Programme and Special Events
Today, an Eidgenössisches Schützenfest typically lasts about a month and follows a tightly packed programme. In addition to the regular shooting competitions, which take place daily throughout the festival — including Sundays — various special competitions provide additional highlights. These include Youth Day, the Army Competition, Swiss Abroad Day, Academics’ Day, the Swiss Cantonal Matches, the King’s Shoot-Offs, and the prize-giving ceremony. A special highlight for the host city is the official festival day, featuring a parade that invites the entire population to join in the celebrations. Many well-known personalities, such as members of the Federal Council (e.g. Felix Calonder in 1949, Jean-Pascal Delamuraz and Kurt Furgler in 1985), did not miss the Eidgenössisches Schützenfest.
During the 1949 Eidgenössisches Schützenfest, photographer Reinhardt vividly captured the atmosphere in Chur:
Anyone attending a Schützenfest for the first time quickly realises that the world of shooting has a language all its own: Stich, Passe, Musche or Rangeur, Königsausstich, Absenden.
Shooters at a Schützenfest can take part in various disciplines, known as Stiche. These differ according to the firearm used, the shooting distance, the number of shots and the scoring system. A Stich may also be divided into several Passen, each consisting of a series of shots and an interim total. The aim of every shooter is clear: to score as many points as possible. Ideally, they will land a Musche — a perfect or near-perfect bullseye. In the past, the results of the Stiche were recorded on shooting cards. One such card from the 1842 Eidgenössisches Schützenfest in Chur has been preserved at the Rätisches Museum:
The term Rangeur refers to the scheduled time slot during which shooting may take place, with a shooting lane reserved for a particular Stich. At the shooting range itself, the shooting masters ensure that everything runs smoothly and correctly, while maintaining safety and order. The festival organisers determine in advance who may shoot and when, and publish the shooting schedules accordingly. Shooters may register individually, through their clubs or as part of a group. Certain special competitions are open only to specific participants: on Swiss Abroad Day, for example, only shooters living abroad may compete, while the King’s Shoot-Off on the final day of the festival is reserved exclusively for the top competitors, who battle for the title of Shooting Queen or Shooting King.
Contrary to what one might expect, the Eidgenössisches Schützenfest does not conclude on the festival’s final day, but three months later with the Absenden — the ceremonial announcement of the final results and prize-giving ceremony.