Eidgenossisches Freischiessen te Zurich 1859

Gottfried Drentwett created this silver medal commemorating the Federal Shooting Competition in Zurich, in 1859. The Shooting Competition, or Freischiessen, served not only as a sporting event but also as a powerful symbol of Swiss national identity and unity. The imagery on the medal speaks volumes about the values of the time. On one side, we see what appears to be a father figure, representing the established order, guiding a young boy, symbolizing the future generation, in the art of marksmanship. This scene underscores the importance of tradition, duty, and the passing down of skills necessary for defending the nation. The architecture depicted on the reverse highlights the importance of civic pride and communal identity. These competitions provided a space for citizens from different cantons to come together, fostering a sense of belonging to a larger Swiss community. While celebrating this unity, it is important to ask ourselves, who was included and who was excluded from this vision of national identity? What did it mean to be Swiss, and who got to define that identity?