Studentenverbindung
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Studentenverbindung (German:
Their autonomous and grassroots democratic Convent is also an important similarity of all student corporations. Apart from the Lebensbund and the Convent, every Studentenverbindung also has a so-called Comment (borrowed French for 'how'). The Comment is a body of rules that organize various different aspects of fraternity life such as the Couleur, academic fencing (Mensur), and general rules of conduct.
Fraternities of this particular type are present in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Hungary, Latvia, Estonia, (formerly) German or German-speaking areas and other smaller communities in Europe, and Chile. Less than 1% of all current students and living alumni in Germany are active members of a Studentenverbindung.[3]
Organization
Studentenverbindungen consist of active members who are students currently enrolled at a university, and the graduated Alte Herren or Altherren (Elder Gentlemen or alumni) / Hohe Damen (High Ladies) that were once active in these corporations and now provide guidance and the necessary financial backing.
The active students are commonly divided into four groups: the new, first year Fuchs , the loose associate Renonce , the Burschen (German for fellow, full members), and the inactive Burschen (having been members for a set time limit, usually three or four semesters[4]) forming the fraternity's active core.
The fourth group, the Chargen are Burschen elected by the former groups' democratic vote and entitled to decide over certain situations of everyday fraternity life. Common Chargierte are the Senior (signing his name with an x at the end e.g. Mustermann Z! x), Consenior (xx) and the Drittchargierter, or often also called Scriptor (xxx).[5][6] The Senior's task is mainly to represent the fraternity to the outside and to lead it. The Consenior assists the Senior but mainly focuses on imparting the fencing practice, the organization of fraternity events and the constant contact to fellow female students. Whilst the Drittchargierter is in charge of mail correspondence, finance and diplomacy. Another Function often referred to as a Charge (Chargierter) is the so-called Fuchsmajor. He is in charge of the Füchse and teaches them everything they need to know in fraternity life, except for fencing.[7]
Studentenverbindungen, specially older ones, often possess large mansions, the Verbindungshaus, in which active members live. It usually consists of a dormitory and common rooms for festivities, most notably the Kneipe (pub), celebrations on a regular basis involving student songs and other traditions.
One of the many benefits of joining a fraternity in Germany is the especially low pricing of the often high-quality rooms. Because Studentenverbindungen are much less prevalent in campus life in comparison to US fraternities, some actively try to recruit new members through these low-priced rooms. After a certain period, the Fuchsenzeit, these new members have the opportunity to learn the traditions. After successful completion of all necessary tests and examinations they are usually accepted as full members.
Once finished with higher education and having started 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 in active fraternity life and in voting in the core fraternity's democratic process, allowing younger generations to take their place. Major decisions, though, are still made by an annual Convent where every member, student or not, has at least one vote; the Alte Herren Commission (short AHC) which represent all Alte Herren usually have double votes and veto rights.[citation needed] They also take care of the financial overview and supervising the Verbindungshaus.[citation needed]
Furthermore, all Alte Herren 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.
A notable characteristic of this structure is that the relationship between active members and Alte Herren is usually so close that even the youngest members are asked to address even their most decorated Alte Herren by Du, the intimate form of addressing someone in German, or even by their first names. This commonly includes referring to one another as "Verbindungs-bruder" (Brother). As it is possible for any Verbindung to forge treaties with another, this may also be extended to members of other fraternities. This relationship between the old and the young allows young members to learn how to bear responsibilities themselves.[8]
Mensur
To laymen, the most well-known tradition of Studentenverbindungen is the
"The object and purpose of the Corps was and still is solely the education of students to become a strong, free and cosmopolitan personality who is not held back by religious, racist, national, scientific or philosophical limitations of the mind. Three primary institutions within the fraternity aid with achieving this aim; including the Corpsconvent [regular council meetings of the Corps Brothers], the Kneipe [celebratory get-together of Corps Brothers with speeches, beer and songs], and today's Bestimmungsmensur [the event of academic fencing with sharp blades for the first or one of the first times], where the ones to fence are chosen on the basis of placing two equal opponents in front of each other. [...] This experience, and the intertwined need to overcome one's own fear, dedicated to the union of his Corps, and the connected strengthening of the sense of community aids the personal growth just as does taking a hit without losing one's stand and accepting the assessment of the Mensur by the own Corps Brothers."
