Federal Rifle Championships Valais 2015 Give it all you\'ve got!

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Exhibition Text Federal Rifle Championships Valais 2015 Give it all you've got!

Introduction Of the total of 57 Federal Rifle Championships of modern* times, that started in 1824 at Aarau and went hand in hand with the formation of the Swiss national rifle association , today called the Swiss Shooting Sports Association (SSV), five Championships have been organized by Lucerne and five by Zürich, and four each by Aarau and Berne. Three Federal Championships each have been run by Chur, Lausanne, Fribourg, St Gallen, Geneva, and Basle, and two each by Frauenfeld, Thun, Winterthur, Glarus and Solothurn. Raron/Visp in 2015 will join predecessors that have held one Federal Rifle Championships apiece: Bière, Biel, Bellinzona, Neuchâtel, Lugano, Zug, Schwyz, Schaffhausen, La Chaux-de-Fonds and Stans (please see list at end of this text, and in the exhibition). The Swiss Rifle Museum in Berne was founded in 1885 on the occasion of the 31 st Federal Rifle Championships, the third to be held in Berne, with an objective of collecting shooting trophies, exhibiting them and preserving them for posterity. This year the Museum is devoting a special exhibition (running from 4 July 2015 to 27 March 2016) to the first Federal Rifle Championships to be held in Valais, and illuminating the history of these championships since 1824. Mont sur Rolle wine of the Musketeers of the City of Berne, Belleruche; regulation of the honour company of the Citizens of Berne; jubilee publication Two Hundred and Fifty Years 1686-1936. In 1830 the fifth Federal Rifle Championships was hosted by Berne, the first time the city held the event; it was organized by the Musketeers rifle club in the area known as the Enge. This set matters in train for the foundation in 1833 of the Bernese Cantonal Rifle Association, today’s Bernese Shooting Sports Association. Visitors to the exhibition can enter the subject of the Federal Rifle Championships (colloquially referred to simply as the “Federals”) in more depth in the neighbouring main hall, with its chronologically set out exhibition items. An accompanying electronic museum guide available in German, French, Italian and English may be hired for CHF 3 from museum staff. *Shooting championships variously known as “Honour” and “Open Meetings” have been held since the Middle Ages, and were always major sporting, social, cultural and political events, promoted by the authorities of the day in the interests of the defence of the country.

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Captions and Descriptions 1. The placard (and the wall paintings to the left and right of the entrance on the façade of the building) are by the Bernese artist Friedrich Traffelet, 1897-1954. A marksman is portrayed in his championships attire, with his flintlock rifle, going to the first Federal Rifle Championships at Aarau in 1824, accompanied by a standard bearer with the Swiss flag.

2. Placard with list of the membership numbers and clubs of the cantonal rifle associations, 1938. Also record of membership numbers and clubs from 18241974 (and separate supplement covering the years1984-2014).

3. “View of the range and part of the town at the FEDERAL OPEN SHOOTING CHAMPIONSHIPS AT AARAU in June 1824.” Landscape view with members of respectable society, and the three cannon which stood on the esplanade and signalled the commencement of shooting with one shot at 6 a.m., the pause for lunch between 12 noon and 1 p.m., and the close of shooting at 8 p.m. When shooting associations from other places took the field with their banners, a signal was sent up to the esplanade with a red and white flag and a three-gun salute rang out, and again when they left. Thus it was ordered that a match should burn in readiness by the cannon from 5 a.m. for the duration of the day.

4. Picture entitled Arrival of the Shooting Gentlemen at the praiseworthy Federal Rifle Championships in Basle, 18 May 1827.

5. A 14mm flintlock pistol of 1780, engraved “A LENZBURG”. 6. Mont sur Rolle wine of the Musketeers of the City of Berne, Belleruche; regulation of the honour company of the Citizens of Berne; jubilee publication Two Hundred and Fifty Years 1686-1936. In 1830 the fifth Federal Rifle Championships was hosted by Berne, the first time the city held the event; it was organized by the Musketeers rifle club in the area known as the Enge. This set matters in train for the foundation in 1833 of the Bernese Cantonal Rifle Association, today’s Bernese Shooting Sports Association.

