This informative and fun topic is rapidly acquiring a life of its own.  Should we give Biggi her own topic?  Or perhaps even something grander that would be referenced on the ASSRA's home page?

Bill Lawrence

Feuerbixler- Thank you so much for the information and photographs. It looks to be a very beautiful area. I knew that it was in east Germany as my grandmother tried numerous times to visit family, as she was one of twelve sisters. She passed long before travel was allowed, when I was twelve or thirteen. I do remember her telling us that she would send "care" packages with things like coffee, which apparently was hard to come by, and then hearing from family that the packages never arrived. In spite of that she would continue to send them. I hope one day to visit your beautiful country and possibly make contact with one of my now distant relatives. Again thanks for your effort in my behalf, and for the great information and photographs on this website. Krag

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buchsenmacher wrote on Mar 5^th, 2017 at 8:58am:



Hi Steven.

Now I found something about shooting of your ancestor’s region, finally!

In Kappel-Rodeck, the closest town to Waldulm, there was established a shooting club in 1921. They shot with zimmerstutzens in a tavern, later on a Kegelbahn (bowling alley) at other place. They closed the club in 1933, when the Nazis took over Germany. A lot of clubs stopped shooting and disbanded the organization, because the Nazis gave new statutes to the clubs by law. Most of the clubs didn’t like those. 

The club was re-established in 1935 as a smallbore club, which was organized by Nazi guys. But the Nazis made it possible to have a smallbore range at 50 meters, where they could shoot in all the military styles. But it was not “real shooting” with schützen and comeraderie, it was the Nazi club ideology with “Führerprinzip” (leader principle) of the political party. With WWII and the breakdown of the German Reich, all shooting has to be stopped.

They re-established the club as an air rifle club in 1955. After some years in taverns, they decided to build a schützenhaus – with their own hands. With a lot of help of the municipality of Rodeck and local companies, they could get property and donations for construction material. After some years of building the club house with their own hands in their sparetime, the club members could be proud to open the new air rifle range. 

In the upper story and the attic, they had an apartment for the range keeper, where he could live for a small money with his family. They also rented the new restaurant, to get frequently money for the club funds. 

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rkba2nd wrote on Mar 5^th, 2017 at 1:40am:


Krag, I found something great for you in the archive !!!

Three old post cards from the schützenhaus in Lindow.

         Enjoy it!         Biggi.   

Feuerbixler- Wow, thanks to your effort, there is now a connection with my grandmothers birthplace and the family she started here in this country. My interest in single shot rifles, and schuetzen  rifles in particular, goes back to time spent with my grandmother at a Germania hall in San Jose, California in the 1950s. I thank you so for your help in making this a reality. I am quite sure that Grandma did not participate, but might have attended social events in such a place with her family. The truth is lost in a time long past. Again thanks and I send my warmest regards. Krag

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JägerWilhelm wrote on Mar 10^th, 2017 at 6:57pm:


Hi JägerWilhelm. Thanks for your kudos.
Do you have a special research question for a club or range building?
Maybe I can find something in the archive…

                  Biggi.   

You are right, I like that one. Pity it's gone, but time gets the
best of a lot of things. Nice to read that the club itself is still kicking. 
Each subject you give us to enjoy makes the whole thread more delightful. Thank you so much for your time and trouble- it's terrific.