Kilian-Schützenfest Schermbeck

Over 420 Years of Marksmen Tradition

The Kilian Marksmen's Guild Schermbeck of 1602 e.V. looks back on an uninterrupted tradition of more than 420 years — one of the oldest marksmen's brotherhoods in the Lower Rhine region. Its annual Kilian-Schützenfest is the biggest event of the summer season in Schermbeck's festival calendar. In 2026, the festival runs from Friday, July 10th, to Monday, July 13th.

The Kingdom on the Mill Pond as a Festival Setting

The festival grounds, which the guild traditionally calls the "Kingdom on the Mill Pond", are located on the idyllic Mill Pond in Schermbeck. Every year, the guild sets up its festival tent here, and the King proclamation, festival balls, and central ceremonies take place here. The area combines water, old trees, and the festival tent to create a typical Lower Rhine Schützenfest backdrop.

Program and Customs

The four-day festival follows a traditional rhythm that has hardly changed for generations:

• Friday: Opening, reception of guests of honor, festival ceremony, tattoo
• Saturday: Marksmen's parade through Schermbeck, bird shooting to find the new King, coronation of the new King
• Sunday: High mass, grand parade, King proclamation, King's ball
• Monday: Family day, evening finale in the festival tent

Schermbeck's Marksmen's Culture

Schermbeck — a municipality in the Wesel district in North Rhine-Westphalia with around 13,500 inhabitants — cultivates a distinct marksmen's culture. In addition to the Kilian Guild, there are other clubs in the districts, but the Kilian Guild's festival is considered the most prominent. It attracts not only Schermbeck residents but also guests from the neighboring municipalities of Hünxe, Wesel, and Dorsten every year.

Saint Kilian as Patron Saint

The guild is named after Saint Kilian (c. 640–689) — an Irish itinerant missionary and martyr, revered as the "Apostle of the Franks". His feast day on July 8th traditionally marks the date of the Schützenfest in numerous German Kilian communities — including Schermbeck.