Schützenfest St. Georg Twist-Hebelermeer

Hebelermeer as a District of Twist

Hebelermeer is a district of the municipality of Twist in southwestern Emsland and is located directly on the Dutch border. The municipality consists of several historically developed districts — Twist-Mitte, Rütenbrock, Hebelermeer, Schöninghsdorf — each of which has developed its own club and festival culture. With the St. Georg shooting club, Hebelermeer is home to an active customs club that has been cultivating local shooting traditions for generations.

St. George as Patron Saint

Saint George of Lydda (died 303) is one of the most prominent saints in Catholic Christianity and is considered the patron saint of shooters, riders, soldiers, scouts, and many other professional and life groups. The choice of St. George as the patron of a shooting club points to the close connection between Catholic piety and the shooting fraternity, which is characteristic of the predominantly Catholic Emsland region. With St. George as patron, the club maintains a special spiritual and cultural tradition.

Construction Week and Festival Weekend

As early as Wednesday, May 13th, the construction of the festival tent on the Hebelermeer Schützenplatz begins. This early construction phase is a clear sign that the big festival is imminent and mobilizes club members for joint preparatory work. The actual festival with the assembly of the shooters, parade, shooting ball, King's Shoot, and King's proclamation will follow on the weekend of May 16th and 17th.

Embedded in Twist's Shooting Culture

The municipality of Twist has several active shooting clubs in its various districts. In addition to the St. Georg Twist-Hebelermeer club, the St. Georg Twist-Mitte club (Pentecost weekend 2026) also cultivates a similar tradition. The clubs are closely connected through their shared municipal affiliation and maintain reciprocal visits.