Studentenverbindung
Encyclopedia
Corporation (university)
Corporation refers to different kinds of student organizations worldwide.Generally, universities in the various European countries have student organizations called corporations. The name is derived from the Latin corporatio meaning a body or group...
in a German-speaking country somewhat comparable to fraternities
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
in the US or Canada, but mostly older and going back to other kinds of origins.
Organization
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
, and the already graduated Alte Herren or Altherren (Elder Gentlemen or alumni) / Hohe Damen (High Ladies) that have once been active in the corporation.
The active students are commonly divided into four groups, with the Füchse (German for fox, the pledges), the Burschen (German for fellow, full members), and the inactive Burschen (having been members for a set time limit) forming the fraternity's actual core.
The fourth group, the Chargierte are standard members elected by the former groups' democratic vote and outfitted with power of command over certain situations of everyday life. Common Chargierte are the Senior (signing his name with an x), Consenior (xx) and the Drittchargierter (xxx), charged with concerning themselves with representation, fencing and/or organization of festivities, and correspondence and diplomacy, respectively.
Active and inactive members of older fraternities, who often possess large mansions, reside in the Verbindungshaus. It usually consists of a small dorm and common rooms for festivities, the most notable of which is the Kneipe, where regular celebrations involving student songs and traditions are held.
One of the many benefits of joining a fraternity in Germany is the especially low pricing of the often rich rooms. As Studentenverbindungen are much less present in campus life in comparison to US fraternities, many actively try to recruit new members through these low-priced rooms. After a certain period allowing these new members to learn the traditions, they are then usually offered full membership or asked to leave.
Once finished with education and starting a career, the inactive Burschen are asked to resign from the fraternity's core members and become Alte Herren or Philister. This involves losing influence and vote in the core fraternity's democratic process, allowing younger generations to take their place. Major decisions, though, are still made by an annual committee where every member, student or not, has one vote.
Furthermore, they are commonly asked to pay a certain annual sum to help sustain the fraternity fiscally, to actively participate in democratic decisions concerning only Alte Herren, and to pay regular visits to the fraternity's festivities.
The Alte Herren, too, elect representatives to take care of representation (Philistervorsitzender or Philistersenior), financial overview, supervising the Verbindungshaus, and so forth.
A very peculiar characteristic of this structure is that the link between active members and Alte Herren is usually so direct that already the youngest members are asked to address even their most decorated Alte Herren by Du, the intimate form of salutation in German, or even by their first name. This commonly includes referring to one another as "brother". As it is possible for any Verbindung to forge treaties with another,this may be extended to members of other fraternities.
Tradition
To laymen, the most well-known tradition of Studentenverbindungen is the Mensur, a special form of very strictly regulated, fixed-stance fencing only known in this context. The Mensur is practised with sharp blades, and although the body is well-protected, it allows for deep (cosmetic) facial and cranial wounds, which often result in a scar called Schmiss. The Schmiss was once regarded as the passport to a better future, as the Mensur strives to educate physical and mental strength by confronting the combatants to a rare and extreme situation. In modern times, opinions differ, although the principle stays the same: Whereas one would formerly engage in a Mensur to be hit, many fencing students of today will rather engage in combat in order to prove their competence by not being wounded, instead focusing on reinforcing the bond to one's brothers by sharing hope and fear.While the Mensur is the most central principle to some Verbindungen and especially the Corps, Landsmannschaften and Burschenschaften (DB) organizations requiring their members to take it up, many digress, with some of them practising it voluntarily, and most forbidding their members to fence. In particular, Christian fraternities decline the Mensur from general ethical perspectives, with catholic fraternities even being formally restricted on the ground of the 5th commandment You shall not kill, which includes the integrity of the god-given body in general.
Visually, the most discerning characteristic of many Studentenverbindungen is the so-called Couleur
Couleur
Couleur is the expression used in European Studentenverbindungen for the headgears and ribbons worn by members of these student societies....
, which can consist of anything from a small part of ribbon worn over the belt, to elaborate uniforms with riding boots, sabres and colorful cavalry jackets, depending on circumstances and tradition. Most commonly, a sash displaying (usually) three distinctive colors is worn in everyday life. Such display is officially prohibited at many universities, in part on grounds of fear of potential controversy (see below).
Other visual characteristics are manifold. The Zirkel
Zirkel (Studentenverbindung)
A Zirkel is a symbol used in European Studentenverbindungen.- Look and Meaning :A Zirkel consists of interwined lines, mostly followed by an exclamation mark...
, a cryptic symbol containing the fraternity's name and the letters v, c, and f for lat. vivat circulus fratrum ("the circle of brothers may live") or lat. vivat, crescat, floreat ("live, grow, flourish") may often be found on clothing or other personal items. Sometimes, the fraternity's coat of arms (see the picture above) is also incorporated into such objects.
Finally, a good portion of fraternity members can be identified through Zirkelor involuntary, but less obvious codes; this includes a certain style of dressing, or rare figures of speech found only in fraternities in modern days.
