Vogelschießen Beldorf

Beldorf — A Small Community with a Great Festival Tradition

Beldorf is a municipality in the Mittelholstein office within the Rendsburg-Eckernförde district (state of Schleswig-Holstein), located on the Eider river between Hanerau-Hademarschen and Albersdorf. With around 750 inhabitants, Beldorf is a typical small Geest community where club life forms the social framework: the volunteer fire department, the women's choir, and the hunting club jointly organize a large part of the village events.

Vogelschießen — A North German Tradition

The Vogelschießen is one of the oldest traditional festivals in many North German villages. Unlike a Schützenfest with serious target-scoring logic, Vogelschießen usually involves symbolic marksmanship on a wooden bird — a community ritual where traditionally a bird shooting king (or queen) is crowned. In Beldorf, the Vogelschießen is designed as a young-and-old event: both adults and children can participate, with age-appropriate game modes.

Ole School Community Center

The venue is the Ole School community center, a former village school that, after extensive renovation work in recent years, has been converted into a central event and meeting place. The building, with its hall, kitchen, and outdoor area, is the village center where most of Beldorf's club events take place.

Program Schedule

The Vogelschießen begins at 2:30 PM at the community center. After the welcome by the mayor and the club chairpersons, the stands open, where adults and children can demonstrate their marksmanship. Rounds of competition, breaks with cake and coffee, a communal barbecue in the evening, and finally the crowning of the new bird shooting king or queen are part of the proven format.