New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-27
Rioht to Duel Marks One
AS Aristocrat in Germany
~satisfaktionsfahis Real Acid Test of Standing and
Whole Social Fabric Depends Upon Birth
and Education
Rv A GERMAN-AMERlCAN


~ resident in Germany sees every
- evidences Of the predominanee
-. warrior caste, the full measure
~, the Fatherland is ruled by miliI
tradition reveals itself only to
70 s,udent Of the social fabric of the
man nation. Under the apparently
~o5,rn surface Of the peoples life,
.A;.val. even archaic, conditions still
,,su In the final examination OF
s,bstructure Of German social life
80 discover that the appeal to the
I'D is not only the ultimate arbiter
,e.,,een msn and man, but that the pre-
.,;s;.es for the use Of this means Of
..,,ling differences constitute the only
49,. test Of the individuals social
standing
The student Of conditions in the en-
- need remember only one word
s,.usfsk,ionsfshg." And with this
Ind Of wizard he may divide the
German people into two parts, the less
:. one in numerical respects being the
..,rs powerful one. comprising the real
,.,,rs Of Germany. "Satisisktons-
f,hie" means zone whose social stand
az i such that he may become ones
.ss,rsarv in q duel All persons en-.
ssred i'm manual labor meniais, retail
rsrchsnts and even teachers IN pubic
sebools are among those not eapaole OF
snnealine TO the sword. "Satlstaktlons-
rbir- are the nobility. the offeers OF
10 army aud any one having a UNI
r,rsitv education and not engaged III
,be occupations referred 10.
There is twilight zone IN German
social life. in which editors, authors
80 artists dwell: they are generally
snr.;dered "satisfaktionsfshig' even il
Rev ran boast only OF a gymnasium
,5.cstion. which. however. is not much
S;ssrent from that which an American
'aI,soo offers. Even "self-made men
,;,bou, much Of an education may be-
,.r,s members Of this privileged class
n they are Of sufficient prominence IN
their calling. Il may be SAID, 100 that
man must not be too finicky about
,.auirinq proof that an opponent is
a.stisfaktionsfahig." For an officer OF
,Le army no doubt can exist, because
srv "sFair Of honor" he has on hand
,,ss, he submitted TO the court OF
honor in his regiment, whose decision
is final.
Gulf Between the Glasses
The "satisfaktionsfahigk Of an
oHcer can never be questioned. neither
NAV the challenge of member OF the
nobility be rejected, because Just as
soor as enc Of them sinks so low as
10 actually engage in retail business or
In renial or manual labor the College
~ Veraldry withdraws his title OF no
bilj,y till the family is in better cir
There exists a deep gulf between the
upper crust, which Is "satistaktlons-
fshig." and the rest Of the popuiaee'
OF course. there are strata among the
elect. as we'll as we'll defined soc'a !
sets but social intercourse between al
Of them is possible. But II the great
est heiress should marry her coaeh .
nan she would never be able 10 put
rim over: pli doors. not only IN her
own. but hn DE sets in the "satls,
fst,ionsfah. would be closed
sgaips, li,. he other hand. a
nrirress ~. poor, struggling
doc,or and .. - her social posi-
ton and ubiaI. tatiGHcc LOT MN !"
her charmed circle.
The aunt Of the present Kaiser mar
rcd a plain physician. not a member
81 the nobility. Or. Esmarch, VINO was
ennobled some years after the mar
riaee. She was a princess from the
House of 1Iolstein.
The social intercourse between IN.
members Of the notwithstanding e
class is characterized by the courtesy
Of A noble warrior class. reminiscent OF
the men in the HAD" as writer once
said. ! would call it reserve, or rsthei
stiffness. The fact that the overstep-
ping of a certain boundary may oe
followed BIZ the gravest consequences
has the effect OF putting every one on
his cuard but with that the Tree ano
,ssv intercourse in social lie, As
known in other countries, becomes I'M
possible. u,,.,.
Familiarity is frowned upon. While
IN the lower classes, especially among
the workmen and others WORKING ioi
wages the "thou" is still prevailing IN
the conversation, one hears ~ IN inc
higher circles only among the members
Ct family. and. in exceptional cases
between men who have drunk lhou-
tro,berhood" This "Brudersehaft-
Trinken, is fsncied only by men NJ
10 the thirtieth year; after that IL Is
very seldom that men become "protn'
ers." II is a quaint and rather elspo,
rate ceremony. not frequently induleeu
in even by the younger element. &C
tually. young Germans may see each
other every day for years, they NAV
work together or meet at the beer or
wine table. and yet stick 70 the formal
Herr" and Isle" instead of using inc
Christian name and thou"
Duelling Not Frequent
One cannot say that duelling is oil
very frequent occurrence in Germany
Aside from the students duels, when
are not 10 be considered as serious al
fairs. the number in all Germany ma!
not exceed fifty or sixty year. Whllo
in France the code has become q SUB
jeet for levity. German duels are never
provocative of mirth. especially nor
those fought out with firearms. no
man who is expected TO stand up the
next morning and wait for the bullet OF
his adversary will forget TO make ms
las, will,
Newspapers very seldom hear OF sueh
sfairs Of honor, and. as a general RUE
they refer 70 them only in the follow-
ing manner: I'VE understand tna'
there was a duel in the Thiergarten