Rheinisches Schützenmuseum Neuss mit Joseph-Lange-Schützenarchiv

Description

As a regional documentation centre in Neuss, the Rheinische Schützenmuseum Neuss with Joseph-Lange-Schützenarchiv focuses on the preservation and study of marksmen's culture in the Rhineland. It is operated by a foundation of the same name, supported by the City of Neuss, the Rhein-Kreis Neuss and the Neusser Bürger-Schützen-Verein; the holdings are housed in Haus Rottels.

The institution was established in 2004. The project was conceived by Neuss's Schützenkönig Joseph Lange (1911–2007), who already in 1959/60 gave impetus to a "Haus der Schützen" by donating a stained-glass window. Since February 2005 two part-time academic staff have supported the development of the museum and archive; the first presentation followed in June 2005 as part of the Neusser Kulturnacht with the presentation of the Neusser Silberschatz.

The museum and archive are devoted to recording, safeguarding and presenting the traditions and records of marksmen's clubs and brotherhoods from the Rhineland, and make the collections available to researchers. In addition, the scholarly series "Beiträge zum Rheinischen Schützenwesen" appeared in May 2006; its volume 1 commemorates Joseph Lange on his 95th birthday: "Neusser – Bürger – Schützen. Die Sammlung Joseph Lange/Neusser Bürger-Schützen-Verein" (ISBN 3-936542-24-4) includes Lange's personal contributions to Neusser Schützenwesen and an extensive finding aid, which is predominantly documentary in character.