Corps Austria

Coat of arms

Corps 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 with members of other specific student fraternities. Furthermore, Corps Austria is deemed "farbentragend" in that its members wear a coloured sash (r. to l.), diagonally across their chests as evidence of their membership of the fraternity. Both of these tendencies are characteristic of most, if not all male fraternities in the German-speaking countries. Eligible applicants are those students, both current and former, of the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany. Members of Corps Austria are colloquially referred to as "Austrianer".

Couleur

Couleur

The "colours" of Corps Austria are black, white and yellow, in that exact order. Black and yellow were the colours of the flag of the Habsburg Monarchy until 1867. In addition to the aforementioned coloured sash, headgear is also worn and is deemed an obligatory part of the "Couleur" or "uniform" of Corps members. Depending on the time of year, one of two styles of headgear may be chosen by "Aktive" or active members. In the winter academic semester, a black cap, sporting thin bands of, black, white and yellow must be worn.

In the summer semester, a white silk "Stürmer" or Kepi with black, white and yellow piping may be worn. According to the constitution of Corps Austria, the "Stürmer" may only be worn if a meeting of the internal council or "Corps Convent", elects to wear the "Stürmer" for that summer semester. Furthermore, a "Kneipjacke" or mess jacket may be worn on specific occasions. This jacket is black in colour and features sliver and black braiding. "Füchse", initiate applicants to the Corps are allowed to wear a two-coloured sash of black and yellow. This is in contrast to the three-coloured sash of fully-fledged members or corps brothers (CB's). Lastly, as with all such student fraternities, Corps Austria employs a Motto, "Durch Eintracht stark!" or "strength through unity!"

Founders’s Day Celebration 1929 at the old Fraternity house

Founders’s Day Celebration Ball 2006

Famous Members

• Vincenz Czerny, surgeon
• Robert Gersuny, surgeon
• Karl Hans Strobl, novelist

Literatur

• Jürgen Herrlein, Corps Austria – Corpsgeschichte 1861-2001 (History of Corps Austria 1861-2001), Frankfurt am Main 2003
• Jürgen Herrlein, Corps Austria - Corpsliste 1861-2001 (List of members 1861-2001), Frankfurt am Main 2001
• Egon Erwin Kisch, Alt-Prager Mensurlokale, in Aus Prager Gassen und Nächten (collected works, volume 2), Aufbau Verlag, Berlin, 5. edition 1992, ISBN 3-351-02024-4, S. 172-176
• Egon Erwin Kisch, Die Kuchelbader Schlacht, in Prager Pitaval - Späte Reportagen (collected works, volume 3), Aufbau Verlag, Berlin, 5. edition 1992, ISBN 3-351-02092-9, S. 267-271

External links

• Literatur about Corps Austria in the catalogues of the German National Library
• Corps Austria (in German)