# Corps Austria > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Corps_Austria > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Corps_Austria.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corps_Austria > Source revision: 1318478172 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|German student corps}} {{use dmy dates|date=January 2025}} {{More footnotes needed|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox fraternity | name = Corps Austria | coat of arms = Corps Austria Wappen.jpg | image_size = 170px | founded = {{start date and age|1861|02|23|df=y}} | birthplace = [Charles University](/source/Charles_University) | type = Studentenverbindung | affiliation = KSCV | status = Active | scope = Local | colors = {{color box|#000000}} [Black](/source/Black), {{color box|#FFFFFF}} [White](/source/White) and {{color box|#FFFF00}} [Yellow](/source/Yellow) | chapters = 1 | address = Freiherr-vom-Stein-Straße 29 | postal code = 60323 | city = [Frankfurt](/source/Frankfurt) | country = Germany | website = {{URL|http://corpsaustria.de/}} }} thumb|House of Austria in Frankfurt '''Corps Austria''' is a member [corps](/source/German_Student_Corps) of the [Kösener Senioren-Convents-Verband](/source/K%C3%B6sener_Senioren-Convents-Verband) (KSCV), the association of the oldest student [fraternities](/source/Studentenverbindung) in [Germany](/source/Germany), [Austria](/source/Austria), and [Switzerland](/source/Switzerland). Corps Austria is a ''pflichtschlagend'' fraternity, meaning that its members are required to participate in several organised [duel-like fencing encounters](/source/Academic_fencing) with members of other specific student fraternities—a ritual dating back to the 17th century and famously described by [Mark Twain](/source/Mark_Twain) in ''[A Tramp Abroad](/source/A_Tramp_Abroad)''. The corps is also ''[farbentragend](/source/Couleur)'', as its members wear a coloured sash (from the right shoulder to the left waist) as a symbol of membership. Both practices are characteristic of traditional, and often elite, all-male fraternities in Central Europe. Eligible applicants are students of [Goethe University Frankfurt](/source/Goethe_University_Frankfurt) and other higher education institutions in [Frankfurt](/source/Frankfurt), Germany. Members of Corps Austria are colloquially known as "Austrianer" or "Austern". The corps was founded in 1861 at the [Charles-Ferdinand University](/source/Charles_University) in [Prague](/source/Prague) and relocated to the newly established Goethe University Frankfurt in 1919. Historically, German student corps were often recruited from the nobility and upper social classes, and are traditionally regarded as more elitist than other German student fraternities such as the Catholic [Cartellverband](/source/Cartellverband) and the [Burschenschaft](/source/Burschenschaft)en. They place emphasis on tolerance and [individual](/source/individual)ity, with their values rooted in [German idealism](/source/German_idealism). While their general political orientation is [conservative](/source/conservatism), they are generally viewed as more cosmopolitan and less right-wing than the Burschenschaften. ==History== thumb|Founders' Day celebration, 1929, at the old fraternity house thumb|150th Founders' Day celebration ball, 2011 In 1793, the [Reichstag](/source/Imperial_Diet_(Holy_Roman_Empire)) of the [Holy Roman Empire](/source/Holy_Roman_Empire) in [Regensburg](/source/Regensburg) banned all student associations, fearing the spread of [liberal](/source/Liberalism) and [enlightenment](/source/Age_of_Enlightenment) ideals inspired by the [French Revolution](/source/French_Revolution). The prohibition was most strictly enforced in the territories of the [Habsburg Empire](/source/Austrian_Empire), largely due to the efforts of the conservative [Metternich](/source/Klemens_von_Metternich) government. Even correspondence with foreign universities was forbidden for students. After a brief period of relaxation following the [Revolutions of 1848](/source/Revolutions_of_1848_in_the_Austrian_Empire), student associations were again prohibited in 1849. It was not until 1859 that the political climate became more tolerant, allowing the re-establishment of student societies similar to those in other German-speaking states. This shift was partly the result of the Habsburg Empire's defeat at the [Battle of Solferino](/source/Battle_of_Solferino) and the resulting financial crisis. To implement necessary reforms, Emperor [Franz Joseph I](/source/Franz_Joseph_I_of_Austria) sought the support of the middle class, which was generally sympathetic to liberal ideas. Questions of national identity among students were more pronounced within the multiethnic [Austrian Empire](/source/Austrian_Empire) than in other German-speaking regions. [Czech](/source/Czechs) students, for example, viewed the German-style student associations established in [Prague](/source/Prague) as distinctly "German," while Austrian students increasingly regarded their fraternities as expressions of national identity. Consequently, such associations—known for their colourful insignia and nationalist symbolism—sometimes provoked hostility from local populations. ===Origins of Corps Austria=== Corps Austria was founded on 23 February 1861 by students of the Karl-Ferdinand University (now [Charles University](/source/Charles_University)) in [Prague](/source/Prague). On 28 June 1881, during the annual [Stiftungsfest](/source/Stiftungsfest) (Founders' Day) celebration in Kuchelbad, a popular resort near Prague, an incident later referred to as the [Battle of