Schützenfest Hannover
The Hanover Shooting Festival on the approximately ten hectare Schützenplatz in Hanover is considered the largest shooting festival in the world, the tradition of which goes back to the 15th century. The ten-day event is attended by over a million guests each year (2009: 1.6 million). The traditional drink is the Lüttje Lage . Around 220 showmen are represented at the festival.
history
Postcard number "2" from Karl F. Wunder
historical frieze at the New Town Hall in Hanover
The first written mention of the Hanoverian rifle system goes back to a letter from Duke Wilhelm the Victorious to the city council in 1468. In it he complained about the military sports exercises of the Hanoverians. It had become known to him that the Hanoverians, on the grounds of the razed Lauenrode Castle in Calenberger Neustadt , used crossbows to shoot a colorful wooden parrot attached to a pole when they were in feud with their sovereign. The crossbow and rifle were then used to protect the city. The sporting practice competitions in peacetime resulted in the best shooters being honored with prizes and awards.
The foundation stone for the festival was laid in 1529 when Duke Erich I von Calenberg-Göttingen granted Hanover the privilege of holding an annual shooting festival.
The first rifle house was built on Klagesmarkt in 1573/47 . In order to prevent riots during the festivities, a rifle regulation was issued in 1575 that regulated the festival. In 1710 the break masters were appointed, who officially had to take care of a regular and orderly process of the shooting as auxiliary officers.
In 1797 the rifle house on Klagesmarkt was to be replaced; this failed because of the costs. Only after the rifle clubs of the old town of Hanover had merged with those of the Calenberger Neustadt in 1825, a new rifle house was built in the Ohe according to the 4th design by Laves . It was inaugurated on July 15, 1827. The classical building stood roughly at the entrance of today's HDI-Arena and was only destroyed by the air raids on Hanover in World War II.
While the riflemen competed in civilian clothing from the start, a new rifle regulation was created in 1837 . She allowed evenly dressed groups to appear. This is why the shooting clubs were born in 1837 , because different shooting clubs have developed in the different parts of the city since then. In 1955, Hanover was given the official title of “Schützenstadt”. In Hanover there are currently (2019) 63 shooting clubs and associations with around 3,700 members.
The city of Hanover is planning to apply for recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the 500th shooting festival .
The Schützenfest 2020 is canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Size comparisons
The shooting festival in Hanover is the largest shooting festival in the world. This title is justified and mainly refers to the extensive supporting program and the approximately 10 km long rifle march. The rifle march is with around 10,000 participants from home and abroad, with over 40 floats and carriages and a length of around 10 kilometers, the most extensive rifle march in the world. With 63 shooting clubs and societies, Hanover has a large number of professional clubs and has been the official honorary title of “shooting town” since the 1950s.
The Federal Shooting Festival in Switzerland, which takes place every five years and is the largest shooting event in the world based on the number of participating shooters, is a pure shooting competition and not a public festival. The largest fair on the Rhine in Düsseldorf is one of the largest folk festivals in Germany with around four million visitors. The fair is organized independently by the St. Sebastian's Schützenverein von 1316 eV, the occasions of the fair are, however, the festival of the city patron St. Apollinaris of Ravenna, and the parish festival of the Catholic Basilica St. Lambertus in Düsseldorf's old town. The Neusser Bürger-Schützenfest is smaller than the Schützenfest Hannover with almost 8000 shooters, but it is considered the world's largest shooting festival organized by a single club and without guest trains.
mascot
The "Ballerkalle" has been the mascot of the Schützenfest Hannover since 1975 . The Ballerkalle represents a running target with two feet and a shooting hat. Since 2005 it has also been available as a plush version. Every year the Ballerkalle appears as a small pin with the year. In 1975 there was an invitation to tender for a poster competition in Hanover. This competition was rewarded with 1500 DM for the first price. They were looking for a striking symbol that would "convincingly and concisely highlight the traditional folk fun and the rifle march". The march of the riflemen was to be represented. Students from the University of Applied Sciences for Communication and Product Design in Hanover were invited to a “Schützenfest poster competition”. The first prize went to Klaus Kutzner, the second prize to Thomas Steinhausen, and the third prize to the Hartwig vd Heyde and Rainer Osswald team. In 2017 the mascot was completely redesigned and for the first time has a face. Since 2017, “Ballerkalle” has also had a female counterpart called “Ballerina”.
