Schutterij

Schutterij (pl.schutterijen; Dutch pronunciation:) refers to a voluntary city guard or citizen militia in the medieval and early modernNetherlands, intended to protect the town or city from attack and act in case of revolt or fire. Their training grounds were often on open spaces within the city, near the city walls, but, when the weather did not allow, inside a church. They are mostly grouped according to their district and to the weapon that they used: bow, crossbow or gun. Together, the members of a schutterij are called a schuttersgilde, which could be roughly translated as a "shooter's guild". It is now a title applied to ceremonial shooting clubs and to the country's Olympic rifle team.