The Corps Altsachsen is a fraternity (Studentenverbindung) in Dresden, Germany. It was founded on October 31, 1861, and is one of 162 German Student Corps in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Latvia and Hungary today. The Corps is a member of the Weinheimer Senioren-Convent (WSC), the second oldest federation of classical Fraternities in Europe with roots dating back to the 15th century.Die Corps. "Was sind die Corps? - Who are the Corps?" http://www.die-corps.de/interessenten.0.html Retrieved on Oct. 7, 2013.Klimczuk, Stephen & Warner, Gerald. "Secret Places, Hidden Sanctuaries: Uncovering Mysterious Sites, Symbols, and Societies". Sterling Publishing, 2009, New York and London. . pp. 212–232 ("University Secret Societies and Dueling Corps").
Four presidents ("Rektor") of Dresden University of Technology, Dresden's largest university with approximately 30.000 students, are among the list of members of the fraternity, underlining the deep connection between the Corps and the local alma mater. The connections with the university and the city of Dresden go far back to the fraternity's early beginnings in the late 19th century, with members aspiring to drive developments for the university over the course of history. Two major accomplishments were (1) ensuring the university's recognition by developing the former Technical Institute into the Royal Saxon Technical College of Dresden in the late 1800s and (2) founding of today's Studentenwerk Dresden in the early 1900s as the university's student council. Outside of the university's circles, many of the fraternity's members drove developments in the architectural style and design of several of Dresden's buildings such as the "Dresden's Neuer Bahnhof".Corps Altsachsen: Hundert Jahre Corps Altsachsen. 1. Auflage. Köln 1961.
Membership in the fraternity is open to honorable men studying at one of Dresden's universities and is based exclusively on personality, good moral standing, and strength of character.Die Corps. "Prinzipien der Corps" An article explaining the principles of being a Corps Student: http://www.die-corps.de/prinzipien.0.html Retrieved on Oct. 7, 2013. Members of the Corps Altsachsen value and engage in the tradition of academic fencing as a way to sharpen and prove their character under pressure. Continuing a practice dating back into the 1700s, Altsachsen's members wear the traditional couleur, colored stripes, in grey-green-gold. The fraternity teaches and expects tolerance from its members, who are stemming from very diverse ethnic, national, religious and political backgrounds.
Fundamentals and principles Like all German Student Corps, Altsachsen expects tolerance from its members in political, scientific and religious affairs. Members are encouraged to have their own point of view about the world and be able to argue it, but Altsachsen as an entity always remains neutral. This neutrality is a fundamental pillar of all Corps and differentiates them from fraternities who require a certain political or religious affinity. The fraternity encourages freshly admitted (pledging "fox") members with diverse ethnic, national, religious and political backgrounds to prove themselves as valuable Corps brothers, purely on the basis of personal character and merit, before becoming eligible to be fully incorporated (Rezeption). The fraternity has about 200 members of all ages (including alumni) coming from or currently residing in Europe, Asia, the Americas and Africa. Every full member is a member for life.
Members of the Corps Altsachsen value and practice the tradition of engagements in academic fencing, or "Mensur" in German, with members of other old-school fraternities. Academic fencing, originating in the German school of fencing, is understood as a way to exercise good judgement and prove character, allowing participants to show determination by standing their ground under pressure, while enhancing the bonds between the Corps brothers at the same time.Die Corps. "Hoch bitte – Los!" An article explaining the role of academic fencing at Corps: http://www.die-corps.de/fechten.0.html Retrieved on Oct. 7, 2013. Mark Twain described one of these fencing duels/challenges in his day and age; his description is remarkably similar to current practices. Altsachsen's members identify themselves wearing the traditional couleur, colored stripes, as well as caps and/or other specific garments at official occasions. This tradition, known as "wearing colors" (German: Farben tragen), provides means to recognize members of other fraternities and, likewise, identification for the Corps brothers with each other and their traditions.
Altsachsen's members value the art of rhetoric. The tradition is kept alive by both impromptu or "stand-up and talk" speeches (Stegreifrede in German) as well as elaborate platform presentations typical of industry and academia. All members must present a significant number of such talks and are graded on their presentation skills. In order to become a full member, pledge members must pass a curriculum of predetermined talks in front of their peers and guests.
Activity and responsibility are two fundamental expectations for fraternity members. With the goal to achieve members who are prepared to become active leaders in society, every Corps brother is expected to hold a leadership position at least once for a term ("Semester") while a student. Members are further encouraged to organize internal and open fraternity events that draw attention from other fraternities and guests from industry, academia, politics and other active societies. Allocating the necessary resources appropriately and living up to set expectations teaches responsibility. All members must show active participation in the regular fraternity Convents, providing the foundation for the fraternity's members to meet and discuss past, present and future developments. Decisions are cast in a democratic manner, sometimes after intense debates. Participation at such Convents teaches a better understanding of proper argumentation, group dynamics and critical analysis of other members' views, plans and arguments, thereby preparing its participants to become active members of society. Similarly, every member must finish his higher educational degree with good academic standing in order to advance to the status of Alter Herr (alumnus).