While the Mensur is the most central principle to some Verbindungen, especially of the Corps, Burschenschaften and Landsmannschaften, these organizations require their members to fence as their representative. Other Verbindungen allow their members to fence voluntarily, but the majority of these now forbid 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.
Hallmarks
Couleur
Visually, the most discerning characteristic of many Studentenverbindungen is the so-called Couleur, which can consist of anything from a small piece of ribbon worn over the belt, to elaborate uniforms with riding boots, sabers, and colorful cavalry jackets, depending on circumstances and tradition. Most commonly, a thin sash displaying (usually) three distinctive colors is worn in everyday life; this is called Band. Although this display was common in the past (Wilhelmine Period) it is not as common at German universities any more.
Color-wearing ("farbentragend") Studentenverbindungen are those whose members wear a Band and headwear with their fraternity's colors.[11] Many Burschenschaften wear the color combination
Zirkel
-
Burschenschaft Ascania Cologne
-
Chattia Aachen
-
K.D.St.V. Marchia (Breslau) Aachen
-
Burschenschaft Germania Braunschweig
Another visual hallmark is the Zirkel, a monogram containing the fraternity's initials and the letters v, c, and f for the Latin words vivat, crescat, floreat ('live, grow, flourish') or vivat circulus fratrum ('long live the circle of brothers').[12] In fraternity documents, members sign their names with a Zirkel after their signature. Zirkel have their origin in abbreviations, by student orders of the 18th century, to show their affiliation in written documents. Today, Zirkel are often used on clothing or other personal items. Sometimes, the fraternity's coat of arms is also incorporated into objects, such as headgear or the épée (fencing rapier).[citation needed]
Many fraternity members can be identified through their Zirkel, or by less obvious codes such as a certain style of dressing, e.g.
Coat of arms
-
K.D.St.V. Rheno-Franconia München
-
Alte Breslauer Burschenschaft der Raczeks
Studentenverbindungen's coats of arms do not strictly follow heraldic rules, their use started around the year 1800.[13] The
Kneipe
More elaborate uniforms are usually worn at a Kneipe or, more formally,
History
Early history
When the first universities formed in Paris, Bologna, and Salerno around the 12th century, Europe was divided into a large number of small states, which reflected itself in the composition of the student body. To ensure an equal influence on the university's decisions, the students and teachers began to form nationes, with one nation for each native state of its members. This basic tradition was continued for a long time and still survives in Sweden and Finland to the present day.
When the first universities of the
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, Guestphalia for Westphalia, etc.)[15] 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 early 1700s, 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-
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 French word "Corps". 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, in particular the works of Kant and Fichte. 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. Political, 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 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. Hence the KSCV was created in 1848. The oldest, still existing Studentenverbindung, Corps Guestphalia Halle established in 1789, was a founding member.
Burschenschaft and rebellion against aristocracy
The Corps soon saw themselves heavily confronted by the Burschenschaft, which was first founded in 1815. Sparked by the
This early attempt failed in 1819 when the Burschenschaft was fragmented, but the sentiment prevailed. At this occasion, the modern
Das Band ist zerschnitten,
war schwarz, rot und gold,
und Gott hat es gelitten,
wer weiß was er gewollt!
The ribbon is cut,
t'was black, red and gold,
and God suffer'd it,
who knows what his intent!
Karlsbad Decrees
In the same year, due to general antisemitism prevalent in any social class, massive
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
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
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 lifelong commitment arose (Lebensbundprinzip). Soon, the first Stiftungsfeste, annual festivities in celebration of the fraternity's founding, were celebrated, further cementing their standing. As increased liberty allowed 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. 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
When the Catholic religion was beginning to be repressed during the Kulturkampf, 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, the so-called Kösener Senioren-Convents-Verband, KSCV, (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 Senioren Convent, WSC, was established, which unified the latter. Today, the two umbrella organizations are tightly linked by a cooperation treaty, known as Die Corps.
The types of fraternities soon diversified, and formerly informal clubs, such as sports clubs influenced by the political ideas of
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
Finally, around the break of the century, women were admitted to visit universities, unifying to sororities in 1899. The first such organization was the Club der Namenlosen ("club of the nameless"), that was soon renamed to 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
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 reduced 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
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 omit 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 during the war.
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, such as Guestphalia Bonn (West Germany) and Guestphalia Greifswald (East Germany). Although this was at first made illegal by the
One side effect is that, due to this persistent struggle back to acceptance through legal action and sheer will of survival, post war fraternities in Germany, unlike their pre-war selves, did not receive any university funding, but had also become completely free and independent of University regulation or oversight.
