Spätkirmes Hehn — St. Michaels-Bruderschaft Hehn 1860

The Spätkirmes of the Hehn Brotherhood

The Spätkirmes Hehn annually marks the late summer conclusion of the Schützen season for the St. Michaels-Bruderschaft Hehn 1860 e.V. While the Frühkirmes (Hehn Schützenfest) already takes place in June, the Spätkirmes concludes the club year in September. In 2026, it runs from Friday, September 25th, to Sunday, September 27th.

The festival grounds at Hehn Church

The festival site is the parking lot behind Hehn Church (St. Maria Rosenkranz) at Heiligenpesch 81. Here, the brotherhood sets up the festival tent, and the amusement rides and food stalls are located. The close connection between the parish and the Schützenbruderschaft shapes the traditional Lower Rhine Schützenwesen — and is visibly evident at the Hehn festival grounds.

The Proclamation of the New King

The highlight of the Spätkirmes is the Proclamation of the New King 2026 — a ceremony that, in a narrower sense, represents the official enthronement of the new Schützenkönig (King) crowned at the Frühkirmes. With the royal court, honors for the King and Queen, and a festive program in the tent, the new ruler is inducted into office.

The St. Michaels-Bruderschaft Hehn

The St. Michaels-Bruderschaft Hehn 1860 is a traditional Schützenbruderschaft in the Hehn district of Mönchengladbach, which belongs to the Hardterbroich-Pesch district in the west of the city. Its over 165-year history is reflected in a dense annual festival calendar: Frühkirmes in June, Stadtschützenfest in September, Spätkirmes in September. Other important dates in 2026 include the Stadtschützenfest on September 5th/6th and the Hehn Frühkirmes from June 12th to 15th.

Lower Rhine and Schützen Culture

Mönchengladbach, with around 260,000 inhabitants, is an independent city in western North Rhine-Westphalia, embedded in the Lower Rhine Schützenland. Hundreds of brotherhoods maintain a dense network of Kirmes and Schützenfeste here — from small local brotherhoods to large city-wide Schützenfeste. The Spätkirmes Hehn is one of these typical grassroots festivals that keeps the locally-rooted Schützen tradition alive.