The Corps Hubertia Freiburg is a fraternity (Studentenverbindung) in Freiburg, Germany. It was founded on October 29, 1868, and is one of 162 German Student Corps in Europe today. The Corps is a member of the Kösener Senioren-Convents-Verband (KSCV), the oldest federation of classical European fraternities with roots dating back to the 15th century and member fraternities across Austria, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Latvia and Switzerland.Die Corps. "Was sind die Corps? - Who are the Corps?" http://www.die-corps.de/interessenten.0.html Retrieved on Oct. 7, 2013.
Membership to the fraternity is open to honorable men studying at one of Freiburg's universities and 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.Freiburger Hochschulen Members of the Corps Hubertia value and engage in the tradition of academic fencing duels as a way to sharpen and prove their character under pressure. Continuing a practice dating back into the 1700s, Hubertia's members wear the traditional Couleur, colored stripes, in green-gold-black. The fraternity teaches and expects tolerance from its members, stemming from diverse ethnic, national, religious and political backgrounds. Hubertia's members are often referred to as Huberten.
Members of the fraternity controlled the forestry departments of Baden, the south-west of Germany, in a de facto monopoly from the late 1800s to the early 20th century. Many of the members today practice this heritage as passionate hunters in private and fraternity events.
Fundamentals and principles Like all Corps, Hubertia expects and practices tolerance in political, scientific and religious affairs. In historical and very general terms, German Student Corps students have traditionally been recruited from the social and nobleman elite, and appreciate the perception to be more elitist than other German student fraternities such as the Catholic Cartellverband and the right-wing or nationalist Burschenschaften. The Corps, rooted in German idealism, expect their members to rise above personal religious or political affiliations, considering tolerance and individuality to be key tenets of each individual inside and outside of the fraternity. Their general political perception is cosmopolitan and conservative in nature, yet clearly distanced from the right-wing or nationalist views of the formerly mentioned Burschenschaften.
Members of the Corps Hubertia value and practice the tradition of academic fencing duels, or "Mensur" in German, with members of other proper fraternities. Academic fencing, originating in the German school of fencing, is understood as a way to exercise good judgement and prove character, allowing the corps member to show his determination by standing one's 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.
Hubertia'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.
Members are encouraged to have their own world view and be able to argue it; but Hubertia as such always remains neutral. 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 approximately 255 members of all ages (including alumni) coming from or residing in Austria, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, France, Germany, South Africa, Taiwan, Turkey, and the United States. Every full member is member for life.
Hubertia's members value nature, and the manifold ways to experience her. Enjoyed in good company and providing a benevolent Diana, hunting is tradition and it provides means to spend time among Corps Brothers of high standard.
History
Origins in Karlsruhe
Hubertia was founded on October 29, 1868 als association among students of forestry at the university Polytechnikum der Forstschule Karlsruhe. The colors green-gold-black were chosen to represent the fraternity's principles, and initially were not yet worn openly. The slogan Concordia parvae res crescunt, discordia maximae dilabuntur (understood as "strength through unity") was defined in 1870, influencing the fraternities members' connections up to this day. Then, on Oktober 18, 1874, the fraternity was opened up to students outside of forestry and Couleur became part of every Corps brother's daily routine on Juni 7, 1875. Shortly after that, a local fencing club was established at the fraternity's location in 1876.
The so-called compulsory satisfaction, meaning everyone's duty to keep or regain one's honor in a fencing duel with sharp blades if challenged, became part of the fraternity's charter in 1886 and every member's tradition.Chr. Wehle (1979) This step further intensified the number and quality of academic fencing duels of Hubertia's fraternity members.
When the department of forestry moved from Karlsruhe to Freiburg im Breisgau, Hubertia settled in Freiburg and became Corps on November 27, 1920. After a short acquaintance period with the other SC-Corps in Freiburg, the Corps Hubertia became a full member of the Freiburg's league of corps (SC) on February 2, 1921.P. Gladen (2007)
Hubertia in Freiburg Hubertia had 14 student members in Summer of 1920, a large number at that time, especially considering that they were all forestry students as all other members had to remain in Karlsruhe for the time being, as their departments had not moved and switching universities was a complicated procedure. The first weeks in Freiburg were filled with establishing regular meetings to celebrate or fence. Official fencing relationships, so-called Paukverhältnisse, were established with the other local Corps in Freiburg's league of corps (SC) and the fraternity Turnerschaft Markomanno-Albertia. Establishing this fencing relationship allowing regular fencing practice and duels to take place was back then the common procedure for a Corps to become a member of the local League of Corps at a university location, a tradition that has not changed to this day. This step was supported by the :de:Corps Rhenania Freiburgge and Corps Suevia Freiburg who were hoping to increase the number of students from Baden (lower Germany) to counteract the rising number of students from the north of Germany in Freiburg's fraternity landscape.