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
The most prospering Studentenverbindungen can still be found in cities and towns with traditional liberal arts colleges and universities like Göttingen, Bonn and Heidelberg in Germany, with Munich being an exception. Traditional structures have mostly been preserved, with rituals, codes 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 of unjustly excluded Jews, for instance, being a common sight in a Verbindungshaus.
Controversy
There are numerous points of critique which are usually discussed without result.[citation needed] The most common include accusations of nationalism, racism, sexism, homophobia, and elitism.
- Nationalism: Based on the historical background of many Verbindungen, especially Burschenschaften, having either a strong link to a former princedom or having displayed strong nationalism before these were abolished, the accusation of nationalism is the most frequent, to the harm of the other Verbindungen.
- Racism: With long histories of white supremacy and antisemitism, today's Verbindungen are often said to be prone to structural racism. Supporters, on the other hand, often argue that the evidence is largely anecdotal. The Burschenschaft's criterion of only admitting males "of German culture" often draws criticism, as well. However, the majority of Verbindungen, especially Corps, define themselves as tolerant in general, regardless of race, ethnicity or national origin.
- Sexism: As the majority of Studentenverbindungen are male-only, left-wing student organizations in particular often raise allegations of sexism. This is often combined with the accusation of being elitist, as it restricts women from making use of the same lucrative career networks as males. There is a long list of female-only Verbindungen however, with a historic background reaching to 1898, whilst the oldest still active Verbindung was founded in 1976.
- 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 networking is seen as problematic by other students and most students' unions. Today's fraternities dismiss this as a stereotype stemming from the Wilhelminian Era, when fraternities were much more common and a career was near-impossible without 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 more common:
Type | Characteristics | Umbrella organisation(s) | Number of corp. |
---|---|---|---|
Catholic Studentenverbindungen (wearing Couleur) | wc, nF | Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen, Ring Katholischer Deutscher Burschenschaften, Cartellverband der Katholischen Österreichischen Studentenverbindungen, Technischer Cartell-Verband, Schweizerischer Studentenverein, Akademischer Bund Katholisch-Österreichischer Landsmannschaften, Mittelschüler-Kartell-Verband der katholischen farbentragenden Studentenkorporationen Österreichs
|
436 |
Corps | wc, pF | Kösener Senioren-Convents-Verband, Weinheimer Senioren-Convent | 162 |
Burschenschaft | wc, pF/fo | Deutsche Burschenschaft , Verband der Akademischen Burschenschaften in Österreich, Conservativer Delegierten Convent der fachstudentischen Burschenschaften in Österreich, Neue Deutsche Burschenschaft
|
158 |
Catholic Studentenverbindungen (not wearing Couleur) | nc, nF | Kartellverband katholischer deutscher Studentenvereine , Verband der Wissenschaftlichen Katholischen Studentenvereine Unitas, Kartellverband katholischer nichtfarbentragender akademischer Vereinigungen Österreichs
|
126 |
Landsmannschaft
|
wc, pF | Coburger Convent der akademischen Landsmannschaften und Turnerschaften, Österreichischer Landsmannschafter- und Turnerschafter Convent | 84 |
Female Studentenverbindungen (Damenverbindung) | wc/nc, nF | Vereinigung christlicher Studentinnenverbindungen Österreichs, Verband farbentragender Mädchen, partially organized in Sondershäuser Verband, Schwarzburgbund and Unitasverband | ~ 70 |
Other Christian Studentenverbindungen | mostly wc, nF | Schwarzburgbund, Wingolf, Wartburg-Kartell Evangelischer Akademischer Verbindungen, Akademischer Bund Österreichischer Katholischer Landsmannschaften | 61 |
Academic gymnastic clubs | nc, nF | Akademischer Turnbund, ATBÖ | 41 |
Verein Deutscher Studenten
|
nc, nF | VVDSt – KV | 40 |
Turnerschaft | wc, pF/fo | Coburger Convent and Marburger Konvent | 34 |
Sängerschaft | wc, fo | Deutsche Sängerschaft (Weimarer CC) | 20 |
Hunting Verbindungen | wc, pF/fo | Wernigeroder Jagdkorporationen Senioren-Convent and[Kongreß Akademischer Jagdcorporationen | 17 |
Symbols: 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 compendiums in Germany.[17]
See also
Umbrella organizations of fraternities
Corps:
- Kösener Senioren-Convents-Verband and website: Kösener Senioren-Convents-Verband (KSCV)
- Weinheimer Senioren-Convent and website: Weinheimer Senioren-Convent (WSC)
Burschenschaften:
Others:
- Coburger Convent der akademischen Landsmannschaften und Turnerschaften (CC)
- Kartellverband katholischer deutscher Studentenvereine(KV)
- Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen(CV)
- Wingolfsbund(WB)
- Katholiek Vlaams Hoogstudentenverbond (KVHV)
- Nationalistische Studentenvereniging (NSV) (Flemish)
- Schweizerischer Studentenverein (StV-SES)
References
- ^ Osel, Johann (28 May 2015). "Der zweifelhafte Ruf der Burschenschaften". Süddeutsche.de (in German).
