Zirkel

The Zirkel is a kind of monogram, a distinguishing mark of a student association. It is an interweaving of letters, usually the first letters of the association's name, and a motto. This motto is not always the same as the association's motto. In the past, some universities used a Zirkel formed by the first letters of the university name, such as F and A for Friderico-Alexandrina, G and A for Georgia-Augusta or R and C for Ruperto-Carola.

History

Zirkels were first introduced into student orders around 1780 and were soon adopted by the later Corps.

Initially just a series of initial letters in the form of an abbreviation, they evolved into the "artfully intertwined", "mysterious" composition of these same letters. Until the beginning of the 19th century, Zirkels consisted only of letter combinations; the exclamation point appeared only between 1820 and 1830 as an enforcement of the statement. Now the exclamation mark is omitted in some inactive German societies as a sign that the club is no longer active.

The Zirkel usually contains the first letter of the name of the student association and a motto. Common variants of the motto are:

• Vivant Fratres Coniuncti <University name (in the genitive form); e.g: Guestphaliae> : Long live the united brothers.

• Vivat Circulus Fratrum <Unification name (in the genitive plural); e.g.: Hassorum> : Long live the circle of brothers.

• Vivat, Crescat, Floreat <Union name; e.g.: Germania> : May NN. live, grow and prosper.

• Composition of the individual elements based on the example of the Zirkel of W.K.St.V. Unitas Stolzenfels.
• 

  Vivat

• 

  Crescat

• 

  F'loreat

• 

  Unitas

• 

  St'olzenfels

Another common motto is Ehre Freiheit Vaterland: Honour, Freedom, Fatherland.

Zirkel of the Burschenschaft der Bubenreuther

Use

The Zirkel will be placed after the signature by corporations if they do so in " corporate affairs ". In case of affiliation to several associations, these Zirkels will be placed after the signature in order of affiliation. For black associations, i.e. associations that do not wear or display any colours, the Zirkel is often the only identifying mark of the association. Some associations that have been formed by mergers of two or more previous associations also wear more than one Zirkel.

Chargierten place a Chargen sign in the form of crosses behind the Zirkel ("×", "××", "×××"). The Fuchsmajor (= Master of novices) often puts the letters FM after the Zirkel, the Fuchsen (= Novices) in some associations the suffix F or ren for renonce, conkneipants a CK.

In typed texts the Zirkel is often replaced by "Z!", in some associations also by other letters or letter combinations with an exclamation mark. Due to the possibilities of the computer, Zirkel graphs are increasingly used in official writing to indicate the person's affiliation with an association.

The Zirkel is also used on couleur articles, such as glasses, cups, flags, and sometimes as embroidery on caps, especially the so-called Biertonnen or Tönnchen.

Examples of Zirkels can be seen in Karzers (former prisons of universities), for example in Heidelberg, Erlangen, Göttingen, Greifswald and Leipzig.

Exclamation point

The exclamation point appears only between 1820 and 1830 after the interlaced letters of the Zirkel.

Probably the exclamation mark refers to the imperative aspect of Vivat as an optative. This explains the occasional addition of three exclamation marks after the Zirkel until about 1850, as they refer to the triple exclamation of Vivat! Crescat! Floreat!

There are also other interpretations, but these are generally more recent. For example, some claim that the exclamation mark symbolises the principle of unconditional Satisfaktion; but in the early 19th century the (whether abstract or otherwise) sign of the upward-pointing crossed swords is usually used for this purpose.

Others believe that the exclamation mark is a symbol that the association is still active, or that the symbol represents the Altherrenschaft as a line and the Aktivitas as a dot. Associations without active functioning should therefore be recognisable by the absence of the exclamation mark or the dot, but in practice this is not the case. Moreover, the organised Altherrenschaften, to which the exclamation point could refer, have existed only since the second half of the 19th century. Such meanings are attributed to the exclamation point mainly in relatively young associations.

Sources

• Gladen, Paulgerhard , Gaudeamus igitur - Die studentischen Verbindungen einst und jetzt, Köln, 2001.
• Krause, Peter, O alte Burschenherrlichkeit - Die Studenten und ihr Brauchtum, Graz, Wien, Köln, 1979.