Zirkel (Studentenverbindung) Explained

A German: Zirkel (German for 'circle', as in a circle of friends) is a monogram used in European student societies in countries such as Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Hungary, Latvia, Estonia (German: [[Studentenverbindung]]en).

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Look and meaning

A German: Zirkel consists of intertwined lines, followed by an exclamation mark if the society is still active. The lines mostly show the first letters of the name of the German: Studentenverbindung and/or the letters v,c,f or e,f,v.

Examples:

Meaning of v-c-f:

• Latin: Vivant fratres coniuncti ('The conjunct brothers should live')^[1] or
• Latin: Vivat circulus fratrum ('The circle of brothers should live')^[1] or
• Latin: Vivat, crescat, floreat ('Live, grow, flourish').^[2]

Meaning of e-f-v:

• German: Ehre, Freiheit, Vaterland ('Honour, Liberty, Fatherland').^[2]

Usage

The members of the German: Studentenverbindung use the German: Zirkel as sign on French: [[Couleur]] or other things e.g. beer glasses etc. If a member signs in affairs of its German: Studentenverbindung, it places the German: Zirkel after its signature. This use is similar to the use of postnominals in English-speaking countries.

Examples:

Further reading

• Peter Krause: O alte Burschenherrlichkeit - Die Studenten und ihr Brauchtum, Graz, Wien, Köln 1979 (German),
• Peter Krause: O alte Burschenherrlichkeit - Die Studenten und ihr Brauchtum, 5. verb. Auflage, Graz, Wien, Köln 1997 (German),
• Paulgerhard Gladen: Gaudeamus igitur - Die studentischen Verbindungen einst und jetzt, Köln 2001 (German)
• Edgar Hunger / Curt Meyer: Studentisches Brauchtum, Bonn, Stuttgart 1958 (German)

Notes and References

1. Peter Krause: O alte Burschenherrlichkeit - Die Studenten und ihr Brauchtum, Graz, Wien, Köln 1979, page 78, 79
2. Paulgerhard Gladen: Gaudeamus igitur - Die studentischen Verbindungen einst und jetzt, Köln 2001, page 31