Let Every Spirit Praise the Lord

A watchman lived in the tower from the beginning, to sound the alarm if a fire broke out anywhere and to keep a lookout by day as well, in time of war, for an enemy nearby. From 1678, or perhaps earlier, he called out every hour of the night: “Let every spirit praise the Lord and Jesus, His son,” and struck the hour. The watch post was abolished in 1886; nowadays the alarm is no longer shouted but telegraphed. The great bell in the tower was also rung on festive occasions, such as the king's entry into the city, and the smaller one summoned the councillors to the council.