Kuchelbad](/source/Chuchle_battle) occurred when Czech students violently disrupted the festivities and dispersed the participants. This event set a precedent for increasing tension between the Empire's national groups. The [Badeni](/source/Count_Kasimir_Felix_Badeni) Language Act of 5 April 1897 sought to bridge divisions between Czech and German-speaking populations by granting equal status to [German](/source/German_language) and [Czech](/source/Czech_language) in courts and public administration in [Bohemia](/source/Bohemia) and [Moravia](/source/Moravia). However, widespread protests by German speakers led to the law's repeal by 1899. These escalating national conflicts contributed to the instability that ultimately led to the [First World War](/source/World_War_I) and the collapse of the [Empire](/source/Austria-Hungary). After the war, the Corps decided not to reconstitute itself in Prague, partly because its colours were associated with the former Habsburg Monarchy. In 1919, Corps Austria relocated—first to [Innsbruck](/source/Innsbruck), where it was hosted by [Corps Rhaetia Innsbruck](/source/Corps_Rhaetia_Innsbruck), and later that same year to the newly established [Goethe University Frankfurt](/source/Goethe_University_Frankfurt), where it remains active. In 1935, the [National Socialist](/source/Nazi_Germany) government required all student organisations to expel members deemed "non-Aryan." Corps Austria refused to comply and was consequently forced to close in 1936. In 1939, its alumni association ([Alte Herren Verein](/source/Alte_Herren_Verein)) was disbanded by the [Gestapo](/source/Gestapo) for refusing to cooperate with the [National Socialist German Students' League](/source/National_Socialist_German_Students'_League) (NSDStB). Following [World War II](/source/World_War_II), during which nineteen members were killed, Corps Austria was re-established in Frankfurt in 1949. ===Affiliation=== Corps Austria has been a member of the [Kösener Senioren-Convents-Verband](/source/K%C3%B6sener_Senioren-Convents-Verband) (KSCV) since 1919. Based on its traditions and values—such as personal etiquette, honour, and decorum—it is considered part of the "Blue Circle" (''Blauer Kreis''), an informal grouping within the KSCV of corps sharing similar principles and forming close alliances. thumb|''Farbschild'' of Corps Austria ==Symbols== [[File:Corps Austria Couleur.jpg|thumb|[Couleur](/source/Couleur) of Corps Austria]] The [couleur](/source/couleur) (or "colours") of Corps Austria are black, white, and yellow, in that order. Black and yellow were the colours of the flag of the [Habsburg Monarchy](/source/Habsburg_monarchy) until 1867. In addition to the coloured sash, members also wear headgear, which forms an obligatory part of the "couleur" or uniform of the Corps. Depending on the season, one of two types of headgear is worn by active members (''Aktive''). During the winter academic semester, members wear a black cap featuring thin bands of black, white, and yellow. In the summer semester, a white silk ''Stürmer'' or [kepi](/source/kepi) with black, white, and yellow piping may be worn. According to the Corps constitution, the ''Stürmer'' may only be used if approved by the internal council (''Corps Convent'') for that semester. On certain formal occasions, members may also wear a ''Kneipjacke'' (mess jacket), which is black with silver and black braiding. Initiate members, known as ''Füchse'', wear a two-coloured sash of black and yellow, in contrast to the three-coloured sash of full members (''Corpsbrüder'', or CBs). Like other student fraternities, Corps Austria has its own motto: ''Durch Eintracht Stark!'' ("Strength Through Unity!"). ==Notable members== [[File:Josef-Neuwirth.jpg|thumb|[Josef Neuwirth](/source/Josef_Neuwirth), c. 1925]] * [Vincenz Czerny](/source/Vincenz_Czerny) (1842–1916), surgeon * [Robert Gersuny](/source/Robert_Gersuny) (1844–1924), surgeon * [Jürgen Herrlein](/source/J%C3%BCrgen_Herrlein) (born 1962), lawyer * [Ott-Heinrich Keller](/source/Ott-Heinrich_Keller) (1906–1990), mathematician * [Josef Neuwirth](/source/Josef_Neuwirth) (1855–1934), art historian * [Alfred Pribram](/source/Alfred_Pribram) (1841–1912), internist * [Richard Pribram](/source/Richard_Pribram) (1847–1928), chemist * [August Leopold von Reuss](/source/August_Leopold_von_Reuss) (1841–1924), ophthalmologist * [Karl Hans Strobl](/source/Karl_Hans_Strobl) (1877–1946), novelist * [Eberhard Zahn](/source/Eberhard_Zahn) (1910–2010), physician * [Anton Tausche](/source/Anton_Tausche) (1838–1898), educator and politician == References == *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](/source/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](/source/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== * [https://archive.today/20130106044108/http://dispatch.opac.ddb.de/DB=4.1/SET=11/TTL=1/CMD?ACT=SRCHA&IKT=8500&SRT=YOP&TRM=Corps+Austria/ Literature about Corps Austria] in the catalogues of the [German National Library](/source/German_National_Library) * [http://www.austria.de Corps Austria] (in German) {{Commons}} {{Authority control}} Austria Category:1861 establishments in the German Confederation Category:Student organizations established in 1861 Category:Organisations based in Frankfurt Category:Student organisations in Germany Category:Goethe University Frankfurt --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Corps Austria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corps_Austria) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corps_Austria?action=history)). 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