Schützenfest Holweide — St. Sebastianus Schützenbruderschaft 1926

100 Years of the Holweide Marksmen's Brotherhood

2026 is a jubilee year for the St. Sebastianus Schützenbruderschaft Köln Holweide 1926 e.V. — it turns 100 years old. Founded in 1926 in the Holweide district of Cologne, east of the Rhine, the brotherhood has survived the eventful German history of the 20th century, through world wars and post-war periods to today's club landscape. The 100th anniversary will be celebrated in September 2026 with a grand festival week.

September 5th-12th, 2026 — The Festival Week

The anniversary edition runs from Saturday, September 5th to Saturday, September 12th, 2026 — a whole week, instead of the usual three days. Three main events structure the festival week:

King's Shoot — Saturday, September 5th, 2026 at 2:00 PM

The Königsschießen (King's Shoot) is the traditional club event where the new marksmen's king is determined. Applicants step up to the shooting range, and the king is chosen based on the best shooting performance. The ceremony begins at 2:00 PM and is open to the public.

Parade — Sunday, September 6th, 2026 at 3:00 PM

The grand Festzug (parade) of the marksmen's brotherhood through Holweide showcases the brotherhood in its element: in full uniform, with the king's carriage, standards, and marching bands. The procession starts at 3:00 PM and winds through the central streets of the district. Residents and visitors line the route.

Coronation Ball — Saturday, September 12th, 2026 at 8:00 PM

One week after the King's Shoot, the grand Krönungsball (Coronation Ball) takes place in the Schützenhalle — the official coronation of the new king and queen with a festive reception, dancing, and honors. Starts at 8:00 PM, festive dress code.

“Everyone is Warmly Welcome”

The brotherhood explicitly emphasizes on its website: everyone is warmly welcome. Unlike some traditional Schützenfeste where events are primarily for members and their families, the Holweide Schützenfest is open to the entire neighborhood and guests from Cologne. This openness is one of the strengths of club life in Holweide.

St. Sebastianus — The Patron Saint

The name St. Sebastianus refers to the traditional patron saint of marksmen — Sebastian, the Christian martyr who was shot to death with arrows, thus becoming the symbolic saint for shooting sports. Marksmen's brotherhoods with "St. Sebastianus" in their name are particularly common in the Rhineland and Westphalia — an expression of the Catholic character of the marksmen's tradition.

Holweide — The District East of the Rhine

Holweide is a district in the Mülheim borough of Cologne, located east of the Rhine in the northeast of the city. With around 14,000 inhabitants, it is a classic residential district with its own center, churches, and club landscape. Maria Himmelfahrt Straße 10 houses the Schützenhalle and is the brotherhood's club center.

Schützenfest in the Big City of Cologne

Cologne, with its 1.1 million inhabitants, is far from a classic marksmen's village — yet, in the districts east of the Rhine like Mülheim, Holweide, Buchforst, and Brück, vibrant marksmen's brotherhoods preserve the rural-Westphalian-Rhenish customs right in the heart of the metropolis. The Holweide Schützenfest is part of this unique diversity of Cologne.