Deposition (university)

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The deposition (from Latin depositio cornuum , German: "laying down the horns") was a traditional, semi-official initiation ritual for students from the Middle Ages to the 18th century that had to precede enrollment at a university . The custom was introduced in Germany in the early 15th century and probably came from the influential universities of Paris and Bologna. The acquittal rites of the craft guilds are believed to be models.

The deposition was based on the idea that the prospective student was raw and hulking before enrollment - like an animal - and first had to be freed from the signs of his uncivilization before he could be accepted at the university. The student only had to expose himself to the deposition once in a lifetime. Afterwards, a certificate ("deposition certificate") was issued, which saved him from having to go to the new university when changing universities.

Deposition: grinding of the horns, woodcut from the 16th century

In principle, the process consisted of swearing, which should make the student's own unworthiness clear, of the ritual removal of animal body features with the help of oversized tools as well as blows and other abuse that had the function of cleansing rituals.

Ancient models for the process of deposition were given in the speeches on deposition. Reference was made to the examinations of the Spartan youth, to manners and customs at the Academy of Plato up to the consecration of water in the Athenian sophist schools of late antiquity .

process

The prospective student was in the Middle Ages with the (new) Latin word Beanus called that of the French jaune bec is, "Cory" derived (see dt. Newbie , Eng. Greenhorn , "Green Horn"). The Bean was treated like a pecus campi ("field animal") by his future fellow students and decorated accordingly. He had to put on a cap with horns and had boar teeth stuck in his mouth. In addition he got to hear a lecture about his own unworthiness. The animal features were then chopped off or pinched off with oversized tools. Then the body was tortured with other tools, which should symbolize a cleansing and beautification. Woodworking tools were also used, because the prospective student was still a "rude guy".

From 1682 onwards, students in Jena were only shown the deposition instruments when they enrolled (Stammbuchblatt Jena 1740).

The tools used at the universities, including the central horn cap, are only preserved today at the University of Leipzig and are kept there in the art collection. The tools basically include devices for chopping off and grinding down animal body features (ax, pliers, whetstone), woodworking devices (planes) and personal hygiene (shaving brush, soap pan, razor, ear spoon). It was not uncommon for injuries to occur when using these devices.

Examinations were carried out and further admonition speeches were given. Finally the leader put salt in the bean's mouth ( sal sapientiae , “salt of wisdom”), poured wine over his head ( vinum laetitiae , “wine of joy”) and absolved him from beanism.

After the relevant fee had been collected, an entrance examination was usually carried out by a professor and the rector enrolled .

In general, it was customary for a feast to be held after the procedure at the expense of the newly enrolled, which obviously represented a great burden for those affected. This custom persisted even after the deposition was abolished and was probably often pursued excessively, which led to a ban on urging newly enrolled students to accept these invitations.

Responsibilities

In the Middle Ages, the deposition was headed by the rector of the Burse , in which the prospective student was to live and study in a monastery-like form.

When the universities lost their spiritual character and the bursa emptied in the early modern period, the deans of the artist faculty , later called the Philosophical Faculty , took over the task. At this faculty the general scientific basic terms ( septem artes liberales ) were taught. The teachers and the dean were usually students from the “higher” faculties of medicine, theology or law.

In the course of the early modern period this custom slowly deteriorated and became a farce. The office of depository was taken over by the pedell , who from the late 17th century only symbolically presented the tools and issued the deposit certificate, which was subject to a fee.

But in the 18th century, the responsibilities and duties of the depositary were precisely laid down in the statutes of a university established by the sovereign. Precise regulations were also made about the safekeeping and availability of tools.

The last recordable depositor for the University of Marburg was the pedellist Johannes Georg Schimmelpfeng (1697–1785).

In Jena, the deposition was abolished with the death of the last depositor in 1785.

At the University of Leipzig, deposition was banned as early as 1719 due to the excessive exaggerations of the students. The art collection in what is now the rectorate building of Leipzig University keeps a good dozen of the old deposition instruments in a showcase.

Book printer

The book printer trade, which emerged at the end of the Middle Ages , liked to settle in close proximity to the universities and adopted - even without old traditions - the custom of deposition from its most important customers, the students. The deposition of book printers was banned in 1803 due to excessive excesses. A reminiscence is the couchette that is still common today in the printing trade .

See also

literature

  • Leni Arnold: The academic deposition , in: Jena should live. Contributions to the historical student life at the University of Jena. Jena 1991 (Jenaer Reden und Schriften 1991), pp. 122-132. ISBN 3-86-007-057-6
  • Erich Bauer: On the deposition and its symbolism in: Then and Now. 1969 yearbook of the Association for Corps Student History Research, pp. 120–136
  • Wilhelm Fabricius : The Academic Deposition (Depositio cornuum). Frankfurt a. M. 1895.
  • W [ilhelm] Fabricius: The Deposition in Marburg , in: Ernst Elster (Hrsg.), Festzeitung Philipps-Universität Marburg 1527–1927. Marburg [1927], pp. 14-16.
  • Marian Füssel : Rites of Violence. On the history of academic deposition and Pennalism in the early modern period , in: Zeitschrift für Historische Forschung 32, H. 4, 2005, S. 605-648.
  • Ulrich Rasche: Deposition , in: Encyclopedia of Modern Times . Vol. 2. Stuttgart; Weimar 2005, Col. 924-927.
  • Oskar Schade: About consecration of young men. A contribution to morality , in: Weimarisches Jahrbuch für Deutsche Sprache, Literature and Kunst , edited by