7. Application for membership of the Swiss national rifle association by Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, 1834 (original docment): “Baden, 1 July 1834. Sir, I have received the programme for the Federal Rifle Championships, for which many thanks. I much regret that I was absent when you recently came to Baden, I will however take the liberty of visiting you in Zürich [for the Federal Rifle Championships, July 1834]. I should very much like to be accepted into the

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federal association, as I am minded to try my luck at the next shoot. Respectfully yours, Napoleon Louis Bonaparte”.

8. Picture entitled: The Location of the Federal Rifle Championships at Beaulieu, Lausanne, in July 1836.

9. Commemorative shooters’ pocket watch, dating from 1836, we have one particularly splendid example, the first and finest made by the Watchmakers’ School in La Chaux de Fonds for presentation at the Federal Rifle Championships in Lausanne in that year: it is gold, and still has its original case. On the lid of this watch all the coats of arms of the Swiss cantons are figured, together with the scene of William Tell’s famous apple shot.

10. Velvet purse for coins of the championships currency, with “For the Federal Rifle Championships” embroidered on the front and “Nidau 1840” on the back.

11. Picture entitled: Temple of the Prizes. Federal Rifle Championships at Solothurn in July 1840.

12. Case with green baize lining and pair of percussion pistols by F. BEURET à LIEGE. The pistols have octagonal damascus barrels, carved walnut stocks and German silver fittings. The case holds cleaning and loading rods, casting ladle, bullet mould, wad cutter, copper powder flask, powder measure, wooden grip, wooden mallet, cleaning tool, percussion caps, spring tensioner and piston lock.

13. The placard from 1849, headed: “Federal Rifle Championships, Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Celebration”. It carries a pictorial representation of the Swiss cross on a shield, with an Aarau eagle bearing a palm leaf, descending upon Gessler’s hat, and crossed rifles and crossed lances behind the shield; two flags are crossed, together with one two-tone pennon, and all surrounded by grapevines. Beneath is written: “Aarau from 1 to 8 July 1849”. The placard carries match information: “Scoring target. Welcome to the jubilee celebrations. Reconciliation reaches out its brotherly hand , and may the new Swiss federation lend strength and luck to the fatherland. Onwards with the heroes’ strength of our forebears, to clear the way for freedom; but mild and friendly let us turn art and labour to the image of peace. Pool target.” The president of the Championships was Councillor Waller from Aarau. Under number 2 in the shooting regulations it was set out that shooting would take place at a range of 540 “shoes” (feet) of the new Swiss measurement. As to target numbers, it was specified that “There will be one Confederation match target, six other match targets, 48 pool targets, and four points-targets” ... “The

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diameter of the scoring rings shall be 10 inches in the match targets, 2 ½ inches in the pool targets, and 30 inches in the points-targets, subdivided into ten equal rings” ... “Entry fees: 20 francs for the match targets, 4 francs for the pointstargets and 2 francs per shot at the pool targets.” Under regulation number 13 is declared: “The charged rifle may only be capped upon the command to load.” Once again, only offhand shooting was permitted. There were thus 59 targets set out,

14. Percussion cap and miniature percussion pistol, donated by Hubert Bonderer, Walenstadt.

15. Picture entitled, in French and German, Federal Rifle Championships - Chauxde-Fonds 1863.

16. Silver trophy inscribed “Prize at the Federal Rifle Championships, La Chaux-deFonds. Donated in July 1863 by the Rifle Club of Offenbach am Main”.

17. Picture entitled Federal Rifle Championships at Schaffhausen 1865 (Festival Centre).

18. Silver trophy inscribed: “Federal Rifle Championships Schaffhausen 1865”. 19. Silver trophy engraved: “Federal Rifle Championships at Zug 1869”, with further inscriptions “Champion Marksman with the Highest Score in the Service Match”, “First Place Cup for the Service Match on the First Day”, and “1352 Zug joins the Confederation”.

20. Silver trophy engraved: “Federal Rifle Championships Zug 1869”. 21. Picture entitled Souvenir of the Federal Rifle Championships at Lausanne 1876. See also No.25 in the permanent exhibition. Silver cup, gift of honour from King William III of the Netherlands. Big silver cup with lid. Embossed body with battlefield scenario. One side shows the battle at Murten, and on the other side, the battle at Sempach with Winkelried is shown. 2 handles in the form of goddesses of victory with laurels. Round foot with decorative node. On each of the left and right sides 1 sitting warrior of the battle of Dornach and a medallion on the front and rear sides – one with the Swiss coat of arms, the other with the following inscription: "Offert par sa Majesté, GUILLAUME III, Roy des Pay-Bas, à la Societé Fedérale des CARABINIERES SUISSES, TIR FEDERAL 1876". Lid: standing Wilhelm Tell with crossbow holding up an arrow in his right hand. In front of Tell stands his son Walter with the apple and arrow in his hand. The cup was manufactured in the Netherlands and handed over at the occasion of the Federal Shooting Fair held in Lausanne in 1876.

