Rheinisches Schützenmuseum, Neuss

The Rheinisches Schützenmuseum Neuss with Joseph-Lange-Schützenarchiv was founded in 2004. The foundation "Rheinische Schützenmuseum Neuss mit Joseph-Lange-Schützenarchiv" is supported by the city of Neuss, the Rhein-Kreis Neuss and the Neusser Bürger-Schützen-Verein. The honorary president of the Neusser Bürger-Schützen-Verein, Thomas Nickel, is the chairman.

The aim of the museum with archive is to record, secure and present the rich tradition of the shooting clubs and shooting fraternities of the entire Rhineland and to make it accessible for research. It is housed in Haus Rottels in Neuss.

The idea for a marksmen's museum and archive came from the 1959/60 Neuss marksmen's king Joseph Lange, who presented a leaded glass window as a king's gift with the remark that now a house of the marksmen should be built "around it".

Since February 2005, two scientific half-time employees have been working in the museum and archive, who are responsible for the development. A first exhibition was the presentation of the Neuss silver treasure in June 2005 on the occasion of the Neuss Culture Night.

In May 2006, a new scientific series was launched: "Beiträge zum Rheinischen Schützenwesen". The editors are the scientific assistants Dr. Britta Spies and Dr. Christoph Waldecker. Volume 1 is dedicated to the initiator of the Schützenmuseum and archive, Joseph Lange, on his 95th birthday and is entitled "Neusser - Bürger - Schützen. The Joseph Lange Collection/Neusser Bürger-Schützen-Verein". The volume contains contributions of Lange to the Neusser Schützenwesen from several decades as well as the finding book of his collection, which was compiled over many years and which in large parts is more of a documentation.