Schützenfest Waldhausen — St. Antonius Schützenbruderschaft 1870

A Marksmen's Tradition Since 1870

The St. Antonius Schützenbruderschaft Waldhausen was founded in 1870 — older than the German Empire, which was established in the same year after the Franco-Prussian War. Since then, the brotherhood has carried on the marksmen's tradition in the Waldhausen district of Mönchengladbach. With over 150 years of club history, it is one of the oldest continuously active brotherhoods on the Lower Rhine.

Program Structure

The marksmen's festival traditionally runs for three days on the May 1st weekend:

• Bird Shoot / King's Shoot — the central discipline where the new king is determined
• Parade of the brotherhood with brass bands through the streets of Waldhausen
• Coronation Ball in the traditional club tavern
• Social evenings, morning pint, and church service

King and Queen 2026

The current King of the brotherhood is Christoph Kussmann, a standard bearer, who brought the bird down with his 161st shot. His Queen is Lina Schnurbus. The two represent the brotherhood in 2026 and are the focus of the coronation festivities.

Mönchengladbach and the Lower Rhine

Mönchengladbach, with around 260,000 inhabitants, is one of the ten largest cities in North Rhine-Westphalia and the center of the southwestern Lower Rhine region. Marksmen's festivals deeply shape the region's customs — almost every district maintains its own brotherhood with a festival calendar. The Waldhausen marksmen's festival is one of the most traditional of these district festivals.