Kanoniergesellschaft Oberreifenberg

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The Oberreifenberg Kanoniergesellschaft is a traditional association in Oberreifenberg with a history that goes back to 1675.

Corpus Christi shooting

The custom of Corpus Christi shooting has been documented in writing in Oberreifenberg since 1675 . However, this custom originated earlier. The first reports of Corpus Christi shooting come from Liège in the middle of the 13th century and from 1329 in Frankfurt am Main .

Shots were fired at every crossing station of the procession . The reason for the emergence of this tradition could have been the turmoil of the Thirty Years' War , in which the Catholic parishes protected their processions from disturbances by Protestants with weapons threats. Oberreifenberg was Catholic and was adjacent to the Protestant Nassau-Usingen .

Until 1727 guns were only used for shooting, and since 1728 with smaller guns, so-called field snakes . The cost of the powder was borne by the church until 1817. After the diocese forbade this, the costs were borne by the population until the diocese gave way in 1828. In 1865 the church stopped paying again and was only a payer for a short time in the 1920s.

Association formation

The Corpus Christi shooting was carried out by a group of around 15 men under the direction of a "gunner captain". The first gunner captain, whose name is transmitted, is Johann Rudolf, who held this position in 1840 and 1841. In the course of the 19th century this organization was formalized and slowly became an association . An exact date of foundation cannot be determined. In the second half of the 19th century at the latest, however, a formal association existed, but its archives were burned in 1909 (as a result of a marital dispute between the secretary of the association and his wife). In 1960 the association therefore decided to regard 1860 as the year the association was founded (which gave it the opportunity to celebrate its 100th anniversary in the same year).

Another story

In the two world wars and the post-war period, the use of firearms was subject to restrictions. Nevertheless, it was possible to save the tradition even beyond this time. Shooting was resumed as early as 1946. With the implementation of the explosives laws of 1950 and 1954, the safety regulations were considerably tightened and a shooting master was appointed who is responsible for compliance with the regulations.

In addition to the Corpus Christi shooting (which was discontinued in 1989), the cannon society is now present at a large number of social events. In addition to the events in the Schmitten districts and in the Taunus, the association has been represented at the Hessentag parades since 1985 .

The association is still not a registered association and has around 60 members. While only men were members in the past, women are also active today.

swell

  • Beatrice Träger: Die Kanoniergesellschaft Oberreifenberg, in: Yearbook of the Hochtaunuskreis 2002, ISBN 3-7973-0784-5 , pages 152–156
  • Festschrift 130 years of the Oberreifenberg cannon company, 1990