Intangible cultural heritage

The oldest surviving water target from the competition dates back to 1834. This event has been held at Lake Prebersee at irregular intervals since at least this date. The original reason for aiming at the surface of the water remains unknown. However, as a moorland lake, Lake Prebersee offers the ideal conditions: the surface provides a sharp reflection of the target and the lake has the ideal density to enable the balls to bounce off exactly as required. Hitting the centre of the water target demands not only skill but also favourable conditions, including wind and light, leading many to interpret such a shot as the work of supernatural forces. Today, numerous water target shooting competitions are held at Lake Prebersee annually, each traditionally opened with a cannon shot by the head gunner. Each year, the Grand Preber Shoot stands out as the highlight of the season, attracting around 200 competitors, some from abroad.

The Shooting Club Association at the Private Shooting Range in Tamsweg–Lake Prebersee is responsible for safeguarding and transmitting the practice. Around 260 members, including 80 women, contribute to the preparation of shooting events, club meetings, excursions, and other activities. Young people are involved from an early age, with schoolchildren serving as ‘scribes’ and ‘target spotters’, meticulously recording each hit at every shooting event. Since the 1830s, the shooting club has carefully preserved its shooting targets, some of which are on display at the local history museum, Lungauer Heimatmuseum, in Tamsweg.

Downloads

• Application form (German only) 665 KB (pdf)
• Expertise Binder (German only) 2 MB (pdf)
• Expertise Heitzmann (German only) 2 MB (pdf)