Diocesan Youth Rifle Day DJT 2026 Solingen-Wald

Solingen — City of Blades and Rifles

Solingen, with around 160,000 inhabitants, is one of the most prominent industrial cities in the Bergisches Land region, known worldwide as the 'City of Blades' for its knives, scissors, and cutlery. What is less known is that Solingen has an exceptionally active rifle tradition, with fraternities in almost every district. The St. Sebastianus Schützenbruderschaft Solingen-Wald 1951 e.V. in the Wald district is one of the most vibrant of these associations — and in 2026, it celebrates its 75th anniversary. For this occasion, it will host the Diocesan Youth Rifle Day of the Archdiocese of Cologne in 2026.

What is the Diocesan Youth Rifle Day?

The Diocesan Youth Rifle Day (DJT) is the annual major event of the Federation of St. Sebastianus Rifle Youth (BDSJ) in the Cologne Diocesan Association. It brings together youth rifle groups from the entire Archdiocese — covering Cologne, Bonn, Düsseldorf, the Bergisches Land, the Eifel, the Oberbergisches, and the southern Lower Rhine. Around 1,500 participants, ranging from kindergarten age to 25 years old, are expected, along with parents, siblings, and club supervisors. The day serves to strengthen youth work within the historical-Catholic rifle tradition and to foster encounters among the younger generation from the over 600 fraternities in the Archdiocese.

Program on June 21, 2026

The venue is the Jahnkampfbahn at the Walder Stadion on Adolf-Clarenbach-Straße in the Solingen-Wald district. The program follows a proven structure:

• Festive Church Service in the morning — the spiritual start of the day, traditionally led by the Diocesan Youth Chaplain and attended by all participating club groups with their banners.
• Grand Festive Procession through Solingen-Wald — featuring marching bands, youth rifle groups with their banners and their reigning royal couples, and drum corps. The festive procession is one of the day's highlights, attracting thousands of spectators to the streets.
• Games and Creative Competitions on the Jahnkampfbahn — from classic skill stations and shooting competitions (air rifle, light point) to creative formats.
• Family Activities — bouncy castles, hands-on stations, stage program for children.
• Catering — barbecue stands, snack trucks, cake stand, drinks.

75 Years of St. Sebastianus Solingen-Wald

The St. Sebastianus Schützenbruderschaft Solingen-Wald 1951 e.V. was founded after World War II and has developed over the decades into one of the most active fraternities in the Solingen deanery. With its own youth members, royal couples, an active club life, and regular rifle festivals, it is an integral part of life in the Wald district. Hosting the DJT in its jubilee year is one of the biggest tasks a single club in the Archdiocese can undertake.

BDSJ Köln and the Catholic-Rhenish Rifle Tradition

The Federation of St. Sebastianus Rifle Youth (BDSJ) is the youth organization of the Federation of Historical German Rifle Fraternities (BHDS) in the Archdiocese of Cologne. Unlike the North German-Protestant rifle tradition, the Rhenish tradition is deeply Catholic — featuring High Mass, patronal festivals honoring St. Sebastian, St. Sebastian's Day in January, and a close connection to the parishes. The DJT represents the youthful pinnacle of this tradition.