Couleur (from French, meaning ''colour'' in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

) is the expression used in Central European '' Studentenverbindungen'' for the various headgear and distinctive ribbons worn by members of these student societies. There are three classes of such student societies: * Societies with no colours (so called ''schwarz'', in English black) * Societies with colours but wearing no ribbon, no cap etc. They wear their colours e.g. in their coat of arms or as ''Zipfel''. * Societies with colours and wearing a ribbon, a cap etc.

Ribbon

The ''ribbon'' (so called ''Band'') is worn over the right shoulder to the left hip. Both ends are held together by a button, often fashioned from metal or porcelain. These buttons are often engraved or enameled with a ''

Zirkel Zirkel may refer to: * Zirkel (Studentenverbindung), a symbol used in European student societies * Dorsum Zirkel, a wrinkle ridge in Mare Imbrium on the Moon * Mount Zirkel, in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado * USS ''Zirkel'' (ID-3407), a cargo ...

'' and at times even specific coat of arms associated with the student society in question. A lot of societies distinguish two types of ribbons. One is used by the new members (so called ''Fux'' or ''Fuchs'', after the German "fox"), the other one is used by the elder members (so called ''Bursche'' or, if with degree, '' Alter Herr''). The ribbons of the elder members show the original or full colours of the society, where the ribbons of the new members often show a variation of them, such as displaying only two of the three main colours.

Headgear

Cap

Mostly a ''cap'' (so called ''Mütze'') consists of: * a black ''peak'', * a ''crown'' coloured by one of the colours of the ribbon, * a ''band'' with the colours of the ribbon. There are various forms of caps, e.g.: * ''

Biedermeier The ''Biedermeier'' period was an era in Central Europe between 1815 and 1848 during which the middle class grew in number and the arts appealed to common sensibilities. It began with the Congress of Vienna at the end of the Napoleonic Wars in ...

format'', * '' Tellermütze'', * '' Stürmer''.

Stürmer

A special and seldom seen form of headgear is the '' Stürmer'' (English ''hotspur''). It has a black peak, a black band and the top of the crown points to the front. The crown is also coloured by one of the colours of the ribbon. Sometimes a ''Zirkel'' is embroidered on the top. Traditionally, the Stürmer is only worn in the summer semester of the academic year.

Tönnchen

Straßencerevis

References

* R.G.S. Weber: ''The German Corps in the Third Reich'' Macmillan London * 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), * Marc Zirlewagen (Hg.): ''Wir siegen oder fallen - Deutsche Studenten im Ersten Weltkrieg'', Köln 2008 (German), * Edgar Hunger / Curt Meyer: ''Studentisches Brauchtum'', Bonn, Stuttgart 1958 (German) {{Authority control Student societies in Germany Academic culture Academic dress Ribbon symbolism