Rifle Brotherhood

The rifle brotherhoods in Germany and neighboring countries are mostly based on historic vigilante groups that protected church events in particular. In contrast to secular (sports) shooting clubs, membership in shooting brotherhoods is usually only open to people with a Christian denomination . However, in the course of the general secularization of society, many Rifle Brotherhoods have opened up to everyone. Even today, rifle brotherhoods take part in processions and church festivals - with banners , trellises and parades . Rifle brotherhoods organize regular shooting festivals with royal shooting .

While shooting clubs and other shooting clubs often focus on sports shooting, this also plays an important role in shooting brotherhoods, but takes a back seat to the charitable and church tasks of the brotherhoods that they have to fulfill as a Roman Catholic association.

History of the Rifle Brotherhoods

Origin in the Middle Ages

The emergence of the archery in Germany and neighboring countries goes back well into the Middle Ages . The oldest documented mentions of rifle guilds date back to 1139 from Gymnich and 1190 from Düsseldorf .

During this time, the brotherhoods had the task of protecting house and farm in times of war, epidemic dangers and religious disputes, but especially of defending them from rabble, pillaging gangs and robbers. In the early days of their existence they were purely self-protection communities. The ruling classes and magistrates were very happy to see this, because such communities relieved them of tasks and duties towards the population. As a result, these communities and rifle guilds received great support and further impetus. Over the years, however, it did not stop at the tasks of self-protection. Even then, the shooters took part in public festivities. In doing so, they appeared not only as organizers, but also as a protective or regulatory organization, as was their original task. This was particularly the case with all church events, festivals and processions. These rifle guilds, which can be described as military, prevailed from around the 14th to the 16th century.

From the 17th century, however, defense and order were almost exclusively taken over by paid mercenaries. As a result, the military function of the rifle guilds lost more and more importance. However, in order not to simply have to give up their previous activities, the shooters went over to holding festivals with target practice and competitions. The first shooting festivals were born with this. As an exception, the St. Sebastianus Schützenbruderschaft Geseke 1412 e. V. , which the city defended against Duke Christian von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel in the Thirty Years War and was the only city that could not be captured.

This development was completed around the 18th century. The former military rifle guilds had now become purely civil associations. What remained of that time was the strong and firm bond with the Church. Over time, religious activity became the most important task of the rifle guilds. This close connection to the church was inevitable because the church also played an important role in politics and society at this time, and so a civil association without the support of the church was as good as impossible. The rifle guilds developed into brotherhoods against this social background. In addition to protection during church celebrations and processions, there were also charitable tasks. It was through these focal points - defensive protection, combined with discipline, charity and prayer - that the real nature of the Rifle Brotherhoods developed. From this spirit arose the slogan “For Faith, Customs and Home”, which has been binding to this day.

Sebastianus , the most common archer saint

Soon more and more rifle brotherhoods started choosing a patron saint and manifesting it in their club name. Most of them opted for St. Sebastianus , others for Eustachius , Hubertus or the patron saint of their respective parish. It often happened that the patron saint of a professional group that was particularly well represented in the area was chosen, such as St. Barbara .

Brotherhoods at the time of the Enlightenment

In the course of the further development of the brotherhood, considerable difficulties had to be overcome, especially in connection with the social and political upheavals of the late 18th century. Many of the associations founded in the Middle Ages dissolved. Other rulers, however, saved their rifle brotherhoods by trying to restore the order of the brotherhoods with ordinances and decrees, since many now saw their sole task in organizing shooting competitions and festivals. It took considerable efforts to bring the Rifle Brotherhoods back to their original tasks.

The rifle brotherhoods under Napoleon I had to cope with a particularly difficult time. Many lost their association assets and their activities were prohibited to them. Only after the Congress of Vienna in 1815 did the shooting brotherhoods experience a renaissance. As a result of the territorial changes, the Rhineland was assigned to the Prussian Empire and the development of the brotherhood system was not perceived as disturbing by the Prussian government.

In the present

Shooters in 1924

The 20th century brought tough tests and struggles for survival for the brotherhood system, when public events were no longer allowed to be held at the outbreak of the two world wars and after the end of the war the victorious powers temporarily forbade the practice of archery, as this was initially in the brotherhoods saw paramilitary groups join the ranks of the defeated. Only through the dedication and persuasiveness of many people associated with the shooter was it possible to continue cultivating the brotherhood idea after the end of the Second World War .

In order to make shooting more attractive for the younger generation, in addition to the shooting festivals, youth shooting days are organized at the diocesan and federal level, especially for young people . Furthermore, some brotherhoods also offer summer camps , excursions and other leisure activities, often together with the parish, with which there can be strong local ties. Competitions are also held in a wide variety of disciplines, such as shooting competitions and flag-throwing competitions .

Structure of a rifle brotherhood

The chairman of a rifle brotherhood is the brother- master. This is regularly elected by the members together with the other board. In some areas, e.g. B. Ostwestfalen , rifle brotherhoods are also divided according to military ranks, here the chairman is called a colonel or captain . There is then a military hierarchy on the board. In different brotherhoods there is also a synergy between the two forms of organization. The executive board consists of the master brother, manager, etc., but the individual sub-groups are in turn led and represented by captains, who are presided over by a colonel as a member of the main board. In rare cases, there is also the so-called regular promotion in brotherhoods, where the colonel resigns as chairman every year and all other board members move up one post. So a new board member has to be elected every year.

