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100 years of Schützengau Freising: tradition celebrates big!
Find out everything about the 100th anniversary of the Schützengau Freising: tradition, competitions and celebrations in July 2025.
100 years of Schützengau Freising: tradition celebrates big!
This year the Schützengau Freising turns 100 years old. It was founded on March 22, 1925 in the Gasthaus zum Elephant, and since then a really lively shooting community has developed. What makes this region special? Well, it now has 57 member clubs and counts around 7,000 members - an impressive number that shows how popular shooting is in the region. After football, it is even the second most popular sport in the Freising district Mercury reported.
The history of the Schützengau is characterized by traditions and magnificent events. An example of this is the Freisinger Gauschützen, which is a compulsory event for around 1,500 participants. Petra Horneber, who won the silver medal in air rifle shooting at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, is a shining example of the success that the region has produced.
The roots and the first district shooting
The district was originally called “Zimmerstutzen Schützengau 3 Freising Stadt und Land”. The first eight clubs that were founded are still part of the shooting tradition today:
- Schützenverein 1866 Neustift
- Kriegerschützen Freising
- Schützengesellschaft Neu Freising
- Schützengesellschaft St. Hubertus
- Schützengesellschaft Alt-Neustift
- Schützengesellschaft Wildschützen Neustift
- Burg-Schützen Freising
- Schützengesellschaft Vötting
The first district shooting event that was organized took place in June 1926 and was a great success. The number of members in the Gau has also grown steadily over the years: in 1955 the Gau had 30 clubs with 798 members, in 1961 there were already over 40 clubs with 1,293 members.
Challenges and promoting young talent
But it's not just celebrations and success stories: the shooting clubs also face challenges. The negative reputation of the shooting sport, which is often associated with weapon abuse, is a topic that comes up again and again. The shooters emphasize that shooting is a sport like any other – comparable to football or judo. The South German reports that young talent work is particularly important.
Young people aged 10 and over are allowed to shoot with light point rifles, and at 12 they can start shooting with air rifles or air pistols. Shooting clubs place a lot of emphasis on safety and there are strict rules that govern shooting operations. The Eintracht Giggenhausen shooting club is a good example, as there is a lot of activity there on Fridays with lots of shooters.
Celebrations for the 100th anniversary
The 100th anniversary celebrations are planned for July 11th and 13th, 2025 in Nandlstadt. On July 11th there will be a hit event in the Hopfenhalle. In addition, July 13th has a varied festival program to offer, including a white sausage breakfast, a church procession and a pageant with honors. Not only is the shooting tradition celebrated, but social gatherings are also maintained, which strengthens the community and promotes cohesion.
The shooting culture in Bavaria has a history of over 500 years and is supported by institutions. BSSB reports that the shooting culture was also added to UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage in 2015. A sign that this tradition is very important not only in Bavaria, but also internationally.
Overall, it shows that the Schützengau Freising can look back on a proud history and is striving for a promising future. With the right measures and the promotion of young talent, club life will remain vibrant and the tradition will continue.