More elaborate uniforms are usually worn at Kneipe or, more formally, Kommers, a kind of gathering only still preserved at Studentenverbindungen. Such events usually take place during holidays, such as to celebrate Christmas, to commemorate a deceased brother, or in remembrance of historic events or important date in the fraternity's history. During these gatherings, the crowd of members and guests present is presided over by the Chargierte (see above), with the Senior executing certain rituals, from as simple to formalized greeting of guests present to as elaborate as the so-called Landesvater ("father of the country"), in which a ceremonial sabre is pierced through the Couleur-bearing hats of the participants in a complex ritual, accompanied by a ceremonial chant. While such rituals as the latter are only performed on the most solemn of occasions and thus very rare, a Kneipe commonly involves the lighter sides of life, such as rampant beer consumption and uninhibited singing of traditional student songs, many of which are quite bawdy for the standards of the time. Thus, this allows for the possibility to experience otherwise daunting members on a personal level.
Early history
As the first universities formed in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
, and Salerno
Salerno
Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
around the 12th century, Europe was divided into a large number of small states, which reflected itself in the compisition of the student body. To ensure an equal influence on the university's decisions, the students and teachers began to form nationes
Nation (university)
Student nations or simply nations are regional corporations of students at a university. Once widespread across Europe in medieval times, they are now largely restricted to the ancient universities of Sweden and Finland...
, with one nation for each native state of its members. This basic tradition was continued for a long time and still survives in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
to the present day.
As the first German universities were founded in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
in the 14th century, they established a similar system, the Burse
Burse
Burse is a surname, and may refer to:* Charlie Burse , African-American blues musician* Janell Burse , American, women's basketball player* Ray Burse , American soccer goalkeeper-See also:...
(which is where Bursche stems from). Students were forced to live in a dorm assigned by their native state and soon started taking up formal signs, often colorful clothing, to display their membership in a Burse. This continues in the colored sashes worn by modern Studentenverbindungen. When the first duels were fought exactly is not known, as students were long carrying weapons and primitive confrontations between rival groups (Raufduell) may have been common.
In the 17th century, the respective sovereigns gained increasing control over "their" Burse, and the first fraternities were formally formed, calling themselves Landsmannschaften, giving themselves Latin names according to their country of origin (Borussia for Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
, Guestphalia for Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
, etc.) and introducing Fuchs and Bursche as status designations. Lifelong membership, though, was not known. During this period, the regulated duel was developed, accompanied by the idea to defend one's honor with a weapon and a strict code to guide the confrontation. This potentially lethal tradition continued until 1933 in Germany, with being so strict at some points, that e. g. a Prussian officer could be expelled if he was not willing to demand or give satisfaction.
As the Landsmannschaften faded during the ealy 1800s, secret organizations known as Studentenorden (student orders) took their place and introduced elaborate rituals, formal oaths of membership, a strict constitutio to regulate internal behavior, and cryptic symbols to identify members. All of these traditions are still known and actively practised in today's fraternities. The Studentenorden, though, were heavily monitored by the then-absolutist government, as many of their traditions were derived from freemason or Illuminati
Illuminati
The Illuminati is a name given to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically the name refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on May 1, 1776...
lodges, and were subsequently banned at the end of the 18th century.
Early 19th century
As Studentenorden were dissolved and their former members sought a possibility to continue their traditions, they began rebuilding a similar form of community under the then-common and insuspicious name "CorpsCorps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
". Symbols, oaths, regulations and rituals were continued from Studentenorden tradition (although the secrecy was omitted for longevity's sake), and the Latin names, status designations and affiliation with a country of origin were copied from the now-extinct Landsmannschaften.
A new characteristic was the heavy influence of German idealism
German idealism
German idealism was a philosophical movement that emerged in Germany in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It developed out of the work of Immanuel Kant in the 1780s and 1790s, and was closely linked both with romanticism and the revolutionary politics of the Enlightenment...
, in particular the works of Kant
KANT
KANT is a computer algebra system for mathematicians interested in algebraic number theory, performing sophisticated computations in algebraic number fields, in global function fields, and in local fields. KASH is the associated command line interface...
and Fichte
Johann Gottlieb Fichte
Johann Gottlieb Fichte was a German philosopher. He was one of the founding figures of the philosophical movement known as German idealism, a movement that developed from the theoretical and ethical writings of Immanuel Kant...
. This resulted in a strong focus on forming young members to be strong, upright and honorable, in order for the nation's "best and brightest" to spread these ideas throughout society. Politic, especially geopolitical activities of Corps as a whole were actively discouraged, as social commitment was seen as more promising and less controversial.
Another characteristic was (and is) to unify all of a city's (and ultimately, Germany's) Corps under an umbrella organization and to vote on common rules and principles for each Corps to abide by.
Corps is the oldest form of Studentenverbindung still in existence, with Guestphalia Halle (estd. 1789) commonly thought of as the longest surviving fraternity still active.
