Loading AI tools
Ceremonial offices in France and Switzerland From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The French word huissier ("doorman", from huis, an archaic term for a door) designates ceremonial offices in France and Switzerland.
This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2009) |
In French government ministries and Parliament, a huissier is an employee who provides general service to the minister or assembly (transmitting messages, handling ballot boxes, etc.). Traditionally, they wear a chain around the neck, because their original function was to lock and unlock doors.
Before the Revolution, the title could be a court office in the household of royalty, as a type of valet de chambre.
In Switzerland, huissier is the French equivalent of German Weibel (also Amtsweibel), the term for a ceremonial office in Swiss cantonal and federal governments, parliaments, and courts of law. At the federal level, the office is known as Bundesweibel, at the cantonal level as Standesweibel for governments, Ratsweibel for parliaments and Gerichtsweibel for courts of law. Some cities also have office at the communal level (Stadtweibel).
Swiss huissiers in their official capacities wear ceremonial robes with the heraldic colours of the entity they represent, Bundesweibel in red and white, cantonal Weibel in cantonal colours (Standesfarben).
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.