Long-term guidance is expected from and provided by said Alte Herren, who often remain very engaged and well connected with the fraternity. Every year at the end of May, student and alumni members of all German Student Corps meet in one of two cities (Weinheim and Bad Kösen) for three days to refresh their bonds with their fraternity and friends from the entire Corps network (WSC/KSCV). In addition to these international meetings once a year, alumni join the student members for multiple local meetings, lasting an evening or a weekend. These regular meetings result in strong bonds spanning the generations within the fraternity.
History
Foundation as Rhetoric Society in 19th century Dresden
The fraternity was founded on October 31, 1861, at the Brühl's Terrace in Dresden's city center as the Rhetoric Society by students of Dresden's former Institute of Technology, now the Dresden University of Technology. The name chosen for the new fraternity was originally Polyhymnia, after the muse of sacred poetry, rhetoric and eloquence. The founders strongly believed that a rhetoric education and discourse should be part of a complete humanistic higher education. The colors grey-green-gold were chosen to represent the fraternity's principles focusing on academia (grey), being full of fresh energy and hope for its principles (green), and valuing friendship among fraternity brothers (gold). The strong connection to the fraternity's founding location is often revived with a rhetoric get-together at Brühl's Terrace and spontaneous afternoon pub gatherings near the river Elbe as well as lavish balls throughout the year.
By 1868, the fraternity had adopted the tradition of academic fencing or "Mensur" challenges (back then "duels") with members of other proper fraternities and had changed its official name to Akademische Verbindung Polyhymnia (Academic Fraternity Polyhymnia). The motto "Litteris et amicitiae" (Science and Friendship) was adopted on June 25, 1880.Festschrift zur Feier des fünfzigjährigen Bestehens der freischlagenden Verbindung "Polyhymnia" an der Technischen Hochschule zu Dresden. Technische Hochschule Dresden, 1911. The fraternity's coat of arms was chosen in the same year, depicting the one-headed black eagle of the time of the German Empire (1871–1918) instead of the two-headed eagle at the time of the fraternity's foundation.
Influencing the development of the Technical Institute of Dresden Dresden's main university, today's Technical University (short: TU) Dresden was founded in 1828 as one of the first technical institutes of the world, then called "Technical School of Saxony". After Saxony joined the newly formed German Empire in 1871, the institute was renamed the Royal Saxon Polytechnic Institute (Königlich-Sächsisches Polytechnikum). At this point in time, topics not connected with technology, such as history and languages, were introduced to the school curriculum. Several of Altsachsen's fraternity members were in high-ranking institute and government positions and had an influential role by lobbying Saxony's state government to recognize the technical institute as a higher education provider with polytechnical merits, which resulted in yet another name change to Königlich-Sächsischen Technischen Hochschule Dresden (Royal-Saxon Technical College of Dresden) in 1890.Corps Altsachsen: Hundert Jahre Corps Altsachsen. 1. Auflage. Köln 1961, S. 86. To honor the recognition of the educational institution, the fraternity established the academic principle (akademische Prinzip). This meant that every member could only become an alumnus after graduating with a higher academic degree and in good academic standing, an initiative by fraternity member and Honorary Senator Fritz Zeuner, son of the former president of the Poly-technical Institute Gustav Zeuner. They and others in the fraternity significantly influenced the college's course, eventually leading to the college's privilege to graduate students with doctoral degrees in 1900. Aside from traditional doctoral graduations, the university was also allowed to honor exceptional scientists and businessmen as honorary doctors; the first such honor was granted to Friedrich August Siemens.Wissenschaftliche Zeitschrift Der Technischen Universität Dresden, Volume 18, Issue 5, Technischen Universität Dresden, 1969
Foundation of Franconia During the late 1800s, fraternities began forming fraternity circles and umbrella organizations. Differences in opinion about tolerance and general politics led to the end of honorable greeting and fencing with certain types of fraternities, such as the Cheruscia Dresden in 1899. This led to problems trying to maintain a high level of fencing engagements among similar fraternities, which is why five of Polyhymnia's fraternity brothers founded the "fencing fraternity Franconia Dresden" ("Freischlagende Verbindung Franconia", later "Corps Franconia Dresden") in Juli of 1899. Monetary stimulus for the new fraternity was provided by Polyhymnia's alumni-organisation. Both "fencing fraternities", not yet Corps at that point, formed the Dresden Fraternity Cartel ("Dresdner Verbindungs-Cartell" D.V.C.) to rival and engage in regular social and fencing events.Hans Schüler: Weinheimer S.C.-Chronik, Darmstadt 1927, S. 434-454Michael Doeberl, Alfred Bienengräber: Das akademische Deutschland, Volume 2, C.A. Weller, 1931.
Joining the Weinheimer Senioren-Convent