Schützenfest Oelixdorf of the Oelixdorf Marksmen of 1928

A Marksmen's Guild from the 1920s

The Oelixdorf Marksmen were founded in 1928 – one of those typical North German marksmen's clubs that emerged as civic initiatives in the interwar period and have continued ever since. Today, they are among the more traditional clubs of their size in the Steinburg district of West Holstein, with a clearly defined festival culture and close contact with the village community.

Oelixdorf near Itzehoe

Oelixdorf is a small municipality in the Steinburg district, located directly on the town limits of Itzehoe. The region between the Elbe and the Kiel Canal is the agriculturally characterized western half of Schleswig-Holstein, with marsh villages, farmsteads, and a culture strongly supported by club life. The Landgasthof Unter den Linden has been the central festival location of the village for generations.

Program Structure of the Schützenfest

The festival is spread over the Pentecost weekend in 2026 and follows an established schedule:

• Eve of the Festival (May 17, 2026) – Guild Stand: Wreath-laying, joint decoration of the festival rooms
• Friday (May 29, 2026) – Main Event Day: Hall decoration, evening beer tasting and general meeting of the club
• Saturday (May 30, 2026) – Main Festival Day: Wake-up call by the Guild Band, King's shooting, evening Guild Ball

King's Shooting as the Climax

The King's shooting is the ritualized climax of every Schützenfest: the club members compete, and at the end, a new marksmen's king (or queen) is determined, who represents the club year until the next festival week. In Oelixdorf, the King's shooting takes place on Saturday morning, followed by the evening Guild Ball with a coronation ceremony.

Schützenfeste as Intangible Cultural Heritage

Since 2015, Schützenfeste have been recognized as intangible cultural heritage in Germany. They combine sport (competition), community (club life), tradition (king's ritual), and festival culture (ball) in a unique format, maintained in this form primarily in the western and northern German states.