Burschenschaft Hannovera

Burschenschaft Hannovera is the oldest Burschenschaft, a traditional liberal German Student fraternity or student corporation (Studentenverbindung), incorporated in Göttingen in the Revolution year 1848 (May) at the Georg August University of Göttingen. The founding group was a circle of graduates of the lyceum in Hanover who were studying at Göttingen. Hannovera was chosen as name because the founders where citizens of the Kingdom of Hanover. Hannovera is a lifelong bond (Lebensbund), which brings together students and alumni of Göttingen University. It is the only one of the classic German fraternities ever to include a woman: the Swedish Nightingale Jenny Lind.[1]

History

After almost 100 years of successful growth, Hannovera was forced into dissolution in the Third Reich by order Br.-Nr. II C–1462/39[2] of the secret state police (Gestapo) Hildesheim, dated April 28, 1939. As a result of World War II, 26 members lost their lives at the front or in captivity.[3] In February 1951, Hannovera was reconstituted as an active covenant by a group of young students and has been active until today.[4]

Principles

In addition to the motto of all old Burschenschaft, Ehre, Freiheit, Vaterland (i.e. "Honor, Freedom, Fatherland"),[5] Hannovera bears its own motto, Freiheit durch Einigkeit (i.e. "Freedom through unity") and therefore stands in the democratic tradition of the Urburschenschaft, follows common principles of German unity, democracy, convention principle, tolerance and livelong friendship (Lebensbund). It also preserves the principle of facultative academic fencing.[6]

Couleur
Hannovera Zirkel

Hannoveras couleurs are "green-white-red" with silver lining. All members wear the same ribbon. The cap is green with green-white-red. Following the color of the caps, the members of the fraternity are traditionally called Grüne Hannoveraner (i.e. "Green Hanoverians") or, in inner (fraternity) circles, simply Die Grünen (i.e."The Greens").[7]

Own house

Since 1908, Hannovera has owned[8] its club house (Grünenhaus) in Göttingen, Herzberger Landstraße 9, now a Listed Building of Special Architectural and Historic Interest, surrounded by a private garden. It also houses a small student dormitory. The house used to belong to the Protestant theologian Albrecht Ritschl.[9]

Cartel

For more than a hundred years Hannovera has been part of the green-white-red fraternity-cartel formed in 1869 with Germania Jena, Frankonia Heidelberg, later also Derendingia Tübingen.[10]

Some notable members

Further reading
  • Carl Römpler: Versuch einer Geschichte (history) der Burschenschaft Hannovera Göttingen, Dieterich’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Göttingen 1897.
  • Theo Lampmann: Geschichte (history) der Burschenschaft Hannovera-Göttingen seit Anfang der neunziger Jahre bis 1928, Druck von C.V. Engelhard, Hannover 1928.
  • Henning Tegtmeyer:[11] Geschichte (history) der Burschenschaft Hannovera 1928–1945. WJK-Verlag, Hilden 2009, ISBN 978-3-940891-28-0.
  • Henning Tegtmeyer: Mitgliederverzeichnis (List of members) der Burschenschaft Hannovera Göttingen 1848–1998. Self-published, Düsseldorf 1998.

Notes
  1. Holland, Henry Scott; Rockstro, William Smith: Memoir of madame Jenny Lind-Goldschmidt. Her early art-life and dramatic career 1820-1851. From Original Documents, Letters, Ms. Diaries & C., Collected By Mr. Otto Goldschmidt. London 1891. Page 412/413: ... no wonder that the Goettingen students lost their heads that evening. She was elected, by the enthusiastic students, a member of a famous guild of theirs, known as the "Burschenschaft Hannovera" which, at that particular date, was enjoying a period of special success. She became a "Sister-Associate" and was presented with the red, white, and green ribbon of the guild. Her portrait was hung up in their Assembly Room. ... She wrote, on 13 February, the following reply "Gentlemen, I accept, with sincere gratitude, the ribbon which you have sent me and shall preserve it faithfully to my dying day. Even without this outward token, the 5th of February 1850, would have remained engraven on my memory with indelible letters of gold but, nevertheless, I regard the ribbon with pride and joy, well aware of the honour thereby conferred upon me. ..." She was faithful to her word: for the ribbon was found, preserved among her memorials, after her death.
  2. Transl. from German: Dissolution order: On basis of § 1 of the decree of the President of the Reich for the protection of the people and the state of 28 February 1933 (RGBl. p. 83), the "Hannover" fraternity in Göttingen and its club house building society are hereby dissolved, the assets are confiscated and any further activity as well as the founding or formation of a camouflaged successor organisation is prohibited. Violations will be punished in accordance with § 4 of the aforementioned regulation. - Reasons: Despite repeated efforts, the fraternity "Hannover" and its Hausbauverein (fraternity house association) so far have refused any active participation in the reconstruction of the student body. In particular, only a small percentage of the members of these associations have declared their accession to the NS-Altherrenbund and thus sabotaged the efforts of the deputy of the Führer and the Reichsführer SS.
  3. listed at War Memorial Website here
  4. H.-G. Balder: Die Deutsche(n) Burschenschaft(en) Hilden 2005, page 168
  5. Incorporating text from a work of public domain: Carl Schurz (1913). Edward Manley (ed.). Lebenserinnerungen Bis zum Jahre 1850: Selections. With notes and vocabulary. Norwood, Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon. p. 204.
  6. https://burschenschaft-hannovera.de/geschichte, Die Burschenschaft Hannovera ist fakultativ schlagend, das heißt, dass ihren Mitgliedern die Austragung von Mensuren freigestellt ist. (... which means that its members are free to practice and exercise academic fencing)
  7. B. Schroeter: Leben und Streben dem Vaterland - die Geschichte der Burschenschaft Germania zu Jena Göttingen 1996, 1.2.49 Die Rekonstituierung der Burschenschaft Hannovera, page 148, ISBN 978-3-931229-03-0
  8. Lampmann, Geschichte der Burschenschaft Hannovera ... page 166
  9. "Stadtarchiv Göttingen, Homepage".
  10. H. Tegtmeyer: Geschichte der Burschenschaft Hannovera 1928–1945, 2.6. Das Grün-weiß-rote Kartell, page 57ff
  11. Henning Tegtmeyer (german)
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