Historic shooting festival: Sonja Mannott rules Bad Driburg as queen!

Historic shooting festival: Sonja Mannott rules Bad Driburg as queen!

A very special shooting festival is being celebrated in Bad Driburg these days. This year, the Citizens' Riflemen's Guild made a remarkable new beginning: Sonja Mannott is the first woman to secure the coveted title of Rifleman Queen. This happened at the historic royal shooting on June 29, 2025, where she won the crown with an impressive performance of eight out of ten rings. Now she will rule the battalion together with her husband Piet Mannott for a year, supported by a committed court, which includes court lords Niko Tsigkerliotis and Frank Wüllner as well as the ladies-in-waiting Petra Tsigkerliotis and Yvonne Wüllner. Adjutants Jan Pascal Haxter and Daniel Schöning are also at the royal couple's side. This is reported by the NW.de.

The royal proclamation will take place on Friday July 11th in front of the town hall. Rifleman Colonel Detlef Gehle and the guild board emphasize the historical significance of this election and the symbolic power of the royal chain, which is now being worn by a woman for the first time. “In times of change and global upheaval, the shooting festival has a special meaning,” says Gehle.

A festival for the whole city

The shooting festival in Bad Driburg extends from July 11th to 13th, 2025 and is an event that all citizens and guests are cordially invited to join in the celebration. Traditionally, the festival begins with a festive parade that underlines the connection to the history of the vigilante groups. This is a celebration that dates back to the Middle Ages, when vigilante groups were responsible for city defense. These customs and traditions are an integral part of the shooting festivals, which are widely celebrated in Germany, especially in Westphalia. Loud Wikipedia Shooting festivals are folk festivals that often include a shooting competition to determine the king or queen.

The joy of Sonja Mannott's election as shooting queen is reinforced by the honoring of other successful participants in the royal shooting competition and the shooting festival. Jonas Schrader received the apple and Theo Osterloh the crown, while Heinz Jörg Wiegand, who has been part of the guild for 40 years, was named best shooter. The young rifle king couple, consisting of Iwen Slavin and young rifle queen Mirja Versen, as well as the child kings Sonja Schadow and Ludwig Spieker also contribute to the colorful diversity of the festival.

A look into the future

The court is supported by committed members who actively participate in the celebrations. Adjutants such as Luca Versen and Björn Mikus hold an equally important position and will play a key role in organizing the festival. They definitely have a good knack for making the transition to a new era of shooting culture in Bad Driburg.

With this combination of tradition and a breath of fresh air from Sonja Mannott at the helm, the Schützenfest 2025 could become a very special event for Bad Driburg. Anyone who would like to help shape the celebrations is warmly invited to take part in the celebrations and experience this new era together.