Great tradition at guild: new recruits and king in Wildeshausen!

Great tradition at guild: new recruits and king in Wildeshausen!

Wildeshausen, Deutschland - On June 10, 2025, the companies of the Wildeshauser Schützengilde marched to the traditional royal shooting in the city of Wildeshausen. The event, which is considered the highlight of the guild festival, began with a ceremonial swearing -in of 206 new recruits under the direction of General Jens Kuraschinski. This large number of recruits are a consequence of the corona -related guild festivals in recent years. Leon Schult, who was crowned as the last children's king in 2019, and District Administrator Christian Pundt, who dealt with a reminder for late membership, stabbing among the new members. Pundt was even allowed to go in a carriage at the march for royal shooting.

The catering of the companies took place at defined locations. For example, the Huntetor company marched to Burgwiese with almost 800 members, led by the "Beat and Brass Band". At the same time, the uniformation of the recruits was critically checked: officers complained of blue shoelaces and instead demanded blacks. A humorous highlight was the swallowing vaccination, in which the recruits were served milk and schnapps, while Thorsten Toto caused excitement by opening a can of "surstring".

The new king and Schaffer

In the evening after an exciting shooting, Timo Poppe, member of the Guildclub Primus Inter Pares and the Huntetor Company, was proclaimed the new king of the rifle guild. Poppe, who continues a family tradition as a guild king-his father, brother and grandfather were all guild kings-prevailed against four other participants in the jump-off. After his victory, he was celebrated by his club colleagues and worn to hand over the royal chain. Andreas Tonn, an experienced butcher, was introduced as a new Schaffer shortly after midnight and has been a breath of fresh air in the traditional line since 2017.

The solemn framework of the guild festival, which was characterized by reunion and scraping, also showed the tradition and the sense of community that are deeply rooted in the Wildeshaus culture. The company Cornauer Tor, which also met for catering in the hall of agricultural machinery Schröder, continued their tradition with a rock appeal in which the white socks of the recruits were blackened with shoe poles. These festive customs make the Gildefest an unforgettable experience for the participants.

The last festivity shows how important such events are for the regional community. Beyond Wildeshausen, shooting festivals like this are of great importance and attract many visitors year after year. They not only promote cohesion, but also strengthen the cultural heritage of the region. For the shooting clubs in Lünen, whose festivals are celebrated from May to September, there are currently no signs of cooling in the party mood, because the events are already well planned and numerous.