Budapest, 1938: Delegations of Polish and German Students Fraternities gathered in the capital of Hungary for a ceremonial Commercium organized by Hungarian student youth associated in the "Hungaria" Association and organized in a Fraternity fashion. Apart from students, the cream of Hungarian politics of that time is also in attendance, including the regent of the Kingdom of Hungary - Admiral Miklosz Horthy. All the gathered on their heads have three-colour hats differing in the choice of colours, and their breasts are wrapped in three-coloured bands. The feast of three nations is gathering pace, when suddenly one of the Germans, quite a powerful figure, seeing a much smaller Pole sitting in front of him, begins to make unpleasant remarks addressed to the entire Polish nation. The answer is instant, the student from Poland gets up, apologizes to the Commercium presidium and slaps the German by introducing himself by name. The fun is interrupted for a moment in order to judge the type of insult and the way it is to be decided. The seconds called by both parties come to the conclusion that it must come to a duel, and the offended German has the right to choose the weapon. This issue, on the other hand, seems to be obvious and the choice falls on rapiers. The students clash the next day. Despite the physical superiority of the German, the Polish student turns out to be one of the most skilled swordsmen in his country. The duel under the "until third blood" convention ends with the victory of the Polish student, and describing these memories, the pre-war Philistine of the Conradia Fraternity, Bohdan Rudnicki, will refer to the winner of the duel as "Mr. Wołodyjowski of Budapest".
The summary of one of Bohdan Rudnicki's memoirs, quoted by me above, describes several customs that are traditional for Polish Student Fraternities. Before we look at them, however, we should present the genesis and phenomenon of student organizations called Student Fraternities. The history of student organisations, which Student Fraternities originate from, is connected with Germany and dates back to the 12th century, when Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, with the Authentica bull habita, granted students the right to associate. In this way, at the oldest universities in Italy formed nationes, or student unions associating academics according to their origin. Over the centuries, the form of student associations as well as academic traditions developed, and the discussed fraternity form was arrived at in the nineteenth century, developing from the so-called Landsmannschaft grouping student youth from a specific region in Corps and Burschenschaft (whose name derives from the bursa - the place of residence of students). The characteristics of both types of associations differed from each other, Corpses associated young noblemen with a more distinct conservative rite, and Burschenschafts gave vent to progressive national-democratic ideas that emerged in Europe as a result of the French Revolution. However, the primary goal of each of these associations was to raise an elite that would work for the state and nation after graduation. The new form of organisation also brought other changes, since then students have been grouped into self-education associations based on an ideological and educational outline. With this change, new forms of student organizations have implemented a tradition based on the broad meaning of the colours of each organization, which were placed on the coat of arms, band, distinctive headgear, or rapier baskets. A separate thread is the so-called "compass", taken from the Freemasonry tradition, which is a monogram of four letters in which the first three letters (V.C. and F.): V. - vivat, C. - crescat and F. - floreat, which in Latin means "Live long, grow and flourish" are always repeated, and the last one is the first letter of the organization. The last inseparable element for all Corps and Burschenschafts of the 19th century was the recognition of the code of honour as a way of resolving disputes between two gentlemen, and allowing a rapier duel as the highest form of solving a dispute.
The tradition of the Polish Fraternity Movement is rooted in the most famous Polish student associations from the Romantic period, i.e. the Philomath Society and the Filaret Association, and the very strong influence of Student Fraternities associating only students of Estonian, Latvian or German nationality. The tradition, however, remained in German culture, because the basis for organizing students in those areas was provided by the so-called Baltic Germans. Estonian Dorpat and Latvian Riga became the root from which three Student Fraternities, still in existence today, emerged: “The Polonia Convent” (founded in 1828), Arkonia (1879) and Velecia (1883). Polish Student Fraternities are ideological and educational associations of Polish academic youth, which accept students and graduates of Universities into their ranks. Any person who is Polish and who wishes to actively improve themselves and work for the development of the Polish nation and state may become a Fraternity Member. Apart from the ideological and self-education direction, the friendship aspect plays an important role in the functioning of Student Fraternities, which is reflected, among other things, in the principle of lifelong membership. Also, what focuses and builds the spirit of exclusiveness among the fraternities is the observance of Codes of Honour and recognizing the way of proceeding as a way of resolving serious disputes. What should characterize every Fraternity is honour, honesty and responsibility. The most recognizable and distinguishing features of a Fraternity Member are the insignia, which include colours (usually each Fraternity has three of them), motto, anthem, band (ribbon in the colours of the Fraternity), symbol, topside decal with monogram, coat of arms, banner in the colours of the Fraternity and seal. One of the most important issues in Student Fraternities is their hierarchy divided into three (ryski model), or four (dorpacki model) states. Initially, a person who is not a member of any of the fraternities but comes to academic meetings is called a wilder, or an "untamed" person. In order to become a member of a Fraternity, one must be invited to join the ranks of the Fraternity, and then, after being admitted, the person becomes a fuchs, a person who has no rights but only duties. During this period, the fuchs serve the elderly members of the Fraternity, in order to achieve humility and generosity. They also attend mandatory lectures, the so-called "fuchsias", where they learn the history of both their Fraternity and the Fraternity Movement, savoir-vivre principles, or is educated in an ideological way. Fuchses usually wear a student’s cap and a band of one or two colours to distinguish them from the higher-ranking people. When the most important body of the Student Fraternity recognizes that a Fuchs is ready to hold office in its Fraternity and independently represent it to the outside world, they have the honour of being coloured and, having received all the colours of its Fraternity, a Fuchs becomes a Comiliton – the coloured. This state is characterized by the exercise of the rights and duties of its association, and the ability to perform functions in the Fraternity. The last level in the hierarchy are the Philistines, i.e. persons who have already graduated from university and support young members of the association with council and funds.
