Biberach shooting festival
The Biberacher Schützenfest is a traditional children's and local festival in Biberach an der Riss . It takes place annually in July, since 2006 before the summer holidays , and was first mentioned in a council minutes in 1668. During its nine-day duration, the Biberacher Schützenfest presents itself with performances with historical major events, with amusements and games for the children as well as with offers of a folk festival character.
history
Origin and naming
Despite having the same name, the Biberacher Schützenfest has nothing to do with the usual rifle festivals in western and northern Germany. The exact origin of the shooting festival and its meaning is not known. It is assumed that it was originally a school festival with the approval of the spiritual supervisor and the secular authority, the scholarchate . The event was probably named Schützenfest because of its location, the Schützenberg. This is how the lower outer part of the Gigelberg, including the basement and rifle house, was called.
After the Thirty Years War
After the Thirty Years' War, the imperial city received an equal constitution. For this reason, the shooting festival was celebrated separately for a long time. A Protestant festival was first mentioned in the council minutes in 1668. The modern development of the rifle festival coincides with the end of the imperial city independence. In 1802, the chorale Rund um mich is everything is joy was heard for the first time , and it soon established itself as the festival hymn. Since 1810 there has been a no-stake lottery for children, the so-called drawing , in which every ticket wins. The pageant was initially a kind of flower and flag parade. Drummers did not join in until 1816. Today's Kleine Schützenmusik emerged from the boys' band founded in 1821. The rifle theater was added to the tradition in 1819. In 1824 Schützen became a joint event for both Christian denominations. Since 1834 the sponsorship and implementation has been with the shooting department.
National Socialism
During the National Socialist era, the home lesson became an integral part of the festival program. This became a high-level event in which a new topic of the city's history is dealt with every year. Shortly before the Second World War, the development of the historical pageant began.
Fixed course
The annual associations organize the first parade through the city in the early evening of Schützen Saturday. All year-old anniversaries (sorted by 40s, 50s ... to 100s) march in front of the parish church, colorfully decorated, across the market square to their respective festival venues in the city center. Thousands of curious spectators await the anniversaries along the annual parade.
The Colorful Train takes place on Rifle Monday at 9 a.m., and the drawing for pupils up to and including the seventh grade takes place until around noon. The pupils from the eighth grade are at the same time at the beaver shooting . The two historical pageants take place on Rifle Tuesday and Bauernschützen (second Sunday). There all the important historical events of the city are represented by approx. 3,000 costumed participants. These include the Swedish soldiers who fought against the black Kloks soldiers during the 30-year war, the town soldiers from Horn Castle in Fischbach, the band of robbers of the Black Veri and groups of various craftsmen such as tanners, brewers and bell-makers.
On the second Friday there is a big fireworks display around 10.45 p.m., which is like the camp life of the historical groups and the amusement park on the Gigelberg.
Highlights
Pageants and dances
In the historical pageant , the history of the city from the earliest documented mention of Biberach under the Salier emperors to the Bismarck era is presented in exemplary scenes. Source research as well as a reproduction of historical events and people as true to the original as possible give the pageant on rifle Tuesday and again on peasant riflemen its special character. More than 200 team and riding horses with contemporary harnesses and bridles are an attraction. The camp life of historical parade groups around the festival area is also a special feature of the Schützenfest. The guild dances of the students also pass on traditional craftsmanship in the present. The dance through the centuries shows peasant, courtly and bourgeois dances (peasant dances of the late Middle Ages, Renaissance dances, Rococo dances, civic ball in Bismarck's time, Charleston , boogie-woogie , rock 'n' roll , breakdance / urban dances) from the 16th to the 20th century.
The colorful pageant on Schützenmontag changes its motto every year. Each school in Biberach chooses a topic and designs it with a lot of imagination and creativity. The competition among the schools for the best presentation contributed greatly to the high standard of the pageant.
The dance for young and old on the Biberach market square unites well over ten thousand people from all generations and classes.
Shooting theater
The Schützentheater , the oldest children's and youth theater in Germany, which has been in use since 1819 , gained its current character through fairy tale games with elements similar to singing games and generous ballet equipment, as well as through ingenious mass production. Only children and young people take part on stage and in the orchestra pit. There are now around 450 children and young people between the ages of 4 and 18 who are active as speakers, dancers or musicians in 38 performances.
Beaver shooting
In beaver shooting, students use a crossbow to shoot a golden beaver on a target. The boy and girl with the most points each become the shooter king and queen and take part in the two historical pageants.
Others
The large amusement park on the Gigelberg and the old beer cellars are popular festival attractions.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Dance through the centuries - Biberacher Schützenfest . In: Biberacher Schützenfest . April 26, 2018 ( biberacher-schuetzenfest.com [accessed June 19, 2018]).
- ↑ About the Schützentheater - Biberacher Schützenfest . In: Biberacher Schützenfest . May 4, 2018 ( biberacher-schuetzenfest.com [accessed June 19, 2018]).