Marx Röist

Marx Röist(1454–1524) was a member of the political elite ofZürich,and from 1517 the second commander of thePapal Swiss Guard.

Biography

The son of a wealthy patrician and city councillor, Heinrich Röist, he served asSchultheißfrom 1476 and represented theKonstaffelguild in the city council from 1489. He served as city treasurer from 1493, and asreeveofAltstettenfrom 1493. He was electedmayor of Zürichin 1505. His political influence was considerable. He participated in most of theDietsof theConfederacyduring 1500–1520, and he was the leader of the Swiss delegations toLouis XII of Francein 1499 and toPope Julius IIin 1512. He was knighted after theBattle of Murtenin 1476, and served as an officer in all Confederate military actions during 1476 until 1515. He commanded the Swiss troops in theBattle of Marignanoin 1515.

He was nominally the commander of the Papal Swiss Guard from 1517 until his death, but he was deputized by his son,Caspar Röistfrom 1518. During theReformation in Zürich,Röist was in general agreement withHuldrych Zwingli,excepting Zwingli'siconoclasm,vehemently opposing the removal of religious imagery from the churches. He died before the conflict with Zwingli escalated, and the city council enacted the decree permitting the removal of saints' images still on the very day of his death, 15 June 1524.

References

• Martin Lassner:Marx RöistinGerman,FrenchandItalianin the onlineHistorical Dictionary of Switzerland,2016.
• R. Walpen,Die päpstliche Schweizergarde(2006), 64–66.