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22. Large cup, gilded inside and partially outside, with an inscription band at the top carrying the wording “Federal Rifle Championships Berne 1885”. The cup bears as decoration images of the Bernese coat of arms with crown and and laurel wreath, and a target and Swiss cross, a hat, weapons and laurels, whilst a standing bear with raised paws forms the stem. The cup bears the proof mark AP (Alfred Pochon) of Berne. Shooting regulations with plan of events and target details. The main matches are the Vaterland, Jungfrau, Eiger and Mönch at 300m, and the Berna at 400m. The army and club team matches are at 300m. The targets are specified as having a 70 cm round black aiming mark, aside from that for the Berna which has an 80cm aiming mark. According to the meeting guide (page 41) there are “130 targets at 300m and 20 at 400m” (for a total of 150 targets). At paragraph 3 it is stated “The range building is 270m long and 14m wide… The butts finally run to a length of 267m at 300m and 42m at 400m, along the edge of the Dählhölzli woods; wooden blocks serve as bullet catchers; range building and butts are connected by telegraph as well as telephone.”

23. Silver trophy engraved: “Federal Rifle Championships Geneva 1887”, made by Wendt & Heidorn, Geneva.

24. Packaging marked “Federal Rifle Championships 1890 Frauenfeld. E.M. Peter + E Stäheli Jewellers, Frauenfeld”, for the trophy bearing the engraving ““Federal Rifle Championships at Frauenfeld 1890”. Donated by Irene Hauser, St Niklausen, Lucerne.

25. Silver trophy engraved: “Federal Rifle Championships at Glarus 1892”. 26. Silver trophy engraved: “Federal Rifle Championships 1904 St Gallen”. 27. Silver trophy engraved: Federal Rifle Championships Berne 1910”. Note that the two figures on the lid, the marksman and the bear, are similar to those on the Schützenbrunnen, the “Shooters’ Fountain” which dates from 1543, and is to be found on the lower Marktgasse in Berne (Höhe Kollbrunner).

28. The Federal Rifle Championships at Aarau 1924, the centenary meeting: two medals, and the commemorative Championships wine, a Fendant de Sion 1923.

29. The trilingual centenary history of the Swiss national rifle association, 1824-1924, published for the jubilee.

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30. „Federal Rifle Championships, 18 July – 5 August 1924 in Aarau: Centenary Celebration. Official Festival Album published by the Organization Committee. Edited by the Press Committee”, with illustrations from the championships’ theatrical production The Swiss, a historical festival play for the Federal Rifle Championships 1924 in Aarau, by Cäsar von Arx, with music by Werner Wehrli.“

31. Album with coloured drawings by Rudolf Münger: “The historical procession of the Bernese shooters, as honour guard of the Federal Shooting Flag in Berne and Aarau, 18-19 July 1924. Drawings by Rufolf Münger, A. Franke Verlag, Berne 1924.” Edition at least 6,000. A procession, divided into eight groups, of the Bernese shooters in historical costume illustrating the course of Swiss history, arranged to bring the Federal Flag from the 1910 Federal Rifle Championships in Berne to Aarau and historical procession on the “Official Day” (main celebratory day) of the Federal Rifle Championships in Aarau, 24 July 1924. “The historical procession presents a series of images from the history of the Swiss Confederation and centres on concept of ‘Power of the people – armed power’, as does the championships’ theatrical production The Swiss. Creations and groups from all ages in the history of our fatherland process past us and offer us an overview of our national development. The portrayal is closely allied to the championships’ theatre piece.”

32. Boccalino “Federal Rifle Championships 1929 Bellinzona” medal. 33. The bronze archer on a wooden base was, as indicated by the inscription on the base, awarded at the Federal Rifle Championships in Bellinzona in 1929 for first place in Category 2. It was presented, according to the wording on the bronze mount of the statue, as PREMIO D'ONORE DEL CONSIGLIO DI STATO DEL CANTONE TICINO AL TIRO FEDERALE BELLINZONA MDCCCCXXIX, “Prize of the Council of State of the Canton of Ticino at the Federal Rifle Champioships, Bellinzona 1929”, and it was created by A. Pessina. Various reliefs are set into the bronze mount, with images of nude sportsmen with dart, crossbow and rifle. In the Championships journal three such sculptures are to be seen on the prize table.

