Korporatsioon Vironia (abbreviated korp! Vironia or C!V!) is an

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...

n fraternal student society and the oldest

student corps Corps (or Korps; "''das ~''" ('' n''), (''sg.''), (''pl.'')) are the oldest still-existing kind of ''Studentenverbindung'', Germany's traditional university corporations; their roots date back to the 15th century. The oldest corps still existi ...

in Estonia. The organization is named after the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

name for the

ancient Estonia Ancient Estonia refers to a period covering History of Estonia from the middle of the 8th millennium BC until the conquest and subjugation of the local Finnic tribes in the first quarter of the 13th century during the Teutonic and Danish North ...

n county of

Virumaa Virumaa ( la, Vironia; Low German: ''Wierland''; Old Norse: ''Virland'') is a former independent county in Ancient Estonia. Now it is divided into Ida-Viru County or Eastern Vironia and Lääne-Viru County or Western Vironia. Vironians built ma ...

. A full member of the organization is called a "''vironus''" (abbr. "vir!"), while every member can also be called a "Vironian" (''viroonlane'').

History

Vironia was officially founded at the Riga Polytechnical Institute on as the very first ethnic

Estonian Estonian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe * Estonians, people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent * Estonian language * Estonian cuisine * Estonian culture See also

...

student corps. It remained the only Estonian student corps in Riga and became also the only Estonian member of the two Baltic German corps federations (''Chargierten-Convent'') in the Baltic governorates. Vironia was also the initiator and the co-founder of the League of Estonian Corporations in 1915. After a brief evacuation to

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

in 1915 and short return to Riga in 1918, Vironia entered the

Estonian War of Independence The Estonian War of Independence ( et, Vabadussõda, literally "Freedom War"), also known as the Estonian Liberation War, was a defensive campaign of the Estonian Army and its allies, most notably the United Kingdom, against the Bolshevik westwa ...

''in corpore''. 6 of its members died in the war and one died of war injuries after the war. It was reactivated in

Tartu Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after the Northern European country's political and financial capital, Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 91,407 (as of 2021). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of ...

in 1920 and opened a second chapter in

Tallinn Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju ' ...

in 1936. After being banned following the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states in 1940, it opened 8 colonies abroad in 6 Western countries and there was also unofficial activity in

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

. Underground activity in occupied Estonia was restored in the 1960s and the chapters in Tallinn and Tartu were legally restored in 1989. Today, Vironia has more than 550 members worldwide, being among the biggest Estonian student organizations. Active chapters in Estonia exist in Tallinn and Tartu and active colonies exist in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

and the

US West Coast The West Coast of the United States, also known as the Pacific Coast, Pacific states, and the western seaboard, is the coastline along which the Western United States meets the North Pacific Ocean. The term typically refers to the contiguous U.S ...

and inactive colonies in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Foreign relations

Vironia retains good relations with all non- Baltic German members of the former Riga ''Chargierten-Convent'': * (1879,

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

, currently in

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

) * (1880, Baltic Russian, separate colony in Tartu) * (1880, Latvian) * (1883, Polish, currently in Warsaw) * (1900, Latvian) Of these, Vironia also has cartel agreements with Welecja (signed 1936) and Fraternitas Arctica (signed 2010). Vironia has also signed cartel agreements with the Karjalainen Osakunta in

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...

(1930) and is currently an active member of the League of Estonian Corporations, having also signed a cartel agreement with

Fraternitas Estica Fraternitas Estica is an all-male academic corporation at the University of Tartu, Estonia. It was founded in 1907. History 1900. In August vil! dr. Aleksander Paldrok makes a proposal at Estonian Students' Society's general assembly to prop ...

(2009). Unofficial relations since the exile period are retained with the Västmanlands-Dala Nation in

Uppsala Uppsala (, or all ending in , ; archaically spelled ''Upsala'') is the county seat of Uppsala County and the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, fourth-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. It had 177,074 inha ...

, and since the 2010s with in

Kaunas Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Trakai ...

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...

Notable members

Banking

Eduard Aule Eduard Georg Aule (28 December 1878 – 7 March 1947) was an Estonian banker and politician. Born in the Kabala, Järva County, Kabala manor (now part Türi Parish) in Kreis Fellin of the Governorate of Livonia on 28 December 1878 (16 December Ol ...

(1878-1947) - President of the

Bank of Estonia Bank of Estonia ( et, Eesti Pank) is the central bank of Estonia as well as a member of the Eurosystem organisation of euro area central banks. The Bank of Estonia also belongs to the European System of Central Banks. Until 2010, the bank is ...

