Kronacher free shooting
The Kronacher Freischießen , also just called Freischießen, is the shooting festival of the Kronach shooting society. It takes place every year in August and is the largest folk festival in the Franconian Forest with around 300,000 visitors . It always takes place on 10 or 11 days in August and ends on the penultimate Sunday in August
history
The Schützengesellschaft Kronach is one of the oldest of its kind in Germany. The first shooting ranges were set up on the courtyard meadow as early as 1497. The first free shooting took place in 1588. Since then, the courtyard meadow at the Schützenhaus has been transformed into a festival area every year. Free shooting always ends on the penultimate Sunday in August. Before that, there are 10 days of exuberant celebration. The beer tasting takes place on the Thursday before the actual festival. Here all visitors can convince themselves of the beer delicacies of the breweries. In the early years, the food and drink stands were open at the beer tasting. For a few years now, all the other showmen have also opened their rides. Since then, the fixed operation has been extended to 11 days.
Festive sequence
The free shooting begins on the 2nd Thursday in August with the beer tasting. The incision is always carried out by the incumbent mayor of Kronach. The big rifle parade is on the following Sunday. Here, all the rifle clubs in the area march together with 10 music bands from the market square down to the Hofwiese. It is similar on Tuesday at the children's pageant. The youth groups from all the clubs in the district march to the fairground and then celebrate the children's afternoon with affordable prices at the rides. Two days later the brilliant fireworks are set off from Rosenberg Fortress . The announcement of the shooter king takes place on the last day.
Beer price
As at other folk festivals, the beer price is a much discussed topic. In recent years it has been shown that the price of beer remains constant for two to three years until it is increased by 20 to 50 cents. Despite the costs that arise from the large number of different music groups, the beer price in Kronach is considered to be the cheapest in comparison to other large folk festivals in the area.
| 1965 | 1967 | ... | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 DM
1.00 € |
2.20 DM
€ 1.10 |
... | € 6.20 | € 6.20 | € 6.20 | € 6.70 | € 6.90 | € 6.90 | 7.30 € | 7.30 € | 7.30 € | 7.80 € | 7.80 € | 7.80 € | € 8.30 |
particularities
The Kronacher Freischießen has some peculiarities that distinguish it from other festivals in the area and beyond.
Beer halls
No marquees are set up in Kronach for free shooting. The 2 or 3 beer halls are massive and are all year round on the courtyard meadow. The hall at the Schützenhaus is open to one side. The music plays here in front of the hall in the so-called pavilion and thus also for the adjacent beer garden.
Breweries
The Kronacher Freischießen has always been served by 3 breweries. Currently these are the Kaiserhöfer from Kronach, the Frankenbräu from Mitwitz and the Gampertbräu from Weißenbrunn . The Kaiserhöfer brewery is always in the right beer hall. Frankenbräu and Gampertbräu alternate every two years with the beer hall on the left and the bar at the pavilion. All breweries brew their own festival beer especially for free shooting.
music
At least 3 different live bands or music bands play every day in Kronach. While mood bands are usually on the stage in the beer halls, concert music is performed at the pavilion. For 50 years the Neuses rafting band played in the pavilion on the first 3 days. Nowadays chapels alternate in the area. A Bundeswehr music corps plays every day from Sunday to Sunday.
"Märkla"
It is particularly noticeable in Kronach that there is relatively little turnover in cash at the free shooting in the bar and at the food stands. Many Kronachers receive postage stamps ("Märkla") from their employer for free shooting as "vacation pay". The "Märkla" are considered a secret currency during the free shooting period.
XXL nights
In 2008 the so-called XXL nights were introduced. From then on, the opening times for free shooting were until 3:00 a.m. on the weekend. This was especially welcomed by the police, as it kept the festival visitors at the fairground and did not go to the city center to celebrate. Since 2013 there have been complaints from several residents. In the following years, the times of the XXL nights were adjusted again and again. In 2019, after several years of legal disputes, the XXL nights were finally abolished.
accident
On August 10, 2019, there was an accident on the verge of free shooting. A 20-year-old crossed the adjacent railroad tracks during the festival and was hit by a freight train. The man died at the scene of the accident.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Kronacher Freischiessen: data and facts. Retrieved August 10, 2019 .
- ↑ Beer tasting comes back to the test. Retrieved August 14, 2019 .
- ↑ Kronacher Freischiessen: Freischießen. Retrieved August 10, 2019 .
- ↑ Kronacher Freischießen - total festival sequence. Retrieved August 10, 2019 .
- ↑ Police chief: XXL nights could be daily. Retrieved August 14, 2019 .
- ↑ Is the Kronacher free shooting in danger? Retrieved August 14, 2019 .
- ↑ Kronacher Freischießen 2019: Date, opening times, beer price, buses and all information. Retrieved August 14, 2019 .
- ^ Fatal accident at Kronacher Freischießen: 20-year-old hit by a freight train. Retrieved August 14, 2019 .