Schützenwesen#

Marksmen´s associations (shooting): The origins of marksmen´s associations date from the Middle Ages. Klosterneuburg´s support for Duke Albrecht I against rebellions in Vienna in 1288 is considered the beginning of the Klosterneuburg marksmen´s association; a champion marksman in Vienna was mentioned in a document in 1305. Every Sunday shooting exercises were organised in order to recruit and train citizens who were fit to fight; in addition, every year a Koenigsschiessen championship took place, as well as other kinds of competitions on various occasions (Festschiessen, Bestschiessen and Ladschiessen). In the Late Middle Ages the bow was replaced by the crossbow. In the 16th century, when the use of firearms began to spread, target shooting at painted wooden boards became increasingly common. These boards are of great documentary value and can be seen at museums in Scheibbs and Sankt Veit an der Glan.

The marksmen´s associations in Tyrol and Vorarlberg were based on the Landlibell document (1511) by Emperor Maximilian I and the mandate of King Ferdinand I (1534). The latter also guaranteed the peasants the freedom to carry weapons. Towards the beginning of the 17th  century, marksmen began to organise themselves as "Standschuetzen" and their ability and efficiency soon enabled them to take over the function of the militia (from 1703). From the time of Tyrol´s Fight for Freedom in 1809 until today, these marksmen have had a strong influence on Tyrolean identity.

The marksmen´s associations were equally popular in the Salzkammergut region, and a close connection developed between the marksmen´s associations and the salt industry, which spread far beyond the boundaries of the region. This gave rise to the head of the imperial salt board traditionally holding the position of the superior master marksman; and even in 1683 a "salt shooting" competition was held in Neunkirchen.

In the modern age no clear-cut distinction can be drawn between civic guards and marksmen´s associations, only from the 18th  century onwards did the civic guards embark on a separate development.

The Age of Promoterism saw the rapid development of marksmen´s associations. The German Marksmen´s Association, to which the Austrian marksmen belonged until 1879, was founded on the Swiss model in 1861. After the decline of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy the marksmen´s associations were reorganised and the Workers´ Association of Hunters and Marksmen was founded in 1923. Between 1934 and 1945 shooting was promoted by the authoritarian and the Nazi regimes, with the Austrian Sports and Gymnastics Front forming the organisational basis until 1938 and the German Marksmen´s Association from 1938-1945.

In Salzburg, Tyrol and Vorarlberg marksmen´s associations were legalised again in 1948, the Alpine Marksmen´s Association was founded in 1951, which also included Carinthia. From 1955 organisations were also set up in eastern Austria, the latest being the Provincial Association of Burgenland (1965). The seat of the Austrian Marksmen´s Association is in Innsbruck.

From a sporting point of view the most important meetings were the federal meetings in the 19th century (1st German Federal Meeting in Vienna 1868, 1st Austrian Meeting 1880). The Austrian marksmen owed their success mostly to the development of the Tyrolean stock, a special form of stock for the traditional target carbine. From 1891 and especially from 1899 skeet and trap shooting replaced shooting at glass balls, which had been common in Austria and the first major skeet shooting competitions were held in 1910. From 1890, pistol shooting also started developing, and the Viennese engineer Krickl-Rheintal introduced pistol shooting as an Olympic discipline. The most successful representative of the past decades was H. Garschall, who was national champion several times and also took part in the Olympic Games three times.

Literature#