Burschenschaft and rebellion against aristocracy
The Corps soon saw themselves heavily confronted by the Burschenschaft, which was first founded in 1815. Sparked by the nationalist sentiment after the Napoleonic warsNapoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, the members of the latter perceived the traditional forms of fraternities, who were still heavily affiliated with their state of origin, to be reactionary
Reactionary
The term reactionary refers to viewpoints that seek to return to a previous state in a society. The term is meant to describe one end of a political spectrum whose opposite pole is "radical". While it has not been generally considered a term of praise it has been adopted as a self-description by...
and elitist. They thus organized themselves into what was pictured as a single fraternity spanning all states of German language, allowing the students to coordinate a nationalist revolution, i. e. a revolution to unify Germany and to abolish all princedoms. Thus, from the beginning, they were a dedicated political organization, in contrary to the Corps.
This early attempt failed in 1819 when the Burschenschaft was fragmented, but the sentiment prevailed. At this occasion, the modern German colors
National colours of Germany
The national colors of Germany are officially Black, Red and Gold as seen on the flag of Germany of 1849-1852, 1919–1933, and again since 1949. The colors were used by democratic revolutionaries in the early 19th century, and had been used by the Holy Roman Empire since the Middle Ages...
are mentioned for the first time in popular culture, in a song by August Daniel von Binzer citing the colors of the Burschenschaft:
- Wir hatten gebauet ein stattliches Haus
- (Auszug)
|
- We had built a noble house
- (Excerpt)
|-
|
- [. . .]
|
- [. . .]
|-
|
- VII
- Das Band ist zerschnitten,
- war Schwarz, Rot und Gold,
- und Gott hat es gelitten,
- wer weiß was er gewollt!
|
- VII
- The ribbon is cut,
- t'was black, red and gold,
- and God just stood by,
- who knows his intent!
|}>
Karlsbad Decrees
In the same year, due to general antisemitism prevalent in any social class, massive antisemitic protests, mainly fueled by students, craftsmen and traders, (see Hep-Hep riotsHep-Hep riots
The Hep-Hep riots were early 19th century pogroms against German Jews. The antisemitic communal violence began on August 2, 1819 in Würzburg and soon reached as far as regions of Denmark, Poland, Latvia and Bohemia. Many Jews were killed and much Jewish property was destroyed.-Historical...
) swept the German-speaking states, injuring and killing many. As a result, by the Karlsbad Decrees, any self-regulating student body was forcibly dissolved, severe censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
and punishments were instituted, and government authority was significantly increased.
This resulted in secret gatherings and smaller revolutionary acts, many of which are seen as the foundation for a German nation in today's world, such as the Hambach festival in 1832, where the German colors flew as a flag for the first time, and the Frankfurter Wachensturm
Frankfurter Wachensturm
The Frankfurter Wachensturm on April 3rd 1833 was a failed attempt to start a revolution in Germany.-Events:...
in 1833, a failed attempt to take a large city's treasury to fund a revolution.
Revolution of 1848 and subsequent diversification
Tensions started to build, with short lived, illegal fraternities forming, being dissolved and reforming at all universities, peaking in the German revolution of 1848Revolutions of 1848
The European Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Spring of Nations, Springtime of the Peoples or the Year of Revolution, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe in 1848. It was the first Europe-wide collapse of traditional authority, but within a year reactionary...
in which many members of Studentenverbindungen took part. Although the unification of Germany, according to the principles of the Burschenschaft soon failed violently, the Studentenverbindungen had emancipated themselves, and many of the members of the first Frankfurt parliament
Frankfurt Parliament
The Frankfurt Assembly was the first freely elected parliament for all of Germany. Session was held from May 18, 1848 to May 31, 1849 in the Paulskirche at Frankfurt am Main...
were in fact Burschenschaft or Corps students.
Thus, the general concept flourished quickly, and soon, the Studentenverbindungen were no longer seen as clubs of young rowdies and revolutionaries, but as a valuable school for the future. This allowed Alte Herren to identify with the active members of their fraternities, and the idea of a life-long commitment arose. Soon, the first Stiftungsfeste, annual festivities in celebration of the fraternity's founding, were celebrated, further cementing their standing. As increased liberty allowed for it, a more regulated form of duel was conceived: The modern Mensur, which strived to reduce lethality rates while still being able to fence. The former objective, though, was greatly impaired by treatment possibilities, with infected wounds posing a substantial risk.
During this time, the first Christian fraternities were established by religious students missing belief as a basic principle of unity, and although some of them still took up weapons, many refused to do so from an ethical and religious standpoint. They often carried generic names, unifying themselves under an umbrella organization such as the oecumenical Wingolf (with Wingolf Bonn being the first in 1841).
When the catholic belief was beginning to be repressed during the Kulturkampf
Kulturkampf
The German term refers to German policies in relation to secularity and the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, enacted from 1871 to 1878 by the Prime Minister of Prussia, Otto von Bismarck. The Kulturkampf did not extend to the other German states such as Bavaria...
