The New Braunfels Schuetzen Verein organized in 1849 as one of the nation's early shooting clubs. German immigrants, who had founded New Braunfels in 1845, brought the tradition of target shooting from their homeland, and in the area the practice also helped provide food and protect homes, leading many early settlers to join. As New Braunfels grew, the club moved several times to avoid residential areas, including relocations before World War I, again after World War II when the city doubled in size, and later as continued expansion and inclusion in a larger metropolitan area pushed growth outward. During the period after World War II, the Mission Valley Schuetzen Verein merged with the New Braunfels club. The club's most important event is the Koenig (King) matches, held annually since before the Civil War, and members maintained that tradition even during ammunition shortages in the Civil War and World War I, sometimes firing only once each to preserve the organization's status. After more than 150 years, the New Braunfels Schuetzen Verein continues to meet as a reminder of the town's German heritage and historic past.