Innviertel Raufwerkzeuge were classed as weapons. They were notorious and were generally hand made by members of Zechen. Zechen were associations of unmarried young men in a village, and they often got into brawls with members of other Zechen at dances. When this happened, they used special Raufwerkzeuge, or “brawling devices”. To make one, Zeche members took a raw potato, hollowed it out into the shape of a star, filled it with a mixture of lead and tin and added an “Ochsenziemer” (ox pizzle) to the still molten metal. Some examples even included razor blades, bicycle chains and saw teeth. Knuckledusters and so-called “stemmerl”, which were knives with short blades, were also used. 

The items exhibited here – and many others – were confiscated from offenders after brawls. They were used as “corpora delicti”, that is to say evidence of crimes, in proceedings at the Ried District Court.