Commander of the Pontifical Swiss Guard
German: Kommandant der Päpstlichen Schweizergarde French: Commandant de la Garde Suisse Pontificale Italian: Comandante della Guardia Svizzera Pontificia Latin: Praefecti Pontificalis Custodiae Helveticae
Flag of the Pontifical Swiss Guard with commander Christoph Graf's emblem
Incumbent Christoph Graf since 7 February 2015
Member of	The Pontifical Swiss Guard
Reports to	The Pope
Residence	Vatican City
Formation	22 January 1506 (518 years ago)
First holder	Kaspar von Silenen
Deputy	Philippe Morard

The Commander of the Pontifical Swiss Guard is the head of the Pontifical Swiss Guard. In total, there have been 35 commanders of the Swiss Guard serving 51 popes, with interruptions during 1527–1548 following the Sack of Rome, in 1564/5, in 1704–1712 and in 1798/9 following the French invasion. 24 out of 35 commanders were citizens of the city of Lucerne (not counting the incumbent, Christoph Graf, who is from Pfaffnau in the canton of Lucerne). During 1652–1847 the office became quasi-heritable, with ten commanders members of the Pfyffer von Altishofen family of Lucerne. Two commanders were from Zürich, serving during the years of the Swiss Reformation; in modern times, three commanders were from St. Gallen, two from Fribourg, and one each from Solothurn, Grisons and Valais.

List of Commanders

List: ^[1]

