New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-14
A TRAUER-SALAMANDER.
CEREMONY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BhfiIiN
IN MEMORY OF MOLTKE.

vn,, n IN Ito Inst resting place But perhaps rev,
~ any. have heard Of the peculiar way In which
the students of the Berlin University took notice
of the event which has so stirred the heart OF
this people. AS the students poured through INC
university gates after the lectures that morning
the following notice. frlnged with deep black. was
put into their hands,
Comrades The Union OF German S'udents
write Won 70 celebrate In academic fashion, by
means of n -Salamander, the memory OF the
deceased General Field Marshal, Count Won Moltke'
tho national hero and Commander-in-Chief, who
has alwats felt for the academic youth special
affection. The -Salamander will be rubbed
In the Winter Garden Of the Central Hotel at
o'clock p. M"
Your correspondent knew by hearsay OF the
ordinary salamander that the name has reference
70 q special ceremony peculiarly academic, ana,
NAV say. German, with which formal toast Is
drunk by q body of students, for example, when
the health Of some distinguished guest Is proposed
The entire company rise 10 their feet, and, Keep
ing time with the proposer of the toast as he calls
ont in measured tones, ems, zwei, drei, four
times each man ruls his beer mug around on the
table I'm a small circle Hence the phrase rubbing
salamander The leader breaks the monotony OF
the second "eins, zwei, drei,' with The cheerrui
word "mbite" between the "eins' and zwci,
and ot that command they solemnly and unan-
mously drain their glasses, resume the rnDblng pro
cess a; "zwei,' and finally, at the fourth drei
Eft the empty mugs and bring them down on the
table all at once with tremendous thwack-and
the salamander Is over. Woe to the landlord
whose muvs are not made Of thick and toughest
glass.
But n Trauer a funeral salamander, vs mover
iuxtaposition of oppositesl SO your correspond
emit made a point Of being on hand OF O'CLOCK
curious 70 see how it would feel TO drink mans
health after he was dead! Thus was ~ done.
Tho lorre ossemblage Of students from all depart
monts-orts. sciences. Inv, medicine and theology
including goody sprinking Of pro-
fessors was as orderly and solemn as
if II had been church service. They
l,stoned in respectful silence while the band
nlaved a mournful funeral march as prelude to
fine ceremony Meanwhile the PRESIDENT VICE
rros,aert and secretary of the Verein or Union
took their seats on the platform behind table
on which were placed four mugs Of foamine Oeer'
The fourth was for delegate of the Vereln from
the Ieipsic University, sent over for the OCCASION
This Union of German Students is Of the
many vereins or clubs In these German univerSl-
tics which arc organized for the purposes Of good
fellowship. 1t u.s. however. nOn-duellne-in-
deed. an anti-dueling-" corps" Properly speaking
tbo g corrsp all practise duelllng. But the men,
hers Of this verein, nevertheless, wear on all pub
lie occasions the same picturesque costume worn
NV tbp dnellinu corps-a black velvet coat cut In
mediaeval style, with belt, white, closely lifting
cavalry breechcs, boots reaching 10 the knee,
,cl6tp swordsnans gloves with high gauntlets,
ond the usual dueling sword hanging at the side {;
while on the head is q funny little rmess hat,
inst half large enough around, so that II perches
nm the front of the head at an angle OF thirty
degrees.
But 10 return TO the Trauer Salamander. After
the band had finished the funeral march. the
officers rose. unshcathcd their swords and laid
them on the table with martial clong; the uni
formed corps students who sat az the head ana
foot of each Of the long tables ON the main iIoor
doing the same. With this signal the entire
company rose and in this fashion was the meet
ing called 70 order Then followed what under-
stand IS the usual Traucr-Salamander ode. give
the prose translation:
"If one Of our heroes has once been parted
from rs. ordered away by pale Death, then We
weep and send 0ur wishes of rest and peace INTO
the quiet grave Of the sleeping one We weep
and watt our wish Of rest after him INTO the
quiet grave Of the sleeping one
Tic music was the melody used by the Ans
trims for their National Hymn tby Haydn,
think, and also for the National lynn OF The
Germans, which is beginning to rival Die Wacht
am Rhein" In popular favor: DEUTSCHLAND,
DEUTSCHLAND uebelall.' These German students
nearly all sing we'll and the effect OF the hundreds
of lusty voices was very inspiring AS the ode
WIS ended a clericolly attircd gentleman, holding
N glass of beer In his hand assembled the platform
and advanced TO the front and was at once lhtro'
duced Us the Rcg. -, the orator OF the OCCASION
He was one Of the local Lutheran pastors IL
was striking instance Of the VIDE dluerehce
between German and American standards as
70 clerical liberty and clerical decorum Inc
| enacch WINS brief and eloquent, dwelling not so
| much on the world renowned achievements OF
Nloltxe the soldier the maker OF armies ana the
! strateGst aS on the man himself. his sturdy In
tegrity and almost childish simplicity OF character
and manner the conscientious thoroughnesS WIN
which he did everything, his burning patriotism,
and, above all, his strong, simple faith LII Uod,
| closing with stirring appeal 10 the young men
of the German universities, to which MoltSc had
always looked hearing the hope OF the future, 10
initiate their great hero In these qualities OF char
acter in this love of Fatherland and faith In God.
| Then, lifting his glass on high, he proposed " q
! 1rauer-Salalnandcr 10 the memory of His Excel
lence. General Field Marshal, Count Won Moltke
The students rose 10 their feet, and IN accordance
with the printed directions on the programme,
rubbed the salamandcr in the air. by moving
their glasses in small circles above the head tine
| ordinary method of rubbing 1t on the table is
| evidently thought too noisy to be appropriate for
funeral salamander while the clerical pro
poser of the toast solemnly called out, Fins,
zwei. drei as usual At his command "bibc,
and initiating his example, they drained their
glasses and resumed the silent circular motion In
the air, but OF the fourth drei," down came all
the glasses with tremendous thump which made
the tables rattle-and the Trauer-Salamander was
done The assemblage then quickly dis,
pcrscd. This. then was the academic fashion "
| Of celebrating the memory of the foremost servant
Of the State and the best loved man OF his gen.
Grafton in Germany. To foreigner, mug OF
beer the climax Of ceremony whose purpose
wos 70 express admiration and regret for the de-
parted hero seemed rather homogeneous. But
The conviyial habit, in this mild and unint0x-
icating form, the custom OF taking glass together
| on oil occasions, IS 50 interviewer with the Ger
whom Moltkc had often drunk toast while lv-
| ing, IL seemed natural and fitting TO repeat the
ceremony to recall him 20 their memory when
! dead.
curious example of the universal sway Of
this habit came 10 my attention this week.
There was meeting Of university students 10