(1921-1925), Deputy President of the Bank of Estonia (1919-1921) *

Artur Uibopuu Artur Uibopuu (12 January 1879, in Sooru Parish (now Valga Parish), Kreis Walk – 2 April 1930, in Tallinn) was an Estonian politician. He was a member of Estonian Constituent Assembly, representing the Estonian People's Party The Estonian Pe ...

(1879-1930) - President of the Bank of Estonia (1925-1926) * Oskar Kerson (1887-1980) - President of the Bank of Estonia in Exile (1968-1980) * Märten Ross (b. 1971) - Deputy President of the Bank of Estonia (2000-2011)

Culture

* Ernst Enno (1875–1934) - Poet and writer *

Edgar Johan Kuusik Edgar Johan Kuusik (22 February 1888 in Valgjärve, Estonia – 3 August 1974 in Tallinn) was an Estonian architect (mostly freelance) and furniture and interior designer. Biography Kuusik was born in Võrumaa, in Pikavärve mansion's masters ...

(1888–1974) - Architect * Edgar Valter Saks (1910–1984) - Historian and author *Erik Orav (1953-2012) - Director Sid Deutsche Gallery NY and the legendary Leo Castelli Gallery NY *

Harry Männil Harry Männil (May 17, 1920 – January 11, 2010), also known as Harry Mannil Laul, was an Estonian businessman, art collector, and cultural benefactor in several countries. Männil was born in Tallinn, Estonia. As a result of World War II he m ...

(1920–2010) - Businessman, cultural benefactor *

Boris Kõrver Boris Kõrver (12 April 1917, Revel – 17 August 1994, Tallinn) was a Soviet and Estonian composer. In 1950, he graduated from Tallinn State Conservatory in composition specialty. During World War II, he belonged to State Artistic Ensembles of ...

(1917-1994) - Composer and musician *

Roman Toi Roman Toi (June 18, 1916 – May 7, 2018) was an Estonian-Canadian composer, choir conductor, and organist. Influenced by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Toi's music is melodic, lyrical, and melancholic in style. His compositional output includes nine ...

(1916-2018) - Composer, conductor and organist * Albert Tattar (1901-1989) - Founder of Venezuela's 5th largest conglomerate and cultural benefactor to Estonians

Military

* Nikolai Link (1880-1943) -

Captain lieutenant Captain lieutenant or captain-lieutenant is a military rank, used in a number of navies worldwide and formerly in the British Army. Northern Europe Denmark, Norway and Finland The same rank is used in the navies of Denmark (), Norway () and Finl ...

(equal to Lieutenant colonel) * Artur Perna (1881-1940) -

Lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

* Paul Borkmann (1891-1936) -

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

* Gustav Jonson (1880-1942) -

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

, Chief of

Cavalry regiments of the Estonian Ground Force Two years after the end of the Estonian War of Independence (1918-1920), the Estonian Army consisted of 3 field divisions and a number of small independent battalions and companies (1922). The Republic of Estonia consisted of 47,750 km2 of ...

in the

War of Independence This is a list of wars of independence (also called liberation wars). These wars may or may not have been successful in achieving a goal of independence. List See also * Lists of active separatist movements * List of civil wars * List of o ...

(1918-1919) * Aleksander Tilger (1897-1944) - Lieutenant colonel *Eduard Liibus (1893-1941) - Colonel * Jaan Unt (1894-1974) - Lieutenant colonel * Elias Kasak (1895-1985) - Colonel *Voldemar Karing (1895-1942) - Colonel

Politics

* Karl Ipsberg (1870–1943) - Minister of Roads (1921-1923), deputy Minister of Commerce and Industry (1921-1922), MP (1919-1926 with intervals) * Jaan Raudsepp (1873-1945) - Minister of Roads (1932) *

(1878-1947) - Minister of Nutrition (1919), MP (1917-1919 with intervals) *

(1879-1930) - MP (1919-1920) *

Oskar Amberg Oskar Amberg (29 December 1878 – 24 October 1963 Lübeck, West Germany) was an Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland acr ...

(1878–1963) - Minister of Labour and Welfare (1923-1924), Minister of War (1924), Minister of Roads (1925-1926), MP (1920-1925 with intervals) * Georg Vestel (1882-1933) - Deputy

State Elder The Head of State of Estonia or State Elder ( et, riigivanem) was the official title of the Estonian head of state from 1920 to 1937. He combined some of the functions held by a president and prime minister in most other democracies. According t ...