Original poster from 1975
Shooting festival landmark Ballerkalle (2008)
Official flags for the Schützenfest (2013)
Course of the shooting festival
With the Schützenfest Hannover, the shooters celebrate the end of the multi-day shooting competitions that were held in the large urban shooting range in the Wülfel district. On the Saturday before the opening, the Volkskönigschießen is held on the Kröpcke, in which numerous "civilians" take part every year. The Volkskönigschießen is framed by the “Day of Music Trains”, during which several marching bands play on the Kröpcke. The actual opening of the shooting festival will take place on the following Friday. First there is an ecumenical service with musical accompaniment in the market church. Then the participants march into the domed hall of the New Town Hall . There, the mayor of the Bruchmeister obliged and honored the best in front of the discs and the Lower Saxony Kings. Then all participants march with several bands to the Schützenplatz.
In 2015, at the request of Rifle President Paul-Eric Stolle, the further festival march to Schützenplatz was interrupted for the first time, the music stopped and the flags lowered in order to "[... ] remember the 526 prisoners of war and prisoners from concentration camps at the cemetery of honor on the north bank of the Maschsee lie buried there. "
On the Schützenplatz, the participants march into the Marris festival hall, the main festival tent. There the Lord Mayor opens the shooting festival with a barrel tapping in the presence of numerous prominent guests. Shortly thereafter, the Senator of the rifle was signed. Later in the evening, a fireworks display is set off. Sunday is all about the rifle march. Before the actual march, the guests of honor are received in the New Town Hall. After the mayor's address in front of the town hall, the ten kilometer long parade starts moving towards Schützenplatz . On Monday, the shields of the 1st day and the youth shields will be handed out in the Marris festival hall and the kings of the people will be honored. There is a celebratory meal in the Gaypeople tent. Tuesday is the celebrity day on Schützenplatz with the VIP rendezvous in the "Alt Hanovera" marquee. The riflemen's feast is held in the Marris festival hall. At this festive dinner, the city kings are honored and the marks of honor of the Schützenstiftung are handed out. This is followed by the issue of the 2nd day shields and the lady's shields. On Wednesdays, the shields of the 3rd day and the panes are handed out in the Marris festival hall and the kings of the region are honored. Also on Wednesday is Family Day with discounts of up to 50 percent and various promotions. On Wednesday, the parrot shooting is also held on the round section. In the old Hanovera the marching band competition "Die goldene Fanfare" from the Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung takes place . On Thursday the traditional craftsmen's evening will take place in the Marris festival hall and the allotment gardeners' evening with a cup shooting in the Gaypeople tent. On Thursday there will also be a women's tour across the square and the college of the former Bruchmeister will also take place with musical accompaniment across the Schützenplatz. On the second Friday a fireworks display will be shot again and the "Day of Lower Saxony Rifle Clubs" will be held with more than 90 clubs from all over Lower Saxony. The shooting clubs are welcomed in front of the New Town Hall and then move to Schützenplatz with musical accompaniment. Saturday is the day on Schützenplatz for people with mobile disabilities. In the evening, the rifle house trophies will be handed out in the Marris festival hall. The traditional Bruchmeister campaign also takes place on the Kröpcke on Saturday and serves a different charitable cause every year. On the final Sunday there is the Schützen morning pint in the "Alt Hanovera" marquee. Sunday ends with a torchlight procession from Schützenplatz to the old town, where the tattoo is held in front of the market church . During the entire Schützenfest, marching bands march across the fairground and all the marquees and most of the event areas offer a daily changing program.
The four break masters (2008)
Awarding of the Schützenhaus Cup
Torchlight march of the shooters at the end of the shooting festival
Tattoo in front of the New Town Hall
Riflemen march
The highlight of the Schützenfest is the rifle march that traditionally takes place on the Sunday after the start of the festival, which is around ten kilometers long and leads from the New Town Hall on a 3 km route through the city center to Schützenplatz . The march always takes place on the Sunday before the first Monday in July; this is usually the first Sunday in July, but if July 1st falls on a Monday, the march will take place on June 30th. The train is considered to be the largest rifle march in the world, made up of around 10,000 participants. These include around 3,700 shooters from Hanover with guest delegations and individual shooters from Germany and other countries. In addition, there are more than 30 shooting clubs from all over Germany. There are also almost 100 music bands from Germany and other European countries, as well as over 40 floats and carriages as well as numerous festival groups from Hanover and various countries. Cultural and folklore groups, carnival and riding clubs as well as guests from federal and local politics also take part. The march out is divided into a preference and four main moves, each led by one of the reigning break masters . According to the organizers, the rifle march is visited by 150,000 to 300,000 visitors every year. It is broadcast live on NDR television. There are three grandstands with commentators along the route.
