Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-10-04
00lortestrr Daily Spp,
Correspondence of the New York Times.
STUDENT LIFE IN GERMANY.

NerDlndungen and LandSmaunScbatten The
distinctions between these three classes fasso-
Citations may be presented as follows:
Landsmaunschaft is composed only of
fellow country men; it drinks and fights duels
Corps is not so strict as to the nationality
OF its members it also drinks and fights
A Verbendmg is like Corps as regards
membership and drinking, but does not engage
in duels.
The effect of these societies is almost unmit-
lgated evil. The Landsmaunschaften tend TO
defeat one of the greatest aims Of the German
Universities, namely, that of increasing, by
the association Of young men from different
parts of Deutschland, the spirit of unity and
concord which is so essential to her future 20.
Gtical strength 1t may easily be seen how
fatal it is to all such harmony, that the students
from one Duchy or Kingdom should pass their
time in ridiculing, insulting and fighting those
from other regions. How impossible it is that
in such a state of feeling one party should re-
cognise the good that belongs to the other, and
how thus the seeds are sown for harvest of
petty strites and animosities which make Ger
many the laughing-stock and wonder of the
world. AT Heidelberg there is but one Lands
maunschaft-the Helvetia, or association of
Swiss
The Corps are more numerous. Heidelberg
boasts at present four or five l have heard
that at Gottingen they are many more in mum.
Der, some tive-and-twenty.
l have already alluded to the quantity of
beer which is drank at the regular meetings Of
the Corps. Their duels claim a notice also
do not intend to go over the subjects hand.
led so often by English and American authors,
but there are some points in which the pages
of Hewitt would not now be good authority,
and which throw light on the real state of
the practice at the present day
In the first place, as to the challenge 1t
may be a bona tide insult, or conventional in
suit, or merely challenge, without pretext.
In the first case, if both parties are members of
the same corps, one Of them resigns his place.
since it is against the rules to fight "corpS-
6ruder." These instances are very rare. The
commonest case is that of the conventional in
suit Two students (of different soceties)
meet on the street one runs into the other.
No. says iercely, "What do you mean by
that, sr!'' No l says, "You are dummy p
Bist Elm hummer Junger,) and they exchange
cards. Or a whole corps is invited to kneipe
drink with another, under a tacit agreement
that each guest shall quarrel with at least one
of his hosts before the night is over. The af-
fair is then conducted somewhat after this
manner. Guest-What miserable bier Host
Good enough for yoa Guest-Dummer jim
ger" and exchange cards as before. In short,
corps student is bound to fight whenever he
gets chance, no matter how insignificant the
occasion may be.
The number of duels fought at Heidelberg
during the last three months reaches 10 more
than two hundred, or an average of three each
for the fighting students
All this childish forwardness for a quarrel
has nevertheless at first hearing, kind Of re-
deeming holiness in it, Fighting a duel as
we think of it at home may be very wicked,
very foolish, morally cowardly but it has,
nevertheless, spice of physical courage and
daring, the remnant Of a barbarous but manly
age.
Alas, if anything could be more ridiculous
than the way the German students rush into
their duels, it is the manner in which they
fight them. Not the slightest trace OF chival-
ny or daring remains in this efete custom a
cock-fght or bull-baitng would be superior
to it in all that is enrolling or refined.
In the first place, the German sword or
schlager is awkward to handle and by no
means beautiful to see. The positions and
motions Of those who are fighting with it are
of necessity ungracefuI, and the wounds which
it intlicts are generally trifing. 1t is only
sharp at the point, which an experienced fight
er brings around his adversary's face some
thing like the snapper of whip, cutting " it'll
it bat never thrusting. The guard consists in
holding the arm above the head, with the
blade of the sword pointed obliquely down
ward. SO long as this position is held it is
impregnabe, for the breast arm, shoulder,
neck, and eyes are carefully swaddled and pro-
tected, so that the face and head alone are open
to attack. A few years ago man had occa-
sion to look out for his arm above the elbow
and for his eyes; but increasing enlighten-
ment has led to this modification.
Imagine now two fools, bandaged in old rags
from top to toe, thin faces, red, and their eyes
starting from their heads with the pressure of
their enormous neck guards, standing up OPP
posite to one another in the little cock pit
where the students of the ncideburg fight.
1t is part of barn. The hay sticks through
the wall and ceiling, and the next apartment is
devoted to "kine and swine" Two great
folding doors serve the double purpose, when
open, of admitting light upon the scene within
and evading the law, which Furnishes the own.
er of a house where dues are fought. This
contrivance leaves only three sides to the room
and thus renders it not house, but shed
A second stands at the right hand of ca Il
principal, and supports his arm in horizontal
line. For if the thickly bandaged member
should fall by its owners side, it would be too
great muscular eXertion to raise it, to say
nothing Of the rush of blood which would go
far to disable it.
The seconds also have swords, with which
they stop or try to stop all foul strokes, Ii. e.,
strokes which are likely to hit, or are made
after "Halt."
Everything being ready, the umpire takes
his place behind an old chair, on which he
keeps count of the cuts with a piece of chalk
and notes the time of actual fighting.
The word is given-".S llentium! Auf do
lNensur, ( e, ''Toe the mark'') "Forfiq!"
("Make ready P') "Los~ (''Pitch np') The
combatants fly at one another each one carry
ing his head, as it were, carefully under his
arm, and. endeavoring to slash the other with
out exposing himself In about half a minute
the friends cry, "Halt!' and the seconds strike
up the swords of their principals. whats
the row 2" says the umpire. Perhaps the
Schlaqer is bent and wants strengthening Or
else, one party have an idea that their man has
drawn blood. Then follows dialogue like
the following :--"Friend.-Has he drunk him
up? Umpire.-No. Friend.-We beg for an
investigation of the matter" Then steps up
the students doctor in his shirt sleeves, and
examines the head of the supposed victim
He pulls the hair about in every direction,
looking for wounds and finally, to make sure,
rubs his fingers violently about on the surface
of the head, and then looks at the ends of
them, to sec if they show blood If these
tests fail to discover any cut the examined is
declared mot drunk up" and the fight contn-
ues IN this manner, until one party is so badly
wounded as to be unable to go on or until the
expiration of fifteen minutes not reckoning
the restoring intervals.
A man is d6getahrt, or carried off, when he
has received a cut which requires instantaneous
attention, such as the loss of an ear or a nose.
The latter is not an uncommon occurrence
and it very often happens, the blood of the pa
tent being in an impure and diseased state.
that the cutoff member refuses to grow on
nd auiI 40