, a large number of fraternities of catholic belief were formed as a reaction. The first organization of decidedly catholic origin was the Schweizerische Studentenverein ("Swiss students' union") in 1841. These catholic fraternities understood themselves as an important network to counteract the Kulturkampf.
In 1848, a Germany-wide association of Corps was founded in Bad Kösen
Bad Kösen
' is a spa town in Germany, on the Saale river in the small German wine-growing region of Saale-Unstrut. It is a former municipality in the Burgenlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt...
, the so-called Kösener Senioren-Convents-Verband (roughly, "the Kösen association of the committees of the first men in charge"). It consisted solely of the old Corps present at traditional liberal arts colleges and excluded those at technical colleges. In reaction, the Weinheimer Seniorenconvent was established, which unified the latter. Today, the two umbrella organizations are tightly linked by a cooperation treaty.
The types of fraternities soon diversified, and formerly informal clubs, such as sports clubs influenced by the political ideas of Turnvater Jahn (Turnerschaften), academic choirs (Sängerschaften), and groups influenced by the progressive movement (Landsmannschaften after the 17th century organizations) were reorganized, each with their namesake as their central principle and idea of character building. Landsmannschaft Sorabia-Westfalen Münster is the oldest Studentenverbindung of modern constitution. It was founded in 1716 in the City of Leipzig (http://www.sorabia-westfalen.de/).
A notable exception from these self-centered principles is the VVDSt (Verband der Vereine Deutscher Studenten, "union of associations of German students"), which had a strict antisemitic policy and was formed in 1881 as a decidedly political group. As a reaction, the first Jewish fraternities were established in the 1880s, prevailing until the National Socialist regime. Theodor Herzl
Theodor Herzl
Theodor Herzl , born Benjamin Ze’ev Herzl was an Ashkenazi Jew Austro-Hungarian journalist and the father of modern political Zionism and in effect the State of Israel.-Early life:...
, the founder of zionism
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
and a former Burschenschaft student, was soon made an honorary member in many of these fraternities. Furthermore, Jewish fraternities were heavily focused on emancipating themselves through duel
Duel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with agreed-upon rules.Duels in this form were chiefly practised in Early Modern Europe, with precedents in the medieval code of chivalry, and continued into the modern period especially among...
and Mensur'.
Finally, around the break of the century, women were admitted to visit universities, unifiying to sororities in as soon as 1899. The first such organization was the Club der Namenlosen ("club of the nameless"), soon renamed Verein Studierender Frauen Deutschlands Hilaritas ("association of female students of Germany Hilaritas").
This diversification progressed to the point that the formerly despised students' culture heavily influenced society, especially affecting the language. During the Wilhelminian Era, this development peaked, with the largest part of the academic community (active or alumni) being member in one or more of the over 1300 fraternities and even non-members cutting themselves with razors to simulate the appearance of the characteristic fencing wounds. As of today, Bismarck
Bismarck
- People :* Bismarck family, a German noble family descending from Herebord von Bismarck* Otto von Bismarck , German statesman of the 19th century* Herbert von Bismarck , Secretary of State, son of Otto von Bismarck...
and Kaiser Wilhelm II still remain the most well-known of Corps students and German fraternity students in general.
First World War, Weimar republic and National Socialist rule
This lasted until the first World War, which called all of the active students to serve their country, which many welcomed euphorically. Fatalities substantially decimated the number of fraternity students and students in general. When the war was lost and the Kaiser, was forced to step down and hand over the power of state to a democratic government, the fraternities' world shook in its foundations.The violence the students had experienced at war, the uncertainty of the Weimar republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
times and the deeply-felt humiliation of the harsh conditions of the Peace of Versailles caused many fraternity members to enlist in the newly founded Freikorps
Freikorps
Freikorps are German volunteer military or paramilitary units. The term was originally applied to voluntary armies formed in German lands from the middle of the 18th century onwards. Between World War I and World War II the term was also used for the paramilitary organizations that arose during...
, paramilitary organizations thought to protect democracy. As open battles between Freikoprs members and communist activists began, many quickly radicalized throughout society, resulting in formerly non-political fraternities developing an extreme nationalist, anti-communist and antisemitic standpoint. As this was a fertile ground for the newly-founded NSDAP to flourish on, many soon committed themselves to its principles, with some, such as the Burschenschaft, expelling Jews as early as 1920.
When the NSDAP seized power in 1933, many rejoiced, although it was soon made clear that Studentenverbindungen would not be allowed to persist. There are several exceptions, though, most notably the Corps Saxo-Borussia, whose members loudly discussed on different occasions if "the fuehrer were to eat his asparagus with his knife, his fork, or his paws", coming to the conclusion that he had "so large a gab, he would be able to eat it crosswise".
This led to all Studentenverbindungen being classified as "reactionary", and most of them either dissolved themselves or were forcibly closed during 1934 to 1938. The former members were then reorganized in Kameradschaften ("comradeships") and forced to omitt their principles of democratic vote, lifelong cooperation, honor and tradition. In secrecy, though, many of the former customs were still practised, although with the outbreak of World War II, few remained to do so.
