On a warm day in late May 1876, a young man from a landed gentry family in the Fischhausen district met up with his army buddies and drinking companions at the Koenigsberg horse market. It was a "home game" for them, as they served in the East Prussian Cuirassier Regiment No. 3 in Koenigsberg. Spirits rose, as did alcohol levels, and the gentlemen took part in a shooting contest. The young man in question loaded his gun, practically shot the shooting gallery to pieces, and was declared the winner. His prize was a hunting cup—also known as a stirrup cup—which he would later enjoy taking along on hunts for many years. Decades later his descendants managed to save the cup—one of the few keepsakes they saved—during their flight. And today, exactly 150 years later, it stands here, looking just as beautiful as it did back then.

The biannual horse market in Koenigsberg was far more than just a place to buy horses. Above all, it was a major social event; people flocked to the city from all corners of Prussia, Poland, Russia, and even the rest of Europe to take part in this social highlight—and, of course, to inspect, buy, or sell horses, including remounts, carriage horses, workhorses, and the famous Trakehners. There was plenty of eating and—above all—drinking, laughter and celebration, alongside various competitions. People also strolled about in style, for the motto even then was "see and be seen."