The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-03-02
ETIQUETTE or THE KOMHERS.
KIND or PARTY TO ne GIVEN yOR
OUR GERMAN VISITORS.
Eabsrats Ceremonial which Accempsniss
This Form OF Drinking Dreadfui
Penalties for Lapses- Fun or the
German students over 1hoir heer.

ReDmIUe1 T0F
German students over Thoir neer
t. all those who have studied In German
cr Austrian universities the news that
Prince Henry Of Prussia, or. at any rate
seme members Of his party, were TO par
ticfnats In q Konnmers this week conveyed
distinct, and probably a very sympa.
tbetic. meaning, but there are thousands
of eur oountrymen who have asked and
stiI will ask, what is a Kommers. any.
howl
A Kommers or, as II is sometimes
spelled, Commters, II q symposium, OF
drinking assemblage. and the most for
NAL form Of the Kneipe. or usual student
symposium. The Kommers is usually held
In somebody's honor or in celebration OF
some event. The Kneipe Is an ordinary
gathering together of thirsty souls for
the consumption Of the -StofS or stuff
- beer 10 invariably called by students.
Our Tentonio ancestors, whether they
were English or German, were as famous
for their -Trinkfestigket." strength in
drinking, as for their -1rfnkfreudigkeit, =
Joy In drinking. and undoubtedly drank
one another under the table strictly &C.
cordinR to the beaker laws of the time.
which, however. were in all probability
by no means so complicated or strict as
those which the sense a order and for
mality Of the modern Germans has grad
ually laid down for the bnaipe, where mead
no longer froths in the mighty buffalo
horns, but the seductive and ~insinuating
beer is quaffed from stole and glass.
But let us begin at the beginning, with
the Kneiptafel, or drinking table. and its
jewellers, whose formal name is beer
persons, or. more familia Jly, "Kneipanten, =
and who are composed of beer freshmen
and Beer Burschen,' or companions,
the freshmen seeking the first opportunity
10 become full compa njons. Whenever
one feels this praisewoithy ambition he
has it announced to the table through a
companion, who is beer honorable, that
IL, in good beer standing. The companion
rises and calls out:
"Saentiumi Beer Freshman Schmidt
wishes TO fight himself up TO beer oom-
panionl"
The "Praeside,' or President, then rises
IN all His dignity. He is always a man of
the most unimpeachable beer honor, and
his power is absolutely autocraio. He
presides over the Kneipe, chooses the songs
that shall arise looks out for the deutschland,
that Is the student who accompanies the
tOTDr on tHt DhtiiOs anu rtto W ~ iitL llo
Kneipe goes of in the proper beer-moist
manner.
Rebellion against the President Is worse
than high treason and must be punished
by the most horrible penalties that the
President can think out; for instance the
unfortunate chap can be hanged on the
beer g~allows. But Of that and other ter
rible punishments later.
TLA Draatlant "a aAtnl ah1w. 49,.
and directs the singing Of some suitable
yong in the -Kommersbuch," or students
yong book. After the first and last verse
the freshman must drink a -Ganzen,' or
whole glass or stein, and after every
other verse a 'Halben," or half. At the
end Of the ceremony the President an
"Siientiuml Schmidt has scared to the
dignity Of beer-honorable compartment"
Theoretically. no one but beer honorable
persons shall sit at the K~neiptafel, but
the condition of beer dishonor Is con-
sidered to be only a temporary one. and
those who are unfortunate enough TO fall
into 1t are graciously allowed to remain
until they have fought themselves back
into honesty again.
Beer is the only stuff allowed at a real
Kneipe. Whoever drinks wine is a .Fatzke,s
or fop. and must be cured Of such boast
full ways by suitable beer penalties. The
only exception Is when somebody on ac-
count of illness or the like, is beer-im-
potent, when the President is cred
To grant him a dispensation for the day,
and he is merely tolerated" He must
In his miserable, contemplate state, avoid
all unseemly beer jokes, and is not al
lowed to drink TO n b~eer-honorable per-
son or to take part In beer duels.
Kneipe rules differ, of course, but In
general the symposium is divided, like
Gsul, into three parts. the "ohicium,' or
formal part, the "Fidultaet." or iollih-
cation, and the sCrfdulitaet," or arch
Publication. During the Oficium the
s~trictest silence, -silentiunl strictissimu m,
must be kept. The President rises and
says solemnly:
aSiientinm strictissimumi / open the
formal part OF to-day's kneipe and drink
my whole one TO it's worthy and moist
happy progressl'
The Eneipanten yell sFiduci," In answer.
and a song is then sung, the President
having commanded, The chosen cdntus
arisesl Silence for the first verse;" At
the close, or after the song has arisen,
the Prex turns to the sin gers and saws,
"A Schmollis love drink 70 the singers!'
These shout back 'Fiduca!"
WIN lNt ldhl HOlt Oh INC song lne HOnR-
book must be closed with a slam, or the
unfortunate and malsdroit delinquent
rs sent into tho can Gin de kanneD with a
vengeance. The song-book may not be
reopened until the next song is sung, for
anything literary is strictly banished as
soul-killing.
The Prex may call on anyone to sing a
esolocdRfus.' This he does with the words,
within five beer-minutes Schultze will
let a beautiful s~olocantus arise" A re-
fusal is fearfully punished.
Five beer-minutes are about three time
minutes. II anyone wishes TO leave the
table during the Oficium he must raise
his hand and ask the Prex for time with
the words, -Peto fempusi' 20 which the
Prex replies with a nod ard, .Hdbeosl"
With the Latin words, -OmRes al local"
Prex. recalls struggling ones to the table
should a song be sung. Usually all beer
beg pardon stuff drunk TO anyone must
be returned by him, hat is, a like amount
drunk, but In the case Of beer drunk TO
Prex u IL always "uuf's Spe-ieLe," that is,
especially, and does not have TO be re-
turned by him, or the poor man would be
tipsy In short order
At the close of the formal part the Presi-
dent usually turns over the chair for the
Jolilhcation TO some student Of more ex-
peTience with the words, .SileEtium' |
hereby close the Oficium and turn over
the chair 10 our dear Meyerl'
Never takes the chair md appoupcas