Post-war times
After the war, the remaining former members soon tried to reorganize themselves, often fusing two or more Verbindungen to allow for greater impact. Although this was at first illegalized by the occupation forces and universities, they slowly gained a foothold in society again. Special influences on this include several court sentences, amongst which are the decision that the Mensur does not violate moral code in 1951 and the forced acceptance of the last fencing fraternity in Berlin in 1968, and the formal obligation to head of state Theodor HeussTheodor Heuss
Theodor Heuss was a liberal German politician who served as the first President of the Federal Republic of Germany after World War II from 1949 to 1959...
to abolish duels for honor.
While this allowed for progress and such was achieved during the 1950s and early 1960s, the Verbindungen again took a hard hit in 1968 with the general socialist sentiment amongst the student movement
German student movement
The German student movement was a protest movement that took place during the late 1960s in West Germany. It was largely a reaction against the perceived authoritarianism and hypocrisy of the German government and other Western governments, and the poor living conditions of students...
and their desire to abolish anything deemed reactionary. As of today, many of the prejudices then expressed still form the base of what little is known to the public about Verbindungen, resulting in a slow and steady decline in membership count since. A notable upswing was only delivered by the recent Bologna process
Bologna process
The purpose of the Bologna Process is the creation of the European Higher Education Area by making academic degree standards and quality assurance standards more comparable and compatible throughout Europe, in particular under the Lisbon Recognition Convention...
, depraving students of long known means of studying and thus increasing the demand for assistance by experienced alumni.
The most prospering Studentenverbindungen can still be found in cities and towns with traditional liberal arts college
Liberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
s and universities like Göttingen
Göttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
, Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
and Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
in Germany, with Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
being a positive exception. Traditional structures have mostly been preserved, with rituals, code of honor, symbols and principles still intact. Most Studentenverbindungen still are restricted to only one gender, with the male varieties actively practising the Mensur. However, many have formally repented their presumed mistakes, with memorials to injustly excluded Jews, for instance, being a common sight in a Verbindungshaus.
Controversy
There are numerous points of critique which are usually discussed without result. The most common include accusations of nationalismNationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
, racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, sexism
Sexism
Sexism, also known as gender discrimination or sex discrimination, is the application of the belief or attitude that there are characteristics implicit to one's gender that indirectly affect one's abilities in unrelated areas...
and elitism
Elitism
Elitism is the belief or attitude that some individuals, who form an elite — a select group of people with intellect, wealth, specialized training or experience, or other distinctive attributes — are those whose views on a matter are to be taken the most seriously or carry the most...
.
- Nationalism: Based on the historical background of many Verbindungen having either a strong link to a former princedom or having displayed strong nationalism before the same were abolished, the accusation of nationalism is the most frequently heard. This is usually supported by the extremes displayed in the Weimar republic and the positions held e.g. by the modern-day Burschenschaft, which strives to re-unify the Reich, thus demanding the lost territories back. While most Verbindungen dismiss this point as a thing of the past, Burschenschaft students usually stand by their beliefs.
- Racism: Having displayed a strong amount of racism, especially antisemitism, today's Verbindungen are often said to are prone to structural racism. Usually, this is supported by a small sample of modern-day cases of racist extremist acts involving fraternity students, especially some being under observation of Homeland Security. Furthermore, the Burschenschafts criterion of only admitting males "of German culture" often raises criticism. On the contrary, the vast majority of Verbindungen define themselves as tolerant of other races in their constitutions, and many also admit members regardless of their origin, which is seldom heard.
- Sexism: As the majority of Studentenverbindungen are male-only, many, especially the left-wing student organizations raise the allegation of sexism. This commonly combines with the allegation of elitism, resulting in criticising restricting women from making use of the same career networks as males can.
- Elitism: Alte Herren are said to take care of the students' careers, helping them in their subjects of study and in other areas of life, up to organizing good jobs and opportunities after graduation. This networkingBusiness networkingBusiness networking is a socioeconomic activity by which groups of like-minded businesspeople recognize, create, or act upon business opportunities. A business network is a type of social network whose reason for existing is business activity...
is seen as problematic by other students and most students' unionStudents' unionA students' union, student government, student senate, students' association, guild of students or government of student body is a student organization present in many colleges and universities, and has started appearing in some high schools...
s. Today's fraternities dismiss this as a stereotype stemming from the Wilhelminian Era, where fraternities were much more common and a career was indeed nigh impossible withouth their help.
Apart from debate, these accusations have led to numerous acts of politically motivated violence, with over 100 cases in 2010 alone, ranging from simple vandalism such as destroying windows and spraying graffiti, through aggravated assault, to arson endangering fraternity members.
Common types
Despite a wide variety of Studentenverbindungen, certain kinds are prevalent; the most common types are:|Characteristics
|Umbrella organisation(s)
|Number of corp.
|-
|Catholic corporation (wearing Couleur
Couleur
Couleur is the expression used in European Studentenverbindungen for the headgears and ribbons worn by members of these student societies....