- ^ Herbert Neupert: Andere Korporationen und gemeinsame Institutionen. A. Das gemeinsame Prinzip, in: Vorstand des Verbandes Alter Corpsstudenten e. V. (ed.): Handbuch des Kösener Corpsstudenten. vol. I, 6th ed., Würzburg 1985, p. 283
- ^ a b wdr.de
- ISBN 978-3839187869.
- ^ Robert Paschke: Corpsstudentisches Wörterbuch. Handbuch des Kösener Corpsstudenten, 6th ed, Vol. 1. Würzburg 1985, p. 322
- ^ Robert Paschke: Studentenhistorisches Lexikon. SH-Verlag 1999, p. 64
- ISBN 978-3499629563.
- ^ a b Twain, Mark (2004). A Tramp Abroad. Gutenberg EBook.
- ISBN 3-88680-653-7, pp. 383 f.
- ISBN 978-3856168476.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ Erich Bauer: Schimmerbuch für junge Corpsstudenten. 4. Auflage, o. O., 1971, S. 12 ff.
- ^ Bauer, Erich; Schimmerbuch für junge Corpsstudenten. 4. Auflage, o. O., 1971, S. 15.[clarification needed]
- ^ Erich Bauer: Schimmerbuch für junge Corpsstudenten. 4. Auflage, o. O., 1971, S. 15 f.
- ^ Studentenkarzer Heidelberg
- ^ "Geschichte der Corps". 2016-02-25.
- ^ sorabia-westfalen.de
- ISBN 3-540-20325-7.
Further reading
- U. Altermatt (ed.), Den Riesenkampf mit dieser Zeit zu wagen... Schweizerischer Studentenverein 1841-1991. Maihof-Verlag, Luzern, 1993, ISBN 3-9520027-2-0
- 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 vol. 44) ISBN 3-515-08022-8
- Martin Biastoch: Die Corps im Kaiserreich – Idealbild einer Epoche?. In: "Wir wollen Männer, wir wollen Taten" – Deutsche Corpsstudenten 1848 bis heute, Rolf Joachim Baum (ed.), Siedler Verlag, Berlin 1998, pp. 111–132.
- Edwin A. Biedermann, "Logen, Clubs und Bruderschaften", Droste-Verlag, 2007, 2nd ed., ISBN 3-7700-1184-8, 415 pages
- Paulgerhard Gladen: Gaudeamus igitur - Die studentischen Verbindungen einst und jetzt, Cologne 2001 (in German),ISBN 3-88059-996-3
- Jonathan Green: Armed and Courteous, Financial Times, 3 January 2004, p. 16. online (JPG-Scans)
- Edgar Hunger / Curt Meyer: Studentisches Brauchtum, Bonn, Stuttgart 1958 (German)
- Peter Krause: O alte Burschenherrlichkeit - Die Studenten und ihr Brauchtum, 5th improved ed., Graz, Wien, Cologne 1997 (in German), ISBN 3-222-12478-7
- Manfred Studier: Der Corpsstudent als Idealbild der Wilhelminischen Ära – Untersuchungen zum Zeitgeist 1888 bis 1914, Abhandlungen zum Studenten- und Hochschulwesen, vol. 3, Schernfeld 1990, ISBN 3-923621-68-X
- 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
- Marc Zirlewagen (ed.): Wir siegen oder fallen - Deutsche Studenten im Ersten Weltkrieg, Cologne 2008 (in German), ISBN 978-3-89498-189-1