From Bows and Arrows to Assault Rifles – The Shooting Festivals

First came the bow and arrow, then the crossbow, followed by matchlock guns and, later, wheellock and flintlock rifles, and finally pistols and the Sturmgewehr 90 assault rifle. Shooting has been practised extensively in Switzerland for centuries.

The largest shooting event in Switzerland, the Eidgenössisches Schützenfest (Swiss National Shooting Festival), has been held since 1824. The first Eidgenössisches took place in Chur in 1842 – on the Quaderwiese meadow. For the occasion, the canton of Graubünden issued a special Schützentaler coin. Further editions of the festival held or scheduled to be held in Chur include those of 1949, 1985 and 2026.

However, Graubünden has long hosted not only national shooting festivals, but also cantonal ones. In 1909, such a festival took place in Ilanz – complete with a “reveille” at 6 a.m., various banquets and concerts, and celebrations lasting until midnight. Numerous documents and photographs relating to shooting sports and shooting festivals can be found on Porta Cultura.

More on the topic page: Swiss National Shooting Festival in Chur