Due to the nature of Polish Student Fraternities, their activity during the communist period was strictly prohibited. The fraternities were identified with the times of the former national democratic and Sanation policies, and the first feature films made during the communist era showed the Student Fraternity members as cunning and calculating nationalists harming people who hold different views by their actions. The Communist Party wiped out from the history pages the way in which the fraternities acted for the benefit of their student brotherhood by engaging in organizations to help students from poor families. The fact that the fraternities participated in the Polish-Soviet War, the Defensive War of 1939, the Warsaw Uprising, not to mention activities in the underground and within the ranks of the Home Army or the National Armed Forces, was overlooked. For this reason, it was only after the fall of communism in 1989 that one could think re-establishing Student Fraternities in Poland. The memory of old academic traditions, ideas and activities aimed at self-education survived and for 30 years its flame has been stoked by over twenty Polish Student Fraternities. Contemporary fraternities are guided as an example by the pre-war members of student associations, which included such people as Roman Dmowski, Józef Piłsudski, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Bolesław Piasecki, Gen. Władysław Anders, President Ignacy Mościcki, General Józef Haller, General Józef Dowbor-Muśnicki, Prof. Władysław Tatarkiewicz, Prof. Feliks Koneczny, Archbishop Antoni Szlagowski, Zbigniew Stypułkowski or Wojciech Wasiutyński.
Above all, however, it is worth mentioning the Polish-Hungarian cooperation, which throughout history has been present in the Fraternity Movement. The story I mentioned at the beginning of the article concerns the “Hungaria” Association of Hungarian Technicians, a union of over thirty Hungarian Fraternities bringing together students and graduates of technical universities based in Budapest. However, in the Polish Fraternity Press of the interwar period there were also two other references to Fraternities: "Corvinia" and the "Turul Alliance". Therefore, one should look at each of them in turn, starting with Corvinia, which has been preserved in the Polish Student Fraternity consciousness as one of the Burschenschafts present at the Commissary of the Polish Samogitia Fraternity operating in Brno. As it also turned out, Corvinia's activity was centred around building true international relations, because apart from Samogitia, it also maintained contacts with Estonian Wainl Fraternity, also residing in Brno at that time. However, as far as the "Turul Alliance" is concerned, it should be noted that it was an academic association of Hungarian youth, organized in the fashion of a fraternity, gathered around the figure of Gyula Gombos. Of all the student organisations, it was by far the most national one, and a mention of their activities can be found in one of the surviving interwar press columns. In Hungary, there was another student society, which only a Catholic could become a member of - the "Foederatio Emericana". It was a student organisation with a very extensive structure, also distinguished by colourful hats, bands, and a highly developed phaleristics culture, which signalled the degree and function of its member with its decorations.
As far as organizations operating in Poland are concerned, it is worth mentioning two Fraternities associated in the "Federation of Student Fraternities": Arpada and Sigismund. These Student Fraternities as statutory features had provisions of the nature of undertaking active activities for the development of Polish-Hungarian cooperation and friendship. Sigismundia was founded on 2 May 1930 in Poznań, and its colours were amaranth-blue-silver. Unfortunately we have no more information on the Sigismundia Frat., so it is worth looking at the phenomenon of Arpada, founded on 13 February 1932 in Kraków at the Jagiellonian University and the Academy of Fine Arts. It had sapphire-silver-violet colours and the motto 'Hiszek Magyarország feltámadásában' (translated as "I believe in the resurrection of Hungary"). The basis of the activity of this Fraternity was a multi-layer approach to politics, at that time fashionable in the Sanation circles, which assumed the rapprochement of Poland and Hungary in order to strengthen activities in the region of Central Europe. In addition, it was very important for the Kraków Fraternity to recognize the ethics of Christ and the Christian religion as the foundation of a common relationship. In addition, Queen Jadwiga was chosen as the patron saint of the Fraternity. Arpada members also made a commitment that in the event of a war in Hungary, each member would be obliged to support the Hungarian people.
The mutual character of the assistance and support between the Polish and Hungarian nations exercised by Fraternity members reached a culmination during the tragic events of World War II. At that time many people, including members of Student Fraternities, emigrated from the occupied Poland to France, and very often Hungary was chosen as the direction of the first crossing of the border. The aim of their travels were Polish diplomatic missions, or Polish troops formed abroad. The Hungarians willingly welcomed Polish refugees and their hospitality made itself felt at the most difficult time for Poles. Support for Poles was provided by two of the most important people in the country: regent Miklosz Horty and the Prime Minister of Hungary Pal Teleki. Hungarian student organisations based on Fraternity structure were active during the Second World War, and then the communists put an end to them. Most probably not even one Hungarian Fraternity has survived to this day, but the Hungarian students often refer to a completely different student tradition that dates back to 18th century Selmec miners. However, they do not have as many things in common as "Hungaria", "Turul" or "Foederatio Emericana", because their source lies in Hungarian folk tradition.
Franciszek Jóźwicki
Comiliton, Vice-President of Aquilonia Polish Student Fraternity
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