What is Studentenverbindung?

A Studentenverbindung (the umbrella term that includes the Burschenschaften, Landsmannschaften, Corps, Turnerschaften, Sängerschaften, Catholic Corporations, Wingolf and Ferialverbindungen) is a German student corporation somewhat comparable to fraternities in the US or Canada.

Organization

A corporation in Germany, Austria, Switzerland or elsewhere in Europe consists of the active students, who study any academic subject at a university, and the already graduated Alte Herren (Elder Gentlemen or alumni) /Hohe Damen (High Ladies) that have once been active in the corporation. The active students usually reside in the corporation house, some kind of small dorm for the members of the corporation which also has common rooms for festivities. One of the many benefits of joining a corporation is the especially low pricing of the often rich rooms. Some argue that corporations actively try to get new members through these low-priced rooms who they then socialize to their traditions.

The corporation is mostly financed by the Alte Herren. The latter are said to also 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. In turn, the active students when becoming Alte Herren finance and help the then-actives. This alleged networking is seen as problematic by other students and most students' unions.

Corporations are organized under umbrella organisations; for example there is the Wingolfsbund (WB), the Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen (CV), the Kartellverband Katholischer Studentenvereine (KV), Weinheimer Senioren-Convent (WSC), the Süddeutsche Kartell (SK), the Coburger Convent (CC), the Deutsche Burschenschaft (DB), the Verband der Vereine Deutscher Studenten (VVDSt), the Deutsche Sängerschaft (DS) or the Kösener Senioren-Convents-Verband (KSCV).

The term Phillister, in contrast to Couleuriker, is used for people who are not member of a Studentenverbindung and therefore not used to the students' traditions. Originally the term was used for all non-students. Couleuriker comes from the French word couleur (color), and is a term for members of all kinds of Studentenverbindungen due to the fact that normally members of Studentenverbindungen wear a ribbon (Farbenband) in the colors of their Studentenverbindung to show their affiliation.

History

The vast majority of the current corporations were founded in the early to mid-19th century, as does their tradition. This includes ideals of freedom, democracy and in some cases nationalism. Almost all corporations have a tendency towards conservatism. Beer, commercium songs and academic fencing also play a big role in many corporations. Prominent items in corporations' tradition is the Wartburg festival in 1817 (see Vormärz era) and the Hambach Fest. During the early 20th century many Burschenschaften expelled their Jewish members.

However, despite the enormous pressure brought to bear on the Studentenverbindungen in the years following the Nazi seizure of power (1933), many resolutely refused to expel Jewish members since to have done so would have been inimical to their founding ideals, and the values they continue to extol today.

Catholic corporations and other Christian corporations, originating from the mid of the 19th century, have been founded as a countermovement to Burschenschaften and Corps. They strictly refuse academic fencing as unethical. Their principles are (Lat.) religio, scientia and amicitia (catholic corporations) or other principles like Wingolfsbund's (Gr.) "Δί ένός πάντα" - "Di henos panta!" (all through christ).

Tradition

One part of the tradition is the academic fencing, which is a ritualized duel, but without the possibility for anyone to win. Unlike earlier times nowadays the chance of light injuries is smaller however still common. Typical injuries include facial scars. Fatal or serious injuries are nearly impossible. The fencing is seen as a ritual of fighting for the corporation and for their ideals.

Many student societies do not permit their members to fence though. Catholic and other Christian fraternities for instance, have been founded to antagonize academic fencing. However, they share some part of other formal traditions of the Corps and Burschenschaften.

The traditional symbols (couleur) corporation members wear -coloured caps and ribbons- are seldom seen today at universities.

The most common kinds of Studentenverbindungen

Despite a wide variety of Studentenverbindungen, certain kinds are prevalent; the most common types are:

type of corporation	characteristics	umbrella organisation(s)	number of corp.
Catholic corporation (wearing Couleur)	wc, nf	CV, RKDB, ÖCV, TCV	200
Corps	wc, pf	KSCV, WSC	161
Burschenschaft	wc, pf/fo	DB, DBÖ, CDC, NeueDB	158
Catholic corporation (not wearing Couleur)	nc, nf	KV, UV, ÖKV	126
Landsmannschaft	wc, pf	CC, ÖLTC	73
other christian Studentenverbindungen	mostly wc, nf	Schwarzburgbund, Wingolf, Wartburg-Kartell	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	wc, pf/fo	CC 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 compendiums in Germany. ^[1]

Are corporations racist, intlink|nationalist, chauvinist?

Most of the corporations consist of men only, fewer corporations are mixed-gender, and there are some corporations which consist of women only. In Austria, it is common for a men-only fraternity to sponsor a women-only sorority taking the same name with the prefix "Nova" (Latin for "New"). In Germany, there are also instances of fraternities helping fledgling sororities.

Some of the traditional orientations as well as misbehaviour of a minority of the corporations regularly leads to prejudices about all of them being right-wing and chauvinist. The vast majority of the corporations see themselves as liberal and tolerant, whereas others are described rightly as deutschtümelnd (nationalistic). This includes supporting the idea of a greater Germany including all German speaking territories, such as Austria or South Tyrol. For example, the party ranks of the right wing Freedom Party of Austria to a large proportion consist of members of such corporations (whereas members of Catholic corporations are strongly represented within the Austrian People's Party or the Christian Democratic Union of Germany).

Most corporations, like Corps, Landsmannschaften and Turnerschaften allow members with any skin colour, nationality and religion. Christian corporations may be restricted to a specific confession or Christian belief. Many Burschenschaften restrict membership to people from German heritage. Connections between corporations and right-wing organisations are a constant issue for many (left-wing) students' unions and Antifa organisations in Germany and Austria.

See also

Fraternities

• K.St.V. Askania-Burgundia Berlin, member of KV
• K.St.V. Arminia Bonn, member of KV
• K.A.V. Lovania Leuven, affiliated with CV
• Corps Austria Frankfurt am Main, member of KSCV
• Corps Hannovera Göttingen, member of KSCV
• Corps Suevia Freiburg, member of KSCV
• Alte Prager Landsmannschaft Hercynia zu Frankfurt, member of CC

Umbrella organizations of fraternities

• Deutsche Burschenschaft (DB)
• Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen (CV)
• Coburger Convent der akademischen Landsmannschaften und Turnerschaften (CC)
• Kösener Senioren-Convents-Verband (KSCV)
• Weinheimer Senioren-Convent (WSC)
• Katholiek Vlaams Hoogstudentenverbond (KVHV)
• Nationalistische Studentenvereniging (NSV)
• Verband der Wissenschaftlichen Katholischen Studentenvereine Unitas (UV)

References

• Rolf-Joachim Baum (Hrsg.), „Wir wollen Männer, wir wollen Taten!“ Deutsche Corpsstudenten 1848 bis heute, Siedler-Verlag, Berlin 1998, ISBN 3-88680-653-7
• Edwin A. Biedermann, „Logen, Clubs und Bruderschaften“, Droste-Verlag, 2004, ISBN 3-7700-1184-8, 350 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 Times magazine, 3. Januar 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

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 Corps (NOTE: .jpg-scans only)