Spiritual leader of a brotherhood is the Church President . This is usually the local priest of the community in which the brotherhood is located.

Subgroups in a rifle brotherhood are the young rifle group and the uniformed corps as well as a fanfare corps or drum corps , which is led by a drum major . It is also common to split up into platoons, companies or, in the case of large brotherhoods, even battalions.

In many places there are also honorary councils, women's groups and shooting departments.

Umbrella organizations

Germany

North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Lower Saxony: Federation of the historic German rifle brotherhoods
North Rhine-Westphalia ( Sauerland ): Sauerland Schützenbund
North Rhine-Westphalia ( District of Olpe ): District shooting association Olpe (member of the Sauerland shooting association SSB)

North Rhine-Westphalia (Arnsberg area): Arnsberg District Schützenbund (member of the SSB)

North Rhine-Westphalia (Brilon area): District shooting association Brilon (member of SSB)

North Rhine-Westphalia (Meschede area): District Rifle Association Meschede (member of the SSB)

North Rhine-Westphalia (Lippstadt area): Kreisschützenbund Lippstadt (member of the SSB)

North Rhine-Westphalia (Soest area): Kreisschützenbund Soest (member of the SSB)

North Rhine-Westphalia (Iserlohn area): Kreisschützenbund Iserlohn (member of the SSB)

North Rhine-Westphalia (Büren area): Büren district rifle association

North Rhine-Westphalia (Oberbergischer Kreis): Oberbergischer Schützenbund

North Rhine-Westphalia (Düsseldorf area): Interest group Düsseldorfer Schützenvereine eV and the surrounding area

Rhineland-Palatinate: Deutscher Schützenbund eV

Rhineland: Rheinischer Schützenbund 1872 eV

Switzerland

Association of Historical Shooting Societies

Austria, South Tyrol and Welschtirol

Tyrol: Association of Tyrolean Rifle Companies
South Tyrol: Südtiroler Schützenbund
Welschtirol: Welschtiroler Schützenbund

Europe

European Association of Historical Shooters

Rifle Brotherhoods

Examples of rifle brotherhoods with a long history:

Rifle Brotherhood St. Annae et Katharinae ( Beyenburg , Wuppertal )
Rifle Brotherhood St. Fabian and Sebastian 1653 Selm
Schützenbruderschaft Hüsten, under the protection of the Holy Spirit of 1435 eV
St. Johannes Schützenbruderschaft 1653 eV Salzkotten
St. Hubertus Shooting Brotherhood 1417 Brilon
Our Lady Rifle Brotherhood from 1630 Münster
St. Martinus shooting society Borschemich from 1636
St. Petri Bachelors Rifle Brotherhood ( Büderich , Wesel )
St. Sebastianus Rifle Brotherhood Nörvenich 1408
St. Sebastianus Rifle Brotherhood Geseke 1412
St. Sebastianus Rifle Society Duisburg-Huckingen
St. Sebastianus Schützenbruderschaft 1402 vom Heister zu Schönstein e. V.
St. Adelgundis Rifle Society Wegberg-Arsbeck 1353
St. Antonius Rifle Brotherhood Körrenzig 1597
United St. Sebastianus and bachelor rifle brotherhoods 1426 Geilenkirchen e. V. 1626
St. Sebastianus Citizens' Rifle Society Ahrweiler v. 1403

literature

Hans-Thorald Michaelis : Rifle Guilds. Origin - Tradition - Development , Keyser's Small Culture History (1985); Special print; 94 pages ISBN 978-3-87405-163-7 .
Hans-Thorald Michaelis: Shooting Associations - Shooting Guilds , Concise Dictionary of German Legal History (HRG), Vol. IV (1986); Columns 1529-1535.
Hans Thorald Michaelis: Over 1000 years of shooting history in Germany and cultural history in shooting. In: We Protect - Today. Sport and tradition - 125 years of the Deutscher Schützenbund 1861–1986 , special edition (1987); Pp. 51-88.
Hans-Thorald Michaelis: From men's groups of the European prehistoric times to the rifle guilds, clubs and societies of the 20th century. Development of a prehistoric custom . in: Österreichische Schützenzeitung year 40 (1994); Notebook. 11, pp. 18-20.
Mönks, Anton: The statutes of the "old riflemen" to Collerbeck and Entrup (Kr. Höxter). In: Westfälische Zeitschrift , Volume 84 (1927), pp. 132-149.
Mönks, Anton: Contributions to the history of the protection system in the Hochstift Paderborn. In: Westfälische Zeitschrift , Volume 86, p. 96 (1929), pp. 95-198.

Movies

Documentary film Glaube Sitte Heimat - Germany / France 2010, director: Jürgen Ellinghaus, distribution: AndanaFilms, length: 53:45, s. Website Glaube Sitte Heimat at German Documentaries. Trilingual DVD: EAN 3760248940045. VoD: realeyz