Customs in Salzburg

They have a heart for the Hispanic Röckl

The Stutzen were only added to the farmers' militia a good 200 years ago. A few salvos are a must at the ceremony.(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

In St. Jakob am Thurn (municipality of Puch), a tradition dating back more than 500 years is cultivated every year. Visitors to the Jakobikirtag can get their money's worth all day on Sunday. 

The 75 members of the Jakobischützen have set themselves a goal: To cherish, maintain and preserve their special traditional costume, the "hispanische Röckl". Their roots go back deep into the region's past. They were founded as a defense force at the time of the Turkish and Tartar invasions. They can therefore look back on a history that is far older than 500 years.

Their foundation dates back to 1476, when members of the Jacobi Brotherhood united to form a peasant militia. The name is derived from the apostle "Jakobus" - revered worldwide at the time.

For years, the marksmen's dance has been a crowd-puller in the Puch district of St. Jakob.(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

The "red Hispanic skirt", which has been their trademark since 1738, is typical of today's Jakobischützen. They only became "real marksmen" around 1800, when the Prangerstutzen were added. A period of oblivion followed before they were brought back to life in 1926 by Kuno Brandauer.

Jakobikirtag is intended to celebrate history and thus cherish tradition.(Bild: Bildarchiv SAGEN.at)

Since then, the annual Jakobi-Kirtag has been a reminder of the traditional history of the Jakobischützen. Today, the association has 70 members, two sutlers and three Schinagl. The troop's mission: to preserve tradition and traditional costume.

This is precisely why the Jakobi-Kirtag takes place every year on the last weekend in July in the Puch district - today, July 28. It starts at 8.30 a.m. with the church service and the Jakobi procession, followed by fun in the marquee. Then there's the highlight of the day: at 4 p.m., the marksmen's dance takes place at the St. Jakob soccer pitch before the Kirtag ends in the marquee.