Burschenschaft Hannovera

Burschenschaft Hannovera is the oldest Burschenschaft, a traditional liberal German Student fraternity or student corporation (Studentenverbindung), incorporated in Göttingen in May of the revolutionary year 1848 at the Georg August University of Göttingen by students, many in a circle of friends of graduates of the lyceum in Hanover who were studying in Göttingen. Hannovera was chosen for 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, and 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 since than 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 Urburschenschaft, follows common principles of German unity, democracy with convention principle on all intern matters, tolerance and livelong friendship (Lebensbund) as well as principles of facultative academic fencing.

Couleur

Hannovera holds the couleur "green-white-red" with silver percussion. 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").[6]

Own house

Hannovera since 1908 owns[7] its club house (Grünenhaus) in Göttingen, Herzberger Landstraße 9, now a Listed Building of Special Architectural and Historic Interest, surrounded by a private garden as the center of most activities. It also houses a small student dormitory. The house used to belong to the Protestant theologian Albrecht Ritschl before.[8]

Cartel

For more than a hundred years Hannovera has been part of the green-white-red cartel formed in 1869 with Germania Jena, Frankonia Heidelberg, later also Derendingia Tübingen.[9]

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:[10] 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 Eoom. ... 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 house building 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. 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
  7. Lampmann, Geschichte der Burschenschaft Hannovera ... page 166
  8. http://www.stadtarchiv.goettingen.de/texte/gedenktafeln_r.htm
  9. H. Tegtmeyer: Geschichte der Burschenschaft Hannovera 1928–1945, 2.6. Das Grün-weiß-rote Kartell, page 57ff
  10. Henning Tegtmeyer (german)
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