Roland-Schützenfest with Rolandreiten Windbergen

An Almost Unique Medieval Equestrian Game

The Rolandreiten was once common in many medieval German towns as a knightly practice game — winners received honor and prizes. Over the centuries, the custom has almost completely disappeared. Today, the open competition format has survived almost exclusively in Windbergen in the Dithmarschen district — the only place in the world where the game takes place as a regular, annual, public competition event (elsewhere, it only lives on as a reenactment show at medieval markets).

How Rolandreiten Works

The Roland figure stands in the festival grounds: a life-sized wooden figure with its right arm extended, to which a shield is attached. A bag of ash hangs from the left arm. Riders gallop past the figure in pairs, attempting to hit the shield with the Stößer (a lance) so forcefully that the figure rotates on its own axis. Those who don't ride away quickly enough feel the consequences immediately: the Roland strikes back, enveloping the rider in a cloud of ash. Each participant has five attempts.

Roland King and Roland Queen

The Roland-Schützenverein Windbergen (Roland Marksmen's Association Windbergen) has organized the game since 1971. From the early 1990s, women began participating in the competition for the first time. Since 2002, they have had their own category — and thus, annually, a newly crowned Roland King and Roland Queen. The oldest documented king's shields in the association's possession date back to 1671 — but the tradition likely extends further back into the 16th century.

What You'll Experience at the Roland-Schützenfest

• Rolandreiten as the main attraction on the festival grounds
• Crossbow shooting — a second old discipline targeting wooden discs
• Jousting on boats — competing against each other on boats in the moat with staffs
• Festive parade through the village starting at 11:00 AM, beginning at the church
• Crowning ceremony for the Roland King and Roland Queen in the late afternoon
• Festival tent with catering, music, and dancing in the evening

Windbergen in the Dithmarschen District

Windbergen is a small marshland municipality with around 600 inhabitants in the Dithmarschen district in the state of Schleswig-Holstein. Nestled in the former 'Peasant Republic' land between the heath and Meldorf, the village has preserved a remarkable independence. Those who grew up in Windbergen know what Rolandreiten is — those who come from outside see something that truly exists nowhere else.