In addition to the pub crawl, the AStA’s first-semester events also include the Nachtwächertour, which starts every semester at the town hall. Last week, many first-year students were introduced to stories and anecdotes of Osnabrück by the night watchman in a sometimes funny way. At this year’s night watchman hunter, the first-year students walked through the old town of Osnabrück armed with a lantern and then stopped at the Grüner Jäger.
What’s the deal with the night watchman?
The night watchman actually made his rounds through Osnabrück for the last time in 1913 and ensured peace and order. At the time, he was a so-called auxiliary police sergeant and also sounded the alarm in the event of a fire or “unauthorized dung heaps”. What would he say today to our 2,000 first-year students who parade through the pubs once a semester? 😉
But the night watchman is doing city tours again today. And all this in the candlelight of the lanterns that each participant gets pressed into their hands. There will be no more night’s sleep, but there will be a laugh or two and the imparting of Osnabrück insider knowledge that you can brag about. The tour starts in the Peace Hall of the town hall, goes over the two defensive towers Bucksturm and Bürgergehorsam, which were used as a prison, to the Vitischanze. Finally, climb up to the 40-meter-high St. Mary’s Church tower. Wow – what a view! You really have to see that.
Interested?
If you missed the night watchman tour, you can either wait for the next semester or simply go on a public city tour on the weekend. The guided tours take place every Friday and Saturday at 9 pm. Registration is not required, you simply join the town hall steps and you’re ready to go.
But what you’ll miss: Our subsequent cozy get-together at the Grüner Jäger – where we not only hunted for the night watchman, but also for a beer or two.