Schützenfest Göttingen

Lower Saxony's Oldest Marksmen's Tradition

The Bürger-Schützenfest Göttingen, organized by the Bürger-Schützengesellschaft 1392 (BSG 1392), is among the oldest marksmen's events in Germany. The founding year 1392 points to the late medieval defensive function of Göttingen's citizen marksmen, who initially served as the city's military self-defense and evolved over the centuries into a tradition-oriented club organization.

Two Marksmen's Clubs, Two Festival Dates

In 2026, Göttingen will host two consecutive Schützenfeste. From May 15th to 17th, 2026, the St. Georg marksmen's brotherhood, another traditional Göttingen marksmen's club, will hold its festival. This will be followed by the grand citizens' marksmen's festival of BSG 1392 on the Jahnstadion grounds from June 19th to 23rd, 2026. Both clubs maintain their own festival traditions but complement each other in the city's marksmen's calendar.

Bird Shooting and King Proclamation

The traditional bird shooting, where new titles are awarded – Marksmen's King, Ladies' Queen, Youth King – is the centerpiece of both festivals. The king proclamation of BSG 1392 is accompanied by an elaborate ceremony and is considered a highlight of the Southern Lower Saxony marksmen's calendar.

Festive Parade and Marquee

The grand festive parade of BSG 1392 through Göttingen's city center gathers several hundred uniformed participants from marksmen's companies, brass bands, and friendly clubs. The marquee at the Jahnstadion grounds, with a capacity of several thousand, is the venue for evening dance events, the king proclamation, and the family day.

Tourist and Social Profile

The citizens' marksmen's festival is one of the largest Volksfeste in Southern Lower Saxony, attracting visitors from the entire Göttingen district, Eichsfeld, the Werra-Meißner district, and Solling. For the university city of Göttingen, the event is both a social occasion and a tourist attraction with supra-regional appeal.