Schützenfest Giesenkirchen — St. Sebastianus Schützenbruderschaft 1421

A Fraternity Since 1421

The St. Sebastianus Schützenbruderschaft Giesenkirchen 1421 is the oldest fraternity in Mönchengladbach. Founded in the year 1421, over 600 years ago, it has been preserving Rhenish shooting traditions ever since. It has survived the decline of knighthood, the Reformation, the Napoleonic Wars, the Industrial Age, and two World Wars — and its festival continues today as it always has on the first weekend of May.

Date 2026

The 2026 festival will traditionally take place on the first weekend of May — expected from Saturday, May 2nd to Tuesday, May 5th, 2026 (analogous to 2024: May 4th–7th and 2025: May 3rd–6th). The venue is the festival tent at Konstantinplatz in Mönchengladbach-Giesenkirchen.

Classic Schedule of a Rhenish Schützenfest

The schedule follows centuries-old choreography:

• Saturday — Festival Kick-off:
  • 2:30 PM Opening at the festival tent
  • 4:30 PM Serenade
  • 8:00 PM Dance evening (typically €7 admission)
• Sunday — Main Festival Day:
  • 8:00 AM Assembly of the fraternity
  • 9:15 AM Cemetery commemoration — honoring deceased fellow shooters
  • 10:00 AM Festival mass in the parish church
  • 8:00 PM King and Queen Coronation Evening (free admission)
• Monday — Klompenparade:
  • 2:15 PM „Klompenparade“ — humorous parade in wooden shoes (adapted from Rhenish Carnival tradition)
  • 3:00 PM Ball (free admission)
• Tuesday — Closing:
  • Closing parade
  • 7:30 PM „Zapfenstreich“ (Tattoo) with ceremonial closing music

Highlight: Grand Raffle

A tradition with a long history is the Grand Raffle on Sunday evening. Top prize 2025: „A week-long trip for two to a 4-star sports hotel in Austria“, coordinated by club member Harald Dominicus. An attractive raffle is also expected in 2026.

Giesenkirchen — A Distinct District

Giesenkirchen is a district in eastern Mönchengladbach (Ost district), with around 12,000 inhabitants. It has belonged to the city of Mönchengladbach since 1929 but has retained its own village character — with Konstantinplatz, St. Konstantin Parish Church, and an active club structure. The Schützenbruderschaft shapes the district's identity like few other institutions.

Rhenish Shooting Tradition — Cultural Heritage

The Catholic Schützenbruderschaften of the Rhineland are custodians of a unique late medieval civic and religious tradition. Patron Saint Sebastianus, parades, king's shooting, Klompenparade — these are all rites passed down through centuries, which are now part of the region's UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.