Head of the march with the mascot Ballerkalle during the rifle march in 2009
Protect on the march in 2009
Stephan Weil with the chain of office of the Lord Mayor of Hanover during the rifle march in 2009
Shooting festival dates
The Schützenfest Hannover begins on the Friday before the first Monday in July. In 2013 and 2019 it began on June 28, and the rifle march took place on June 30.
Folk songs
The Lower Saxony song, as well as the folk songs "Die lustigen Hannoveraner" and "In Hannover an der Leine" and the song "Schützenliesel" are the most frequently played songs at the Schützenfest.
Gastronomy and marquees
There are a total of eight festival tents and event areas at the Schützenfest. Several smaller catering tents, beer gardens, stalls and stands complete the offer. A long-standing traditional drink is the Lüttje Lage , which is only widespread in the Hanover region . During the Schützenfest, the Ernst-August brewery brews the Hannöversch Fest beer , which is only available at the Schützenfest. A total of around 250,000 liters of beer, 25,000 half chickens, 15,000 knuckles, 250,000 sausages and one million Lüttje layers are consumed during the Schützenfest. By decree, the serving of beer is reserved only for breweries based and producing in Hanover in order to protect and preserve Lower Saxony's brewing culture.
The marquees and event areas
Old Hanovera
The Alt Hanovera is the hit tent of the shooting festival. The tent offers a total of 3000 people and is designed like a Lower Saxony hall house . The program is designed by changing DJs. The beers of the private brewery Herrenhausen are served here .
Bähres bar
The Behre family has managed the round part for many years. From 2018 the company will be represented at the Schützenfest with its own event area. The area also includes the reconstructed historical round section and the hunting lodge .
Brauhaus Live
In the entrance area there is a pyramid made of glass and aluminum with space for around 1500 guests. You will be entertained from the pulpit by changing disc jockeys . A tent is attached to the pyramid . There is a program there that is created by live bands and DJs. The Brauhaus Live has the longest bar at the Schützenfest. The beers from the Ernst-August brewery are served here .
The mill
The large mill can be seen from afar due to its size. There is a cocktail and drinks bar in it.
Marris Festival Hall
Since 2000, the Marris festival hall has been the main marquee of the Schützenfest with space for 3000 people. There is live music every day with changing bands. This is also where the mayor's shooting festival is ceremoniously opened by tapping the barrel. Other activities such as the riflemen's celebratory meal on Tuesday and Craftsmen's Day on Thursday round off the program. Matthias Brodowy , Dietmar Wischmeyer , Heino , Lena Meyer-Landrut , Jürgen Drews and Juliano Rossi have also been on stage in the Marris festival hall .
Gaypeople tent
The Schützenfest Hannover is the only folk festival in Germany with its own gay people tent. The program consists of travesty shows and men-strips. But the program also includes an allotment gardening day with cup shooting and appearances by pop stars. Some of the celebrities who have already performed in the Gaypeople tent include Lilo Wanders , Bata Illic , Mary Roos , the Wildecker Herzbuben and Tina York . 1200 people can be accommodated in the tent.
Lower Saxony House
The house offers a beer garden and a party tent . The beers of the Gilde Brewery are served here . The program is created by DJs and live music.
Round part
The round part is the center of the Schützenplatz. In the middle is the only fixed building on the square. The building has over 1,000 seats. From 2018 the round part will consist of several adventure gastronomy areas. There is a wine and beer garden , a party tent with DJs and the Groove Garden . The celebrities who have already appeared on the round part include Cosmo Klein and the Chancellor DJ Michi Gürth.
Old Hanovera (main and secondary wing)
Bähres bar (with the reconstruction of the historical round part)
Brauhaus Live (party pyramid and music tent)
The mill
Main marquee "Festhalle Marris" (main and side wings)
Gaypeople tent
Niedersachsenhaus (with beer garden and tent)
Entrance to the round part with the party tent, wine and beer garden and the Groove Garden.
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The small tents and other bars
In addition to the large festival tents and event areas, there are also three small tents on Schützenplatz, as well as a number of other bars. The small tents are Bötticher's Altes Landhaus , the Tyrolean Village and Vorlop's Imbiss & Bar . The other serving establishments include u. a. Rosis Almhütte , Stratmann's Café and Beer Bar , Thilos Vesperhaus , Vorlops Ranch , Kuhstall and the Outback Bar .