)
| wc, nF
|CV
Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen
The Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen or Cartellverband is a German umbrella organization of Catholic male student fraternities .-Foundation:...
, RKDB, ÖCV, TCV
|200
|-
|Corps
German Student Corps
Corps are the oldest still-existing kind of Studentenverbindung, Germany's traditional university corporations; their roots date back to the 15th century. The oldest corps still existing today was founded in 1789...
| wc, pF
|KSCV
Kösener Senioren-Convents-Verband
The Kösener Senioren-Convents-Verband is the oldest association of German and Austrian Studentenverbindungen. It comprises roughly 105 German, Austrian and a Swiss Corps, all of which are based upon the principle of tolerance....
, WSC
Weinheimer Senioren-Convent
The Weinheimer Senioren-Convent is the second oldest association of German Studentenverbindungen. It comprises roughly 60 German Corps, all of which are based upon the principle of tolerance....
|161
|-
|Burschenschaft
Burschenschaft
German Burschenschaften are a special type of Studentenverbindungen . Burschenschaften were founded in the 19th century as associations of university students inspired by liberal and nationalistic ideas.-History:-Beginnings 1815–c...
| wc, pF/fo
|DB, DBÖ,
CDC, NeueDB
|158
|-
|Catholic corporation (not wearing Couleur)
| nc, nF
|KV
Kartellverband katholischer deutscher Studentenvereine
The Kartellverband katholischer deutscher Studentenvereine) is a German academic corporate association with ninety member corporations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland...
, UV, ÖKV
|126
|-
|Landsmannschaft
| wc, pF
|CC, ÖLTC,
|84
|-
|Other Christian Studentenverbindungen
| mostly wc, nF
|Schwarzburgbund, Wingolf
Wingolf
Wingolf is an umbrella organisation of 36 student fraternities at 34 universities in Germany, Austria and Estonia. Founded as early as 1844, it counts as one of the older types of fraternities, the oldest one being the Corps...
, Wartburg-Kartell, KÖL
|61
|-
|Sängerschaft
| wc, fo
|Deutsche Sängerschaft (Weimarer CC)
|20
|-
|Academic gymnastic clubs
| nc, nF
|ATB, ATBÖ
|41
|-
|Verein Deutscher Studenten
| nc, nF
|VVDSt - KV
|40
|-
|Turnerschaft
Turnerschaft
A Turnerschaft is a kind of Studentenverbindung, a German student corporation, similar to fraternities in the US and Canada. The Turnerschaften are a sports corps, and students practice the Mensur ....
| wc, pF/fo
|CC
Coburger Convent
The Coburger Convent der akademischen Landsmannschaften und Turnerschaften is an association of 100 German and Austrian Studentenverbindungen, all of which are based on the principle of tolerance...
and MK
|34
|}>
Caption: wc=wearing couleur; nc=not wearing couleur; pF=practicing academic fencing; fo=academic fencing optional; nF=not practicing academic fencing
Uncommon, but influential are the academical-technical engineering clubs ("Akademischer Verein") of the Hütte and Miltenberg-Wernigeroder Ring; the "Hütte" is the publisher of one of the major engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
compendiums in Germany.
Fraternities
- K.D.St.V. Arminia Heidelberg, member of CVCartellverband der katholischen deutschen StudentenverbindungenThe Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen or Cartellverband is a German umbrella organization of Catholic male student fraternities .-Foundation:...
- K.St.V. Askania-Burgundia Berlin, member of KV
- K.St.V. Arminia Bonn, member of KV
- K.St.V. Laetitia Karlsruhe, member of KV
- K.A.V. Lovania Leuven, affiliated with CVCartellverband der katholischen deutschen StudentenverbindungenThe Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen or Cartellverband is a German umbrella organization of Catholic male student fraternities .-Foundation:...
- Corps Austria Frankfurt am MainCorps Austria Frankfurt am MainCorps Austria is a member Corps of the Kösener Senioren-Convents-Verband, the oldest association of student fraternities in Germany and Austria. Corps Austria is "pflichtschlagend", which refers to the fact that it requires of its members, that they participate in several ritual, organised duels...
, member of KSCVKösener Senioren-Convents-VerbandThe Kösener Senioren-Convents-Verband is the oldest association of German and Austrian Studentenverbindungen. It comprises roughly 105 German, Austrian and a Swiss Corps, all of which are based upon the principle of tolerance.... - Corps Borussia Tübingen, member of KSCVKösener Senioren-Convents-VerbandThe Kösener Senioren-Convents-Verband is the oldest association of German and Austrian Studentenverbindungen. It comprises roughly 105 German, Austrian and a Swiss Corps, all of which are based upon the principle of tolerance....
- Corps Marchia Berlin, member of KSCVKösener Senioren-Convents-VerbandThe Kösener Senioren-Convents-Verband is the oldest association of German and Austrian Studentenverbindungen. It comprises roughly 105 German, Austrian and a Swiss Corps, all of which are based upon the principle of tolerance....
