Schützenfest Wanlo – St. Antonius-Sebastianus Bruderschaft 1400

Wanlo Marksmen's Festival 2026 — Three Days of Tradition in Southern Mönchengladbach

When the horses are saddled, the uniforms are ironed, and the maypole is erected in Wanlo on the weekend of May 16 to 18, 2026, one of the most traditional marksmen's festivals in southern Mönchengladbach is about to begin. For over 600 years, the St. Antonius-Sebastianus Bruderschaft Wanlo 1400 e.V. has been inviting the residents of Wanlo and the surrounding villages to three days of customs, music, and festive atmosphere.

2026 Programme — Day by Day

Saturday, May 16, 2026 — Opening with Maypole

• Church service to open the marksmen's festival
• Raising of the fraternity's honorary maypole
• Grand dance evening in the festival tent

Sunday, May 17, 2026 — Grand Festival Sunday

• Solemn memorial service for the deceased members of the fraternity
• Grand Tattoo with torches
• Festive parade through the streets of Wanlo
• King's Ball in the festival tent

Monday, May 18, 2026 — Bird Shooting and Klompenball

• Traditional bird shooting to determine the new king
• Festive parade in Klompen (wooden shoes)
• Klompenball with award ceremony

2026 Royal Court — Oliver Weißbach Rules Wanlo

The reigning royal court of 2026 consists of:

• King and Queen: Oliver Weißbach and Christina, accompanied by two minister couples (Christian Küppers and Jens Hirschelmann)
• Young Marksmen King: Luis Vaqué with adjutants Niklas and Florian Stepprath
• Pupil Prince: Liam Wagner with escorts Maxim Pilipenko and Giunia Wagner

The highlight on Sunday is the festive parade, where the fraternity's contingents — including the Jägerzug, Rote Husaren, and Marinezug — march together with bands from the surrounding area.

Wanlo Fraternity 1400 — History Since the Late Middle Ages

The St. Antonius-Sebastianus Bruderschaft Wanlo was founded in the year 1400, making it one of the oldest marksmen's fraternities in the entire Rhineland. Its patron saints are Saint Anthony the Hermit and Saint Sebastian, classic patrons of marksmen. Over the centuries, the fraternity has preserved the tradition of bird shooting and the marksmen's festival, passing it on to subsequent generations. Today, the fraternity is divided into several contingents (Jägerzug, Rote Husaren, Marinezug, among others) and, in addition to the marksmen's festival, maintains other traditional events annually, such as the St. Anthony's Day festival.

Wanlo — Mönchengladbach's Southernmost District

Wanlo is located on the southern edge of Mönchengladbach, at the transition to the Rhein-Erft district. The village has around 1,600 inhabitants and has retained its rural character despite its incorporation into Mönchengladbach in 1975. The marksmen's festival is one of the most important events in Wanlo's annual calendar, bringing together not only fraternity members but the entire village community. Guests from the neighboring towns of Wickrath, Beckrath, Hochneukirch, and Lüttenglehn are explicitly invited — a tradition that has always shaped the Lower Rhine marksmen's culture.