Lower Saxony village
Since 2019 there has been the Lower Saxony village on Schützenplatz, which offers specialties especially from Lower Saxony to eat and drink. The specialties are offered in several wooden huts. The huts frame a beer garden that can be entered through two entrance gates.
Former tents
- Ahrberg
- Bavaria Festival Hall
- The alpine hut
- The Wilkenburg
- Festhalle Ahrend
- Gilde Festzelt / DAX Beer Exchange / Gilde Island
- To the mansions
- To the ox
Rides, shows and entertainment
Main attractions
The supply of rides and show shops to the Schützenfest changes from year to year, as the organizers want the latest fairground rides. From around 650 applications annually, a total of around 220 companies are admitted each year. In the following, only those institutions are described that have a regular place and are included almost every year. Almost 40 rides and amusement shops take part in the Schützenfest every year, including over 10 exclusively for children.
Rides
Roller coaster
There are usually three roller coasters at the Schützenfest , including a large roller coaster . In 1984 the three-way loop had its world premiere in Hanover. From the 1990s to 2000, as well as in 2008, 2009 and 2012, the Olympia Looping, the largest transportable looping track in the world, was a regular guest in Hanover. The Alpina-Bahn, the world's largest transportable roller coaster without a loop, was a regular guest in Hanover from 2002 to 2007. The Euro-Star as the largest transportable hanging roller coaster in the world was a guest in 2005. The double loop "test track" has been a guest since 2013 (with brief interruptions in 2017 and 2019).
In the recent past 2001, 2010, 2011 and 2017 were the only years so far in which no large roller coaster was represented at the Schützenfest. Another roller coaster that is a regular guest at the Schützenfest is the "Wild Mouse". But also the "Euro-Coaster", "Spinning Racer", "Mountain and Valley", "Super Mouse", "High Explosive", "Speedy Gonzales", "Spinning Coaster", "Cat and Mouse" and "Tom the Tiger" “Were already guests. The family rollercoaster "Kuddel, der Hai" made a guest appearance in 2013 as part of its premiere tour in Hanover. In 2015 the largest traveling indoor roller coaster “Höllenblitz” was represented for the first time in Hanover, as was the “Wilde Maus XXL” (the world's largest transportable wild mouse).
Breakdance
The Breakdance circular ride has 16 gondolas for two people each, which are located at four gondola crosses on a rotating disc. Each gondola also moves independently of the others. The largest ride of its kind, the “Break Dance No. 1 “with 6 gondola crosses has been a frequent guest in Hanover.
Ghost train
The ghost train belongs to the solid tribe. Frequent representatives at the Schützenfest include the "Daemonium" (the largest transportable ghost train in the world), the "Ghost Snake" and "The Great Ghost Train". Often two ghost trains can also be found at the shooting festival. In addition, the "Castle of Horror", the "Dracula Castle / Geister Castle", the "Fantasy Drive" and the "Castle Spook" were at the festival. In 2019, for once, no ghost train was represented on Schützenplatz.
Go-cart race track
A go-kart track has been a regular customer for decades. The “Monza piste” is one of the most frequent representatives in Hanover, but the world's largest transportable go-kart track, the Monte Carlo Rally, has also been a guest. In 2015 the "Europa-Ring" was at the festival for the first time. There has been no go-kart track at the festival since 2016.
Crystal palace
The Sturm family has been traveling through Germany with this mirror cabinet since 1947. This traditional shop is one of the regulars at the Schützenfest Hannover.
Music Express
The classic mountain and valley railway has been a regular at the Schützenfest for decades.
Ferris wheel
The Steiger 60 meter ferris wheel had its world premiere in 1980 at the Schützenfest Hannover and was the largest transportable ferris wheel in the world until 2013. The 42 cabins can accommodate a total of 420 people. Until 2010 it was the landmark of the shooting festival. Since 2011, the 48-meter-high "Roue Parisienne" Ferris wheel has been the landmark of the shooting festival. It offers space for 216 passengers in 36 gondolas. The Roue Parisienne offers passengers both closed and open gondolas, making it the largest of its kind in Europe.
simulator
Almost every year there is also a driving and / or flight simulator at the Schützenfest. Usually the space theme is used. In the past, u. a. the "Adventure Shuttle", the "Gate of the Time", "Challenger Speed 3000", "Time Visitor", "Back to the Future" or "U-3000" are guests at the shooting festival. In 2017, the 9D Action Cinema was a guest for the first time.
Wave flight
There is space for 48 people in the wave flight . In addition to the circular movement of a traditional chain carousel, a wave movement is also used here.
