The Copenhagen corps of Night Watchmen was established 1683 because the town had got street lamps. The primary duty of the watchmen was to light them and put them out and to keep them supplied with the train oil - whale oil - that was the fuel of the lamps.

Besides this the watchmen also got the duty to keep a lookout for possible fires and to maintain law and order, including to calm down hot-tempered persons. Drunks were not seldom - in a friendly but firm way - helped home. In more gross cases drawn or carried to the "Slutteriet", the town prison.

Further the night watchmen had to mark the progression of the night by singing every whole hour the watchman's verse corresponding to the hour in question.

A special role was played by the "tower watchman". There were such ones in the towers of the churches of Our Lady, Our Savour and St. Nicolas. These watchmen started the hour verses shouting down to the street watchmen: "Hey watchman. Now it is 8 (9, 10 etc) o'clock".

Besides the tower watchmen acted as alarm centrals in case of fire.

The corps of night watchmen was abolished 1863. Now Copenhagen had got gas street lamps an efficient police force.

But 1996 the corps was revived as a historical phenomenon.

The present "corps" consists of Knud Michelsen