The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-10-30
FOR THE HONOR OF THE CORPS!
City Man Recalls Duelling Days at Heidelberg
BY CARLOS LANE

" the left bank of the Neckar,
two score young men marched,
singing through the early dawn.
Their eagerness masked with as
much show of innocent frolic as
youthful nonchalance could mus
ter, they strolled to the door OF
Saxonia'S hau bude-the forbidden
house.
Here, beyond the reach of the
good Herr BurgomeiSterS hench-
men, who kept the peace of Hell
delberg, they entered boldly, and
stamped to the third floor rear.
In a space encircled by solem-
faced youths two boys stripped to
the waist, bound their threats
with heavy pads, donned man
chetteS-arm guards-and head
masks, and faced each other with
Sabers.
Between them stood two white
CARRIED referees. Physicians calm
ly unrolled bandages.
En- garde!" a referee warned.
SaberS flicked upward in salutes.
"Fertig?" ("Ready?') asked the
referee.
Los" C"Now!'), he COM
manded.
Steel banged on steel as one
youth cut down and the other par
ried. Again the blades claShed.
Ax,l than 0Yan hit flash
Blood streamed down the face
of a perspiring chap who smiled
through his pain as he stepped
forward, Saber lowered, hand out
stretched.
UOU are the better man. I
l. compliment you" he greet
ed the victor, and turned 70 a
doctor for repairs
From the group whose colors
were vanquished came forth the
governor-the president-of
famous Heidelberg student duel
ling corps.
The insult was unjust. I apollo
gize," he admitted, offering his
hand to the rival corps governor.
Already, from a barrel which
henceforth would be the center
of attraction, beer was foaming
into ceremonial stems. There were
ole songs and as much of the
amber elixir as the conquered
boys purse would stand. Then,
in early daylight, friendly "Auf
Wiedersehens" betokened the
party's end.
There are few outside the IA
therland TO whom such scene,
typical of the student dueling
corps of old, imperial Germany,
is an exciting memory rather than
a romantic myth.
One of these few, who once wore
the jaunty cap ribboned in the
blue and gold and white of Sax
onia, one of Heidelbergs nine
famed dueling corps, has been in
Indianapolis since his homeland's
national drink returned to Indi-
ana after vacation of a decade
and a half.
TIE is Walter Altman, manager
Il Il of the Pretzel Bell restau-
rant, 1T North Illinois street, a
cafe modelled after a rendezvous
in the historic German university
town.
Mr.. Altman wears on his face
saber scar from Heidelberg days,
and in his heart he cherisheS
memories of that era not so far
removed from today, when gentle
men in his land settled affairs of
honor with flashing blades.
"A boy in classes four months
or so, without duel, had no easy
time with his teachers" Mr.. Alt
mann narrates. HE was a sissy"
After the revolution, efforts
we're made to abolish the corps,
but they survived, and, with the
ascent of Adolf Hitler to power,
student duelling has been revived
openly.
The dueling corps were not
wholly unlike our American uni
versity fraternities, according to
Mr. Altman, whose father was a
professor of medicine at Heidel-
berg, and who studied medicine
there four years.
"AS we got off the train with
our two suitcases the boys in their
corps caps and sashes took us in
hand" he said.
Where are you to live? one
would ask. We mentioned some
place vaguely. oh, no! Not
there! You should by all means
come with us"
NNCE installed in the corps the
" newcomer soon found that a
duel was easily arranged.
The boys gathered frequently
in the beer gardens, and when
members of two corps sat in the
same restaurant, there was the
usual bantering of youths between
them.
Look, you" one of the older
men would tell a recruit to his
! =