No.	Portrait	Commander of the Pontifical Swiss Guard	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Place of origin	Pope
1		von Silenen, Kaspar Kaspar von Silenen (1467–1517)	1506	5 August 1517 †	10–11 years	Silenen, Uri; Luzern	Julius II Leo X
2		Röist, Marx Marx Röist (1454–1524)	1517	15 June 1524 †	6–7 years	Zürich	Leo X Adrian VI Clement VII
3		Röist, Caspar Caspar Röist (1478–1527)	1524	6 May 1527 †	2–3 years	Zürich	Clement VII
Guard disbanded (1527–1548)
4		von Meggen, Jost Jost von Meggen [ it] (1509–1559)	1548	17 March 1559 †	10–11 years	Luzern	Paul III Julius III Marcellus II Paul IV
5		von Silenen, Kaspar Leo Kaspar Leo von Silenen	1559	1564	4–5 years	Luzern	Pius IV
Guard disbanded (1564–1566)
6		von Brunegg, Jost Segesser Jost Segesser von Brunegg [ it] (1529–1592)	1566	1592 †	25–26 years	Luzern	Pius V Gregory XIII Sixtus V Paul IV Urban VII Gregory XIV Innocent IX Clement VIII
7		von Brunegg, Stephan Alexander Segesser Stephan Alexander Segesser von Brunegg [ it] (1570–1629)	1592	16 August 1629 †	36–37 years	Luzern	Clement VIII Leo XI Paul V Gregory XV Urban VIII
8		Fleckenstein, Nikolaus Nikolaus Fleckenstein [ it] (1580–1645)	1629	1640	10–11 years	Luzern	Urban VIII
9		Fleckenstein, Jost Jost Fleckenstein [ it] (1588–1652)	1640	26 June 1652 †	11–12 years	Luzern	Urban VIII Innocent X
10		Pfyffer von Altishofen, Johann Rudolf Johann Rudolf Pfyffer von Altishofen (1615–1657)	1652	17 May 1657 †	4–5 years	Luzern	Innocent X Alexander VII
11		Pfyffer von Altishofen, Ludwig Ludwig Pfyffer von Altishofen (?–1686)	1658	1686 †	27–28 years	Luzern	Alexander VII Clement IX Clement X Innocent XI
12		Pfyffer von Altishofen, Franz Franz Pfyffer von Altishofen (?–1696)	1686	1696 †	9–10 years	Luzern	Innocent XI Alexander VIII Innocent XII
13		von Baldegg, Johann Kaspar Mayr Johann Kaspar Mayr von Baldegg [ it] (?–1704)	1696	1704 †	7–8 years	Luzern	Innocent XII Clement XI
-		Pfyffer von Altishofen, Johann Rudolf Johann Rudolf Pfyffer von Altishofen Acting	1704	1712	7–8 years	Luzern	Clement XI
14		Pfyffer von Altishofen, Johann Konrad Johann Konrad Pfyffer von Altishofen (?–1727)	1712	1727 †	14–15 years	Luzern	Clement XI Innocent XIII Benedict XIII
15		Pfyffer von Altishofen, Franz Ludwig Franz Ludwig Pfyffer von Altishofen (?–1772)	1727	1754	26–27 years	Luzern	Benedict XIII Clement XII Benedict XIV
16		Pfyffer von Altishofen, Jost Ignaz Jost Ignaz Pfyffer von Altishofen	1754	1782	23–24 years	Luzern	Benedict XIV Clement XIII Clement XIV Pius VI
17		Pfyffer von Altishofen, Franz Alois Franz Alois Pfyffer von Altishofen	1783	1798	14–15 years	Luzern	Pius VI
Post vacant (1798–1800)
18		Pfyffer von Altishofen, Karl Leodegar Karl Leodegar Pfyffer von Altishofen	1800	1834	33–34 years	Luzern	Pius VII Gregory XVI Leo XII Pius VIII
19		Pfyffer von Altishofen, Martin Martin Pfyffer von Altishofen	1835	1847	11–12 years	Luzern	Gregory XVI Pius IX
20		Meyer von Schauensee, Franz Xaver Leopold Franz Xaver Leopold Meyer von Schauensee (1803–1860)	1847	1860 †	12–13 years	Luzern	Pius IX
21		von Sonnenberge, Alfred Alfred von Sonnenberge	1860	1878	17–18 years	Luzern	Pius IX
22		de Courten, Louis-Martin Louis-Martin de Courten [ it] (1835–1937)	1878	1901	22–23 years	Sierre, Valais	Leo XIII
23		Meyer von Schauensee, Leopold Leopold Meyer von Schauensee (1852–1910)	1901	1910 †	8–9 years	Luzern	Leo XIII Pius X
24		Repond, Jules Jules Repond (1853–1933)	1910	1921	10–11 years	Freiburg	Pius X Benedict XV
25		Hirschbühl, Alois Alois Hirschbühl	1921	1935	13–14 years	Brusio, Graubünden	Benedict XV Pius XI
26		d'Aspremont, Georg von Sury Georg von Sury d'Aspremont	1935	1942	6–7 years	Solothurn	Pius XI Pius XII
27		Pfyffer von Altishofen, Heinrich Heinrich Pfyffer von Altishofen	1942	1957	14–15 years	Luzern	Pius XII
28		Nünlist, Robert Robert Nünlist [ it] (1911–1991)	1957	1972	14–15 years	Luzern	Pius XII John XXIII Paul VI
29		Pfyffer von Altishofen, Franz Franz Pfyffer von Altishofen (1917–1995)	1972	1982	9–10 years	Luzern	Paul VI John Paul I John Paul II
30		Buchs, Roland Roland Buchs [ de] (born 1941)	25 November 1982	29 November 1997	15 years, 4 days	Freiburg	John Paul II
-		Estermann, Alois Alois Estermann (1954–1998) Acting	29 November 1997	4 May 1998	156 days	Luzern	John Paul II
31		Estermann, Alois Alois Estermann (1954–1998)	4 May 1998	4 May 1998 †	0 days	Luzern	John Paul II
(30)		Buchs, Roland Roland Buchs [ de] (born 1941) Acting	6 May 1998	16 August 1998	41 days	Freiburg	John Paul II
32		Segmüller, Pius Pius Segmüller (born 1952)	1998	2002	3–4 years	St. Gallen	John Paul II
33		Mäder, Elmar Theodor Elmar Theodor Mäder (born 1963)	2002	2008	5–6 years	Wuppenau, Thurgau / St. Gallen	John Paul II Benedict XVI
34		Anrig, Daniel Rudolf Daniel Rudolf Anrig (born 1972)	19 August 2008	31 January 2015	6 years, 165 days	Sargans, St. Gallen	Benedict XVI Francis
35		Graf, Christoph Christoph Graf (born 1961)	7 February 2015	Incumbent	9 years, 80 days	Pfaffnau, Luzern	Francis

References