- Corps Hubertia München, member of KSCVKösener Senioren-Convents-VerbandThe Kösener Senioren-Convents-Verband is the oldest association of German and Austrian Studentenverbindungen. It comprises roughly 105 German, Austrian and a Swiss Corps, all of which are based upon the principle of tolerance....
- K.B.St.V. Rhaetia München
- Corps Rhenania HeidelbergCorps Rhenania HeidelbergCorps Rhenania Heidelberg is a member Corps of the Kösener Senioren-Convents-Verband, the oldest association of student fraternities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Corps Rhenania is "pflichtschlagend", which refers to the fact that it requires of its members, that they participate in several...
, member of KSCVKösener Senioren-Convents-VerbandThe Kösener Senioren-Convents-Verband is the oldest association of German and Austrian Studentenverbindungen. It comprises roughly 105 German, Austrian and a Swiss Corps, all of which are based upon the principle of tolerance.... - Corps Rhenania TübingenCorps Rhenania TübingenCorps Rhenania Tübingen is a German fraternity and member of the Kösener Senioren-Convents-Verband , which is among the oldest fraternity associations. The Corps commits itself to a traditional kind of sport called academic fencing. It associates students and graduates of the Eberhard Karls...
, member of KSCVKösener Senioren-Convents-VerbandThe Kösener Senioren-Convents-Verband is the oldest association of German and Austrian Studentenverbindungen. It comprises roughly 105 German, Austrian and a Swiss Corps, all of which are based upon the principle of tolerance.... - Corps Hannovera GöttingenCorps Hannovera Göttingenthumb|Bismarck 1836The Corps Hannovera Göttingen is one of the oldest German Student Corps, a Studentenverbindung or student corporation founded 18 January 1809 at the Georg August University of Göttingen by students like Georg Kloss. The name was chosen because the founders had their home...
, member of KSCVKösener Senioren-Convents-VerbandThe Kösener Senioren-Convents-Verband is the oldest association of German and Austrian Studentenverbindungen. It comprises roughly 105 German, Austrian and a Swiss Corps, all of which are based upon the principle of tolerance.... - Corps Suevia FreiburgCorps Suevia FreiburgThe Corps Suevia Freiburg is one of the oldest German Student Corps, a Studentenverbindung or student corporation founded by 13 students at the Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg on June 21, 1815...
, member of KSCVKösener Senioren-Convents-VerbandThe Kösener Senioren-Convents-Verband is the oldest association of German and Austrian Studentenverbindungen. It comprises roughly 105 German, Austrian and a Swiss Corps, all of which are based upon the principle of tolerance.... - Corps Bavaria Erlangen, member of KSCVKösener Senioren-Convents-VerbandThe Kösener Senioren-Convents-Verband is the oldest association of German and Austrian Studentenverbindungen. It comprises roughly 105 German, Austrian and a Swiss Corps, all of which are based upon the principle of tolerance....
- Turnerschaft Cheruscia Göttingen
- Landsmannschaft Schottland Tübingen, member of CCCoburger ConventThe Coburger Convent der akademischen Landsmannschaften und Turnerschaften is an association of 100 German and Austrian Studentenverbindungen, all of which are based on the principle of tolerance...
- Landsmannschaft Zaringia Heidelberg, member of CCCoburger ConventThe Coburger Convent der akademischen Landsmannschaften und Turnerschaften is an association of 100 German and Austrian Studentenverbindungen, all of which are based on the principle of tolerance...
- A.V. Guestfalia Tübingen, member of CVCartellverband der katholischen deutschen StudentenverbindungenThe Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen or Cartellverband is a German umbrella organization of Catholic male student fraternities .-Foundation:...
- AHB! Rhenania Salingia zu Düsseldorf member of DB
- Bonner Burschenschaft Germania
- AV FryburgiaAV FryburgiaAV Fryburgia is a fraternity or Studentenverbindung at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. Male students of all faculties are eligible to become members...
, member of StV-SESSchweizerischer StudentenvereinThe Schweizerischer Studentenverein is a society of colour bearing students of both genders and at the same time a federation of student corporations which are called sections... - AV TuriciaA.V. TuriciaAV Turicia is a color-bearing student society in Zürich. It was founded in 1860. It is a section of the Swiss Student Association and a member of the "Federation of Student Komment Societies"...
, member of StV-SESSchweizerischer StudentenvereinThe Schweizerischer Studentenverein is a society of colour bearing students of both genders and at the same time a federation of student corporations which are called sections...
Umbrella organizations of fraternities
- Deutsche BurschenschaftBurschenschaftGerman Burschenschaften are a special type of Studentenverbindungen . Burschenschaften were founded in the 19th century as associations of university students inspired by liberal and nationalistic ideas.-History:-Beginnings 1815–c...
