Katholischer Studentenverein Arminia Bonn
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The Katholischer Studentenverein Arminia (Catholic Students Society Arminia) is one of Germany's oldest Catholic male student societies, a student corporation founded on 6 November 1863 at the University of Bonn. The name was chosen in dependence on Arminius, the chief of the Cherusci who drove the Romans out of Germany and became a symbol of the - not yet unified - fatherland in the 19th century. As a Catholic student corporation Arminia was in 1865 a founder of the Kartellverband katholischer deutscher Studentenvereine (KV), a German umbrella organisation of Catholic male student societies.
Based on the Roman Catholic faith, Arminia strictly refuses academic fencing. Its members do not wear couleur. Arminia's motto is Treu, frei! (English: Loyal, straightforward!). Arminia's principles are (Latin) religio, scientia and amicitia.
Because of its history and its large number of prominent members Arminia is one of the most distinguished student corporations. To the famous members of Arminia, who joined Arminia as students, belong
- Konrad Adenauer, German chancellor
- Georg Count Hertling, German chancellor
- Wilhelm Marx, German chancellor
- Ludwig Pastor Baron Camperfelden, German historian of the papacy
- Rainer Ludwig Claisen, German chemist
- August Everding, Germany's outstanding theatre director of the 20th century
A number of members participated in the Widerstand (English: resistance) against Nazi Germany; two of them, Leo Trouet and Benedikt Schmittmann, were arrested and killed.
As all German student corporations Arminia is much smaller than American fraternities use to be, it has approx. 350 members, including "Aktive" (students) and "Alte Herren" (alumni).
[edit] Quotation
"Last week Adenauer's college days became a topic of national discussion. Addressing a nostalgic reunion of Alte Herren (old grads) (note: at Arminia's hundredth anniversary celebration), the Chancellor defended Germany's tradition of fraternities, which are widely accused of fostering authoritarianism. Though at 87 Adenauer has seen most if not all of his old fraternity classmates die, he is still a loyal member of Arminia. ... Adenauer is supposed to confine himself to being ... the oldest surviving member of Arminia." (Time, The Weekly News Magazine, July 26, 1963, Atlantic Edition)
