses. In villages with a manor, they were also tasked with guarding the manor’s surroundings.
Community Protection
Watchmen were responsible for the safety of the entire community, including property. Upon detecting thieves, they were required to immediately alert village leaders. In the case of an attack by a larger group of robbers, they were obligated to organize people to ring church bells and light “tar torches” to warn neighboring villages. The community was also responsible for pursuing robbers, particularly strong and agile men suited for the task. Captured robbers were to be handed over to the District Office.
Fire Detection and Response
At a time when most houses were built of wood, the main task of the night watch was to quickly alert the entire village to the danger of fire. Alarms were raised through shouting, trumpeting, and knocking on windows and doors to wake residents. Special vigilance concerning potential fires was necessary during winter, when homes required heating. After detecting a fire, their duties included participating in firefighting efforts, such as dismantling outbuildings and roofs of structures that could spread the fire. Watchmen actively helped extinguish the fire and, after containment, doused smoldering elements with water and secured the burnt area to prevent further spread of fire.
After the Abolition of Serfdom
The abolition of serfdom in 1848 changed the landscape of rural obligations but did not mark the end of night watches conducted by residents. Although they were formally continued, many villages lacked discipline. In some cases, night watches were not organized by village leaders at all. In 1879, in the Jaslo district, 40 village mayors were fined 1 Rhenish zloty each for failing to organize night watches. Newspapers of the era also mentioned neglect by the watchmen themselves, such as spending their shifts in inns instead of patrolling the village. Tragic incidents also occurred. As reported by newspaper Gazeta Narodowa on March 18, 1883, in the village of Czukiew (Sambor district), two night watchmen, instead of performing their duties, decided to sleep in an abandoned hut. To warm themselves, they lit a fire, but due to insufficient ventilation, they were poisoned by smoke. One man was found dead the next morning, and the other was in critical condition.
Reforms!
In 1888, changes in the functioning of night watches were noted in Dr. Witold Lewicki’s publication Materyaly do reformy gminnej w Galicyi (Materials for Municipal Reform in Galicia). Using surveys collected in 1887 from all district offices, Lewicki compiled data on, among other things, the organization of night watches in towns and villages. In towns, permanent, paid night watches were already dominant. In some cases, suburban residents still performed traditional night watches. However, the trend of change was also visible in rural areas. Although the unpaid system of night watches performed by residents still prevailed, some communities began employing paid, permanent watchmen.
Permanent watchmen, paid from municipal funds (i.e. contributions from residents), were employed in districts such as Borszczow (in some villages), Bochnia (only in selected communities), Buczacz (in 10 villages), Brzozow (in 7 villages), Chrzanow (in 11), Czortkow (in 7), Dabrowa (in wealthier villages), Drohobycz (in several), Grodek (in several communities, mainly in German colonies), Horodenka (in 6 villages), Husiatyn (in most villages), Jaslo (in most villages), Kolbuszowa (in 40), Krakow (in nearly all villages), Krosno (only a few), Lwow (only in larger villages), Mielec (in some villages), Mosciska (in several communities), Nowy Sacz (in only 5), Przemysl (exceptionally in a few), Skalat (in 30), Stanislawow (only in larger villages), Stary Sambor (in just 3), Sniatyn (in larger villages), Tarnow (in most), Wieliczka (only in a few), Zaleszczyki (only in larger communities), Zloczow (some hired watchmen for one year), Zydaczow (in 5), Zywiec (only in one village).
During this period, the salary of a rural night watchman ranged from 20 to 60 Rhenish zloty per year. In towns, a watchman performing the same function could earn more; for example, in Lancut, a night watchman earned 120 Rhenish zloty.
In subsequent years, the system of night watches, in which each householder took turns serving as a night watchman, gradually faded into obscurity. Communities increasingly opted to hire paid watchmen, driven by growing acceptance among residents to bear the costs of maintaining watchmen. Although the traditional system of night watches performed by residents gave way to hiring permanent watchmen, village researchers — ethnographers — occasionally came across traces of this practice, noting these old traditions with interest as relics of a bygone era.
The Night Watches also served as a precursor to the establishment of volunteer firefighting services in Galician villages. This remarkable transformation in community safety practices will be a topic of an upcoming article.
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