(DB) - Kartellverband katholischer deutscher StudentenvereineKartellverband katholischer deutscher StudentenvereineThe Kartellverband katholischer deutscher Studentenvereine) is a German academic corporate association with ninety member corporations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland...
(KV) - Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen StudentenverbindungenCartellverband der katholischen deutschen StudentenverbindungenThe Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen or Cartellverband is a German umbrella organization of Catholic male student fraternities .-Foundation:...
(CV) - Coburger Convent der akademischen Landsmannschaften und Turnerschaften (CC)
- Kösener Senioren-Convents-VerbandKösener Senioren-Convents-VerbandThe Kösener Senioren-Convents-Verband is the oldest association of German and Austrian Studentenverbindungen. It comprises roughly 105 German, Austrian and a Swiss Corps, all of which are based upon the principle of tolerance....
(KSCV) - Weinheimer Senioren-ConventWeinheimer Senioren-ConventThe Weinheimer Senioren-Convent is the second oldest association of German Studentenverbindungen. It comprises roughly 60 German Corps, all of which are based upon the principle of tolerance....
(WSC) - Katholiek Vlaams Hoogstudentenverbond (KVHV)
- Nationalistische Studentenvereniging (NSV) (FlemishFlandersFlanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
) - Verband der Wissenschaftlichen Katholischen Studentenvereine Unitas (UV)
- Schweizerischer Studentenverein - Société des Etudiants Suisses (StV-SES)
Further reading
- Rolf-Joachim Baum (Hrsg.), „Wir wollen Männer, wir wollen Taten!“ Deutsche Corpsstudenten 1848 bis heute, Siedler-Verlag, Berlin 1998, ISBN 3-88680-653-7
- Martin Biastoch: Duell und Mensur im Kaiserreich (am Beispiel der Tübinger Corps Franconia, Rhenania, Suevia und Borussia zwischen 1871 und 1895). SH-Verlag, Vierow 1995, ISBN 3-89498-020-6
- Martin Biastoch: Tübinger Studenten im Kaiserreich. Eine sozialgeschichtliche Untersuchung, Sigmaringen 1996 (Contubernium - Tübinger Beiträge zur Universitäts- und Wissenschaftsgeschichte Bd. 44) ISBN 3-51508-022-8
- Martin Biastoch: Die Corps im Kaiserreich – Idealbild einer Epoche?. In: „Wir wollen Männer, wir wollen Taten“ – Deutsche Corpsstudenten 1848 bis heute, hrg. v. Rolf Joachim Baum, Siedler Verlag, Berlin 1998, S. 111–132.
- Edwin A. Biedermann, „Logen, Clubs und Bruderschaften“, Droste-Verlag, 2007, 2. Auflage, ISBN 3-7700-1184-8, 415 Seiten,
- Manfred Studier: Der Corpsstudent als Idealbild der Wilhelminischen Ära - Untersuchungen zum Zeitgeist 1888 bis 1914, Abhandlungen zum Studenten- und Hochschulwesen, Band 3, Schernfeld 1990, ISBN 3-923621-68-X
- Jonathan Green: Armed and Courteous, Financial TimesFinancial TimesThe Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
, 3 January 2004, S.16. online (JPG-Scans) - R.G.S. Weber: The German Corps in the Third Reich Macmillan London, German edition: Die Deutschen Corps im dritten Reich SH-Verlag ISBN 3-89498-033-8
- U. Altermatt (Ed.), Den Riesenkampf mit dieser Zeit zu wagen... Schweizerischer Studentenverein 1841-1991. Maihof-Verlag, Luzern, 1993, ISBN 3952002720
- R.G.S. Weber: The German Corps in the Third Reich Macmillan London
- Peter Krause: O alte Burschenherrlichkeit - Die Studenten und ihr Brauchtum, Graz, Wien, Köln 1979 (German), ISBN 3-222-11127-8
- Peter Krause: O alte Burschenherrlichkeit - Die Studenten und ihr Brauchtum, 5. verb. Auflage, Graz, Wien, Köln 1997 (German), ISBN 3-222-12478-7
- Paulgerhard Gladen: Gaudeamus igitur - Die studentischen Verbindungen einst und jetzt, Köln 2001 (German),ISBN 3-88059-996-3
- Marc Zirlewagen (Hg.): Wir siegen oder fallen - Deutsche Studenten im Ersten Weltkrieg, Köln 2008 (GERMAN), ISBN 978-3-89498-189-1
- Edgar Hunger / Curt Meyer: Studentisches Brauchtum, Bonn, Stuttgart 1958 (German)
External links
- Umbrella organisation of convents in Germany, German
- fzs (the national German Students' Unions Organisation, left-wing) on Verbindungen (corporations), German
- Reportage in English language on German CorpsGerman Student CorpsCorps are the oldest still-existing kind of Studentenverbindung, Germany's traditional university corporations; their roots date back to the 15th century. The oldest corps still existing today was founded in 1789...
(NOTE: .jpg-scans only) - Schweizerischer Studentenverein
- German website of "Landsmannschaft Ulmia Tübingen"