Federal shooting festival
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The Federal Shooting Festival ( Fête Fédérale de Tir in French , Festa tiro federale in Italian , Festa federala da tir in Romansh ) is considered one of the most important national events of the modern federal state and modern democracy in Switzerland . As a rifle festival , it played a major role in building up Switzerland as a nation of will and continues to be important for its cohesion. Its traditional roots are closely linked to the Old Confederation and its alliance and sovereignty efforts.
history
Organized shooting in Switzerland began in the 14th century, when shooting was seen as an important part of the ability to defend itself and when shooters formed societies in the cities. These societies were supported by the governments. Conscription began at the age of 16. The weapon toboggan from 1353 in Lucerne indicates the existence of an organized shooting society. In Bern , the oldest surviving city account from 1375 recorded expenses for shooters and their equipment. At that time, Freiburg owned crossbowmen, in Lausanne they are mentioned in 1378 and in 1406 a shooting society was established in Neuchâtel . In the 15th and 16th centuries there were shooting societies in numerous localities, for example in Aarau in 1446, Rheinfelden in 1460, Mellingen in 1485, in Lenzburg , Zug , Brugg and Burgdorf . In 1474 Geneva had the three archery associations of crossbow and archers and arquebusiers .
In the 15th century, in addition to the crossbow or spiked shooters, the rifle shooters with their handpipes appeared. In order to promote shooting in the Swiss Confederation, the authorities made gifts to the shooters. On the occasion of the federal shooting festival, rifle thalers were given as prizes, which were not only mementos but also served as a means of payment during the festival. The local shooting associations not only wanted to strengthen their own communities, but also wanted to meet for federal competitions and experience common-federal togetherness.
Shooting festivals began to play an important role in the eight-town Swiss Confederation in the 15th century. The joint shooting competitions with the crossbow made a significant contribution to the cohesion of the individual cantons. After the Old Zurich War , the journeyman's shooting in Sursee from 1452 and the Strasbourg free shooting - which is reminiscent of the Zurich millet journey of 1456 - and which resulted in the union of 1588 between Strasbourg Zurich and Bern , led to an upswing. The 15th century brought the first rifle ordinance and glittering festivals, such as that of Zurich in 1504.
The beginning of the Reformation divided the various places of the Confederation, brought about the definitive end of the expansion phase of the Old Confederation and ushered in a phase of internal conflicts and a solidification of the political structure. As a result, the rifle festivals stunted for over a century.
From 1604 onwards , free shooting was celebrated again in Solothurn , 1605 in Basel and 1608 in Zurich. The Association of Shooting Societies later ceased because local interest had supplanted the general federal one.
The old consciousness of federal defense had not gone under. The love for guns and shooting was stirred again and in 1802 the first new Vaud rifle club was founded, others followed in other cantons. With the military regulations of 1817, 20 sniper companies of 100 men were set up in the move out and in the reserve. These rifle pioneers promoted shooting among the people.
In connection with the establishment of the federal state in 1848, the cultivation of the federal bond came to the fore again. The Aargau rifle master Schmid-Guiot initiated the foundation of the Swiss rifle club on the occasion of the first federal free shooting in Aarau in 1824 . The federal rifle festivals have now been repeated and have grown in size and political importance.
The Federal Rifle Festival of 1849 in Aarau was the first since the founding of the modern Swiss federal state and celebrated its achievements. It achieved literary fame through Gottfried Keller's Das Fähnlein der Seven Upright Literature. Keller describes the shooting clubs and federal shooting festivals as crucial for maintaining direct democracy in the young Swiss federal state.
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Rifle associations and free shooting played an important role in the history and political life of Switzerland. The article in: Pierer's Universal Lexikon from 1857:
Freischiessen , in Switzerland the name of the national shooting festival, which is celebrated every year. The focus of the festival is the target shooting, for which bonuses are exposed, the amount of which amounts to large sums, for example in Bern in 1857 at 179,000 francs. These bonuses, as well as the cost of the festivity, are covered by voluntary contributions. The various cantons alternate in holding the festival, but not according to a specific cycle. Every cooperative carries its own flag; these are placed on the flag castle, which is topped with the federal one. The distance between the targets and the shooting range is usually 350 paces. All shooters wear the federal coat of arms u. the cockade of their canton. After the shooting is complete, the prizes will be distributed in the flag castle. Participation in these festivals is increasing from year to year. They arose from the traditional rifle festivals from ancient times, which date from the time of the covenant of the 8 places. They got a higher boom after the Zurich War, which was followed by the journeyman's shooting at Sursee in 1452; 1456 the Strasburger F., which became a league between Strasburg u. Switzerland led. In the 15th century the old shooting regulations arose, in which provisions about the F. u. participation in them was taken. The festivals were very splendid, as in Zurich in 1504. But the religious disputes that followed soon stunted the rifle festivals for over a century; only in 1604 in Solothurn , 1605 in Basel , and 1608 in Zurich splendid shooting was celebrated. Later the association of shooting societies ceased; local interest had supplanted the general federal one. It was only recently that meaning was found again for them. Schmied-Guiot von Aarau is the founder of the current F. The first was celebrated in Aarau in 1822; every year they were repeated u. gained in expansion & political importance; In 1827 the Swiss Rifle Club was founded in Basel; French-speaking Switzerland joined in 1828 . Furthermore, the festival was u. a. celebrated in 1830 in Bern , 1842 in Chur , 1844 in Basel, at the same time commemorating the battle of St. Jakob a . Reconciliation Festival between Basel and Switzerland, 1847 in Glarus , 1849 in Aarau, the 25th anniversary of F., 1851 in Geneva , 1857 in Bern.
The Aarauer Freischiessen of 1849 was the first after the founding of the modern Swiss federal state and celebrated its achievements. Literary fame was in 1860 by the amendment to the troop of the Upright Seven of Gottfried Keller . The poet, himself not a participant, was inspired by the glamorous rifle festival that took place in Zurich in 1859.
Federal shooting festival today
The Federal Shooting Festival is currently held every five years. It is a major sporting event with a sports festival character. In 2010 around 70,000 people attended the Swiss Federal Shooting Festival in Aarau , 42,000 shooters took part in the competitions.
Around 150,000 participants take part in the annual federal field shooting . It is distributed across the country and carried out locally on two days.
Federal shooting festivals
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literature
- Werner Meyer : Millet porridge and halberd. On the trail of medieval life in Switzerland . Walter Verlag, Olten, Freiburg (Breisgau) 1985, ISBN 3-530-56707-8 .
Web links
- Editor: Riflemen. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
- Official website of the Swiss Shooting Sports Association (SCV)
Individual evidence
- ↑ To commemorate this festival and its efforts, see: Das Schützenfest of 1859 (PDF) in Neue Zürcher Zeitung of July 31, 1980.