Grußschinner Schissn — Großschönau Summer Fair

Tradition since 1844

The Grußschinner Schissn — the Upper Lusatian dialect name for «Großschönau Shooting» — is one of the oldest and largest marksmen's festivals in the Upper Lusatia. It was founded in 1844 by the Großschönau Marksmen's Association under initiators E. David Schiffner and August Ender at the former Sandschenke inn. The first king's shooting competition in 1845 marked the beginning of this major social event, which has been held every July since then — apart from breaks due to wars and political circumstances. After reunification, the Marksmen's Association was re-established on June 26, 1993, at the "Zur deutschen Eiche" inn, and the Schissn festival seamlessly continued its tradition. Today, it is the most important summer festival of the damask and terrycloth village.

Shooting and King Proclamation

At the heart of the festival are — as befits a marksmen's festival — the sporting and social competitions of the Marksmen's Association. Throughout the festival days, scoring shoots take place: King's shooting (to elect the new marksman king), club shooting, ladies' shooting, youth shooting, and cup shooting. The proclamation of the new king on the festival weekend is one of the social highlights. The festival opens with cannon shots from the Marksmen's Association.

Festival Tent, Market, and Music

A large festival tent stretches across the fairground — a stage for live music (dance bands, Schlager, folk music) and a meeting point for the entire community. Next to it is the colourful market program — carousels, shooting galleries, candy stalls, sausage stands, giant slide, dodgems — everything that belongs to an East German Kirmes (funfair). The festival opens on the first Friday evening with a beer tapping by the deputy mayor and a musical introduction by the Großschönau Volunteer Fire Department.

Shuttle Race — Großschönau Specialty

A unique feature of the Grußschinner Schissn is the shuttle race (Weberschiffchenrennen) of the Volunteer Fire Department on the Lausur (the stream in the village centre). The game combines Großschönau's textile tradition — the village has been one of the main centres of German damask weaving since 1666 — with fire department customs. Wooden shuttles (the bobbins that carry the weft yarn through the warp during weaving) are released on the Lausur and raced over a course. The race typically takes place on the first Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m.

Musical Fireworks and Festival Conclusion

The highlight and conclusion of the festival is a grand musical fireworks display over the fairground — synchronised to classical and popular music. It is set off on the last festival weekend and is one of the most beautiful fireworks displays in the Upper Lusatia. Before and after, there are festival evenings in the tent with dance bands.

Saxony, Görlitz District, and Großschönau

Großschönau is located in the Görlitz district in the far southeast of the state of Saxony, at the tri-border area of Germany-Poland-Czech Republic, in the Zittau Mountains Nature Park. With around 5,500 inhabitants, the municipality is small — but its textile history is extraordinary: damask weaving was introduced here in 1666, and terrycloth weaving in 1856. Today, the German Damask and Terrycloth Museum (in the Kupferhaus from 1809) houses the region's most important textile collection. The Grußschinner Schissn is the village's major social event — comparable in its significance for the Lusatian community identity to the Jacobimarkt in Neugersdorf.