(1921-1922), Minister of Monetary Affairs (1921-1924), Minister of Commerce-Industry (1922-1923) * Villem Reinok (1882-1958) - MP (1922) * Jaan Mägi (1883-1939) - MP (1919-1921 with intervals) * Johan Sihver (1882-1942) - MP (1929-1940, with intervals) *

Hugo Kaho Richard Hugo Kaho (15 November 1885 Pärnu – 17 September 1964 Hamburg) was an Estonian plant physiologist and politician. He was a member of VI Riigikogu VI Riigikogu was the sixth legislature of Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu). The legislatu ...

(1885-1964) - MP (1938-1940) *

Juhan Kalm Juhan Kalm (1884–1953) was an Estonian farmer, agronomist and politician. Kalm was born on 19 March 1884 in Saadjärve in Tartu County and worked as a farmer and agronomist. He was elected to the Estonian Provincial Assembly, which governed the ...

(1884-1953) - MP (1917-1919) * Anton Teetsov (1889-1941) - Minister of Monetary Affairs (1927-1928) *

Leo Sepp Leo Sepp (7 November 1892 in Simuna – 13 December 1941 in Solikamsk) was an Estonian financial figure, writer and politician. From 1924 until 1927 he was Minister of Finance. From 1921 until 1924, he was the director and chairman of the Bank of ...

(1892-1941) - Minister of Monetary Affairs (1924-1927), Minister of Economic Affairs (1938-1940) * Edgar Sulg (1891-1970) - MP (1926-1929) *

August Kerem August Kerem (11 October 1889 – 28 May 1942 Sosva, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russian SFSR) was an Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf o ...

(1889-1942) - Deputy State Elder (1927-1928), Minister of Agriculture (1920, 1923-1925, 1929-1931), Minister of Roads (1926-1928), Minister of Defense (1931-1932, 1933) * Peeter Kurvits (1881-1962) - Minister of Economic Affairs (1933), II Deputy President of the Riigikogu (1921-1923), MP (1920-1934, with intervals) *

Tõnis Kint Tõnis Kint ( – 5 January 1991) was an Estonian politician. He served as "Prime Minister in duties of the President" (in other words, Estonian head of state in exile) from 23 December 1970 to 1 March 1990. From 7 April 1938 member of the Chamb ...

(1896–1991) - Prime Minister in duties of the President (1970-1990), acting

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

in Exile In Exile may refer to: Film and television * ''In Exile'' (film) or ''Time Runner'', a 1993 science fiction film * ''In Exile'' (TV series), a 1998 UK sitcom Literature * "In Exile" (short story), an 1892 short story by Anton Chekhov *''In Exile'' ...

(1963-1964), Deputy Prime Minister in Exile (1960-1962, 1964-1971), Minister of Agriculture in Exile (1953-1970), Acting Minister of War in Exile (1953-1970), MP (1937-1940) * Nikolai Viitak (1896-1942) - Minister of Roads (1937-1940), MP (1938) * Juhan Kurvits (1895-1953) - MP (1917-1919) *

Karl Selter Karl Selter (24 June 1898 in Koeru, Estonia – 31 January 1958 in Geneva, Switzerland) was an Estonian politician and a Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia. He served as Minister of Economic Affairs from 1933 to 1938 and as minister of F ...

(1898–1958) - Minister of Economic Affairs (1933-1938), Minister of Foreign Affairs (1938-1939), MP (1937-1939, with intervals) *

Viktor Päts Viktor Päts (18 April 1906 Pärnu – 4 March 1952 Butyrka Prison, Moscow) was an Estonian politician, lawyer, and son of Estonian president Konstantin Päts. He was a member of VI Riigikogu (its Chamber of Deputies). Viktor Päts studied at the ...

(1906-1952) - MP (1937-1940, with intervals) *

Edgar V. Saks Edgar Valter Saks (January 25, 1910 Tartu – April 11, 1984, Montreal) was an Estonian amateur historian and author. He was Estonian exile government's minister of education in exile from 1971 until his death. His book ''The Estonian Viking ...

(1910-1984) - Minister of Education in Exile (1971-1984) *

Andres Küng Andres Küng (September 13, 1945 – December 10, 2002) was a Swedish journalist, writer, entrepreneur and politician of Estonian origin. He was born in Ockelbo in Gävleborg County to a family of refugees from Soviet occupied Estonia. Career L ...

(1945-2002) - MP (1990-1992), MP of Sweden (1982-1983) * Juhan Ross (1925-2002) - MP (1990-1992) * Kalev Kallemets (b. 1979) - MP (2012-2014, with intervals)

Science and Education

* Karl Ipsberg (1870–1943) - Rector of the Special Engineering Courses (1918) *

(1885-1964) - Rector of the University of Tartu (1938-1940)

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vironia 1900s establishments in Estonia Student organizations established in 1900 1900 establishments in the Russian Empire