{{distinguish|Res extra commercium|Commercium (Roman)}} thumb|The head table of a fraternity commercium in Vienna in the early 1950s A '''commercium''' (plural '''commercia''') is a traditional academic feast in universities in Central and Northern European countries. In Germany it is called a {{lang|de|Kommers}} or {{lang|de|Commers}}. It is organised by student fraternities in Germanic and Baltic countries, as well as Poland.
At a commercium, tables are often placed in the form of a U or a W, and the participants drink beer and sing commercium songs. Strict traditional rules govern this occasion, although it may integrate theatrical and musical aspects. A commercium is the more formal form of the '''tableround''', called {{lang|de|Kneipe}} in German.
The term is derived from the French {{lang|fr|Commerce}} and was used for any sort of noisy event.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Kommers|title=Duden entry Kommers}}</ref> A Commers gathering consisted of speeches, toasts and songs, sometimes along with arranged pranks The drink of preference is beer. The arrangements are governed by officials ({{lang|de|Chargierte}}) elected by members of the ''Studentenverbindung''.<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Commers|volume=6|page=774}}</ref> The event became more formalized after 1871. German associations like firefighters or Schützenvereine started to arrange commercia in the 19th century.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=94byBQAAQBAJ|title=Kommunikationsraum Szenekneipe: Annäherung an ein Produkt der Erlebnisgesellschaft|date=2013-11-11|publisher=Springer-Verlag|isbn=9783663080718|language=de}}</ref>
Customs include a salamander or {{lang|de|Landesvater}}. The guests rise and having emptied their glasses hammer then three times on the table. On the death of a student, his memory may be honored with a {{lang|de|Trauercommers}}.<ref name="EB1911"/> The operetta ''The Student Prince'' made German students' drinking habits famous during the prohibition period. In the last years of communist Eastern Germany, some students managed to arrange celebrations for new fraternities, e.g. Salana Jenensis in Jena and organized commercia on the Rudelsburg.<ref>Kurt U. Bertrams (ed.): ''Studentenverbindungen in der DDR.'' WJK-Verlag Hilden 2006 </ref><gallery> File:Allianzkommers Einladung 1988.jpg|Invitation to a commercium in Eastern Germany 1988 File:Korporierte Studentinnen in Riga.JPG|Sorority students at a commercium in Riga, 2014 File:Kneipsaal Heidelberger Wingolf.jpg|Heidelberg Wingolf's hall for commercia and roundtables </gallery>
==See also== *Cantus *Sitsit *Studniówka *Studentenverbindung
==References== {{reflist}}
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Category:Academic meals Category:Eating parties Category:Student societies in Germany Category:Culture of Germany Category:Fraternity and sorority culture Category:Drinking culture