Flume
The wild water run is a regular at the Schützenfest. The most frequent rifle at the Schützenfest is the “Wildwasser” run with a track length of 520 meters and a height of 21 meters. But the world's largest transportable whitewater rink (whitewater 3) and the rafting track “Atlantis-Rafting” were also guests at the shooting festival.
Other attractions
Since 2010, in addition to the regular guests, the following rides, show and amusement shops have been represented at the Schützenfest Hannover:
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Other business
In addition to the rides described, numerous other shops can be found at the Schützenfest Hannover. Over time, smaller attractions have become crowd pleasers. These include, for example, the puppet theater in the theater tent, the palm reader and the hand-picked Lukas. There are also numerous shooting shops on the square. You can get Schützenfest souvenirs at the info point between the guild gate and the round part.
Service and infrastructure
There is a mobile ATM at the main entrance to the Gilde-Tor on the fairground. There is also a baby changing room there . There are fixed telephone systems on the round part ("Rondell") in the middle of the square and at the guild gate.
Effects on urban transport infrastructure
Due to regular large trade fairs (CeBit, Hannover Messe), the transport infrastructure in Hanover is designed for large numbers of visitors. Many visitors to the Schützenfest use the trams . They are therefore often overcrowded in the evenings and especially on Fridays because of the fireworks display and Wednesdays because of the family day with lower prices. The tram stations “ Waterloo ” and “Allerweg” (formerly Siloah hospital), which are in the immediate vicinity of the fairground, are ideal for arrival and departure . The parking spaces in the immediate vicinity of the Schützenplatz are usually scarce during the entire time of the shooting festival. Overall, the traffic to and from the Schützenfest is quite smooth. During the rifle march on Sunday, completely larger parts of the city center are closed from the morning hours until around 2 p.m.
opening hours
In contrast to the Munich Oktoberfest or the other Hanoverian folk festivals, there is no curfew at the Schützenfest in Hanover . On the one hand, it is because the shooting festival in Hanover has a kind of special status. On the other hand, it is due to the fact that there are no apartments around Schützenplatz, but above all offices and authorities. The shooting festival opens daily at 2 p.m., on Sundays also earlier, and is open until early in the morning. The rides close depending on the number of visitors, but usually around midnight.
Medical and rescue service
From 2 p.m. until the end of the festival, rescue workers are on duty every day to provide assistance. The DRK -Region Hannover eV had its station at the main entrance (Gilde-Tor) until 2010, since then the personnel have been stationed at the vehicle registration office at the Herrenhäuser Tor. Mobile patrols by volunteer paramedics are constantly out and about on the fairground. During the entire duration of the festival, the DRK stationed at least two ambulances on site in addition to a mobile accident rescue center . Depending on the situation, the potential for assistance can be increased at short notice in order to relieve the public rescue service. During the rifle march, the DRK secures the entire route with around 100 volunteer forces and around 30 emergency vehicles (ambulance, ambulance, operations management).
Toilet situation
There are free toilets at the Gilde, Herrenhäuser and Schausteller-Tor. The individual tent operators also operate their own toilet facilities, but these are not free.
Schützenfest radio
From 2005 to 2013, the Schützenfest Hannover was the only folk festival in Germany with its own radio station. The "SchützenfestRADIO Hannover 100.0" broadcast live around the clock for eleven days from a studio on the fairground. The event radio frequency 100.0 MHz was used. The program was also broadcast as Internet radio . For cost reasons, the radio went on broadcast for the last time in 2013. Since 2019, Antenne Niedersachsen has had the web radio "Schützenfest Hits" in a live stream on the official Schützenfest website.
Further festivals in Hanover
literature
- Helmut Zimmermann : The great Hanoverian shooting book. The history of the Hanoverian archery from the beginnings in the Middle Ages to the present. Schlueter, Hannover 1981, ISBN 3-87706-185-0 .
Web links
- Official website of the organizer Hannoversches Schützenfest eV
- Schützenfest Hannover at hannover.de
- Association of Hannoverscher Schützenvereine
- Photos from the tattoo at the end of the shooting festival 2009 (myheimat)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Stadtlexikon Hannover ..., page 552
- ↑ Schützenfest Hannover: Around one million visitors, 2016
- ↑ Andreas Voigt: Start of the hot Schützenfest / Bruchmeister commitment and draft beer tapping at Marris , in: [[Neue Presse (Hanover) |]] from July 4, 2015, p. 19
Coordinates: 52 ° 21 '46 " N , 9 ° 43' 43" E