Couleur

Couleur is French for color

Ribbon and cap of an Austrian Studentenverbindung

Couleur (from French, in English Colour, or in the United States Color) is the expression used in European Studentenverbindungen for the caps and ribbons worn by members of student societies and German Student Corps, indicating that each society has their own colours which are derived from their individual coat of arms.

Ribbon

The ribbon is worn over the right shoulder to the left hip. Both ends are hold together by a button. A lot of societies are having two types of ribbons. One is used by the new members (so called Fux or Fuchs), the other one is used by the elder members (so called Bursche). The ribbons of the elder members show the origin colours of the society, the ribbons of the new one show a variation of them.

Ribbons: Bursche upper, Fux lower

Button of metal with colours

Cap

collection of caps,from left to right: Biedermeierformat, Tellermütze, Biedermeierformat

Mostly a cap consists of:

• a black peak,
• a crown coloured by one of the colours of the ribbon,
• a band with the colours of the ribbon.

There are various forms of caps, e.g.:

• Biedermeierformat,
• Tellermütze,
• Stürmer.

Stürmer

German Emperor Wilhelm II. wearing the Couleur of Corps Borussia Bonn with a white Stürmer and a black-white-black ribbon

A special and seldom form of headgear is called Stürmer. It has a black peak, a black band and the top of the crown points to the front. The crown is also coloured by one of the colours of the ribbon. Sometimes a Zirkel is embroidered on the top.

Tönnchen

collection of Tönnchen with Zirkel on the top of the crown

A Tönnchen is a headgear with: a flat crown, the top coloured by one of the colours of the ribbon and mostly embroidered with the Zirkel, straight upright sides with the colours of the ribbon.

Straßencerevis

Straßencerevis with vine leaves

Straßencerevis with oak leaves

A Straßencerevis looks like a Tönnchen but is embroidered with a Zirkel and oak leaves or vine leaves.

Further reading

• 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