34. Pewter jug engraved “Federal Rifle Championships Fribourg 1934”. 35. Programme for the Federal Rifle Championships Biel, 2-21 July 1958, and the Championships medal.

36. Trilingual (German, Italian and Romansh) beermat for the Federal Rifle Championships at Chur, 1985.

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37. Medal from the Federal Rifle Championships, Winterthur 1990, and Sius Ascor “Accuracy Oil”, Winterthur 1990.

38. Prize cowbell awarded for the Eröffnungsschiessen, the Inaugural Match, at the Federal Rifle Championships, Thun 1995. Also medal and tie and beer tankard with Championships logos.

39. Medal for the Federal Rifle Championships at Bière 2000, bearing the name of the local districts of the Vallée du Joux, Pied du Jura and La Côte. Hopfenperl beer fom Bière 2000 with glass bearing Championships logo.

40. Pistol Medal from the Federal Rifle Championships, Frauenfeld 2005, and medal from Cantonal Match at the Frauenfeld Championships.

41. Medal from the Federal Rifle Championships at Aarau in 2010 with figures from the emblem of the modern “Shooters’ Memorial” (kindly also note showcase in main hall next door, devoted to the topic of the 2010 Aarau Championships).

42. Copies of the German and French edition of the programme from the 2015 Federal Rifle Championships in Valais are available for examination on the round table. Championships journal.

43. Standard medals and the “Mastershot” medal (for certain major courses of fire) from the Federal Rifle Championships in Valais 2015.

44. Commemorative medal and and the Jubilee medal from the Federal Rifle Championships in Valais 2015.

45. Federal Rifle Championships Valais 2015 SSV (Swiss national rifle association) Mastershot medal for the meeting and SSV prize.

46. Club awards from the Federal Rifle Championships in Valais 2015: mirror plaque, Valaisan pewter jug, Valaisan wooden cask.

47. “King’s Prize”: medal and prize for the “Schützenkönig”, the champion marksman.

48. American-style tie with emblem from the Federal Rifle Championships in Valais 2015. Donated by Urs Weibel, general secretary Federal Rifle Championships Valais 2015.

49. Taler currency for the Federal Rifle Championships in Valais 2015. In gold the Taler has a currency value of CHF500, in silver CHF 50. Obtainable from Erwin

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Dietrich AG, Werdemühleplatz 4, 8001 Zürich (www.muenzen.ch / Onlineshop; tel. [+41] 44 212 30 12 ).

50. Merchandise from the Federal Rifle Championships in Valais 2015: see www.vs2015.ch Shop, or www.reprom.ch .

51. Cantonal rifle associations in the festival procession on the Official Day of the Federal Rifle Championships in Valais 2015, ordered according to the date at which those cantons entered the Swiss Confederation (see also final items of exhibition); the Swiss Rifle Museum procession float; the flag of the SSV (the Swiss national rifle association).

52. Trophy engraved “Federal Rifle Championships Neuchâtel 1898”. 53. Bulletin of the Federal Rifle Championships at Chur 1842, published by G. Benedict & Otto’s Successors Printing House, 9 July.

54. “Federal Rifle Championships at Chur, 10 – 17 July 1842. Opening speech of the retiring President, Chief Magistrate Jos. Munzinger from Olten; on the right next to him the new President, Federal Chief Magistrate Johann Brosi from Klosters. From a contemporary drawing, Davoser Revue XVII, June-July 1942, Nos.9-10.

55. Picture of the festival centre of the Federal Rifle Championships at Winterthur in 1895, and shooting Taler with certificate of authenticity from the Bavarian mint office. Donated by Hans Wüthrich, Utzensdorf.

56. Federal Rifle Championships Lucerne 1939: ceramic cup, and card signed by General Guisan (dated 16.10.39) that Walter Lienhard received in congratulation for his victory in the Army Match. Ammunition for the International Service Rifle Match 1939; medals. Please also note table number 50 number on the electronic guide). Trophy collection of Walter Lienhard. Walter Lienhard was born in Olten on 15th May 1890 and spent part of his youth in Yverdon, before his parents moved to Kriens. He took a commercial apprenticeship, and moved first into insurance and then into a commercial profession. His home, a real ‘shooting museum’ with over 2,000 trophies that are now in the collection of the Swiss Rifle Museum, was a 1960 bequest of the Olten industrialist Franz Stirnmann as a “House of Marksmen”, where Lienhard spent the evening of his life and where today the SSV, the Swiss national rifle association, has its seat. Lienhard was the winner of a number of World Championships, and won the title of Schützenkönig, or champion marksman, at the Federal Rifle Championships in Aarau in 1924 and Bellinzona in 1929. He died in 1973

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57. Picture entitled View of the Federal Rifle Championships at Basle in July 1844. 58. Pine chest which, its donor writes, “was a match prize at the Cantonal Rifle Championships in Valais in 1999. Carved rosettes and handles on the side walls; marquetry inlays on the top showing the two castles of Valeria and Tourbillon at Sion, where these Championships took place. This chest was made and presented by H. Henri Gaspoz , deceased, the former President of the Valais Cantonal Rifle Association (who in his youth, one might note, was also the last errand boy and messenger of the poet Rainer Maria Rilke at Schloss Muzot above Siders)”. Donated by Francis Pianzola, press officer of the Valais Shooting Sports Association (who is also one of the authors of the championships journal shown at No. 42).

59. On the chest and the wine cask are elements of the emblem that hangs on the wall, and that aside from shooting sports and competition embody the cultural diversity, hospitality, traditions and experiences of Valais, drawn forth and brought to life. The 12 stars with the thirteenth star portrayed as a heart stand for the arms of the canton of Valais, the symbol for the 200 years that Valais has been in the confederation. The heart plays upon the slogan “With Hand and Heart”.

60. Dummy dressed as functionaries F2 and F3, and accessories.

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Eidgenössische Schützenfeste Fêtes fédérales de Tir Feste federali di Tiro Federal Rifle Championships

The Federal Rifle Championships 2015 (Raron/Visp): the 57th edition.

1824 Aarau 1827 Basle 1828 Geneva 1829 Fribourg 1830 Berne 1832 Lucerne 1834 Zürich 1836 Lausanne 1838 St. Gallen 1840 Solothurn 1842 Chur (Quaderwiese) 1844 Basle 1847 Glarus 1849 Aarau 1851 Geneva 1853 Lucerne 1855 Solothurn 1857 Berne 1859 Zürich

1861 Stans 1863 La Chaux-de-Fonds 1865 Schaffhausen 1867 Schwyz 1869 Zug 1872 Zürich 1874 St. Gallen 1876 Lausanne 1879 Basle 1881 Fribourg 1883 Lugano 1885 Berne 1887 Geneva 1890 Frauenfeld 1892 Glarus 1895 Winterthur 1898 Neuchâtel 1901 Lucerne 1904 St. Gallen

1907 Zürich 1910 Berne 1924 Aarau 1929 Bellinzona 1934 Fribourg 1939 Lucerne 1949 Chur 1954 Lausanne 1958 Biel 1963 Zürich 1969 Thun 1979 Lucerne 1985 Chur 1990 Winterthur 1995 Thun 2000 Bière 2005 Frauenfeld 2010 Aarau 2015 Raron/Visp

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The order in which the cantons entered the Confederation (the sequence followed in the procession on the Official Day of the Federal Rifle Championships in Valais, 28 June 2015)

1291 (3 Forest Cantons) Schwyz

Nidwalden

Obwalden

Uri

1332 (1332-1353), extension to the Confederation of eight member states) Lucerne (1332)

Zürich (1351)

Zug (1352)

Berne (1353)

Glarus (1352)

1481 (Treaty of Stans, after the Burgundian wars) Fribourg Solothurn (1481)

(1481)

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Extension to the Confederation of thirteen member states (1501) Basle Land and Stadt

Schaffhausen

(1501)

(1501)

Appenzell Ausserrhoden and Innerrhoden (1513)

1803 (Act of Mediation, 19 cantons) Aargau

Tessin

Grisons

Thurgau

St. Gallen

Waadt

1815 (Vienna Congress, 22 cantons, until 1924: the Shooters’ Memorial and the Federal Rifle Championships at Aarau) Geneva

Neuchâtel

1979 Jura

Valais