The fraternity's alumni convention, Alte Herren Vereinigung in German, granted the student members' convention (Corpsburschen-Conventge), to file an application to enter Freiburg's League of Corps (SCge). Following a short period of joint gatherings and duels in academic fencing with Freiburg's other Corps as well as an inspection of Hubertia's statutes, Corps Rhenania officially requested for Corps Hubertia to become an official member of the local SC on February 2, 1921. Culminating in a grand ceremony, Hubertia thus had, 53 years after her inception, become a full member Corps of the Kösener Senioren-Convents-Verband (KSCV).
Struggle in Baden
Members of dueling fraternities (fraternities practicing academic fencing) were highly respected during the time of the German Empire, 1871 to 1918, both in general terms as well as holding public offices. This started to change slowly during times for the Weimar Republic, 1918 to 1933, even in local forestry departments.Vortragsankündigung M. Neuhaus 2012 (:de:Arbeitskreis der Studentenhistoriker)M. Neuhaus (2013) The finance minister of Baden, Heinrich Köhler, a politician belonging to the Deutschen Zentrumspartei (German Central Party), demanded openly in the state senate that "Hubertia's members are to be extinct in Baden's state forestry duties and minteries".
In 1920, 118 of the 227 of Hubertia's living members were men in forestry (~1/2). Of these 118, 83 held a state or private forestry office in the area of what is Baden-Württemberg today, formed by combining the former states Baden and Württemberg during the post-war area in 1952. Hence, as there were roughly 240 forestry offices in the area of Baden-Württemberg in 1920, Hubertia had members managing about 1/3 of all the forestry offices in today's state borders. Köhler wanted to minimize this high number of Hubertens. His first step was to establish a so-called Numerus clausus for forestry in Freiburg and determined personally about a prospective student's admission in person. During the following ten years, Köhler's selection had its effect on Hubertia's influence: While the fraternity provided 37 prospective forestry officers in 1920, the number fell to only six in 1938.
As this so-called culture fight was originally one between Catholics and more Protestant, Bismark-oriented and Prussia-friendly group of people, Hubertia was caught in the middle. Becker was a politician of the catholic Centrum party and openly voiced that Catholics only made it into higher offices in the area of Baden-Württemberg when they had been members of Hubertia. This can be understood as a typical statement during the cultural war (Kulturkampf) with Köhler voicing his antipathy towards the fraternity of Hubertia. On the other hand, Hasel completely disproves Köhller's view: He points out that the view of Catholics only having gotten into higher office positions if they had been Hubertia's members must be false as access to Baden's office career track was not bound by confession. Catholic forestry office applicants were not hindered on their path, which is proven by several of personnel files.
This report and the catholic men mentioned for offices in forestry provide evidence that religions orientation of applicants did not influence hiring decisions in Baden's forestry department. Furthermore, there was not one of Hubertia's members within the ranks of the forestry officers mentioned in Hasel's notes. Due to that, there was no verifiable connection between an applicant's religious orientation and his connection to the fraternity of Hubertia, when he ran for a public forestry office.
The report on Duke Wiser, mentioned above, on the other hand confirms Hasels point of view: Duke von Wiser, who had been given administrative powers over the forestry department in Friedrichstal, had been a member of Hubertia since 1877. Krutina on the other hand, who originated the quoted report, was just as well a member of Hubertia.Schriftreihe der Landesforstverwaltung Baden-Württemberg, Bd. 55: Biographie bedeutender Forstleute aus Baden-Württemberg. Stuttgart 1980 If one would assume that Kurtina sides with Wiser due to their connection within their common fraternity, then we should be able to deduct supportive words instead of criticism. What surprises though is that the report itself speaks in a critical, if not negative, tone where Krutina denies Wiser any passion for his work: He refers to him as a mediocre hunter, something that is unlikely to be said between friends portraying each other outside. If there would have been unfair connections between members of Hubertia, then Krutina's report would likely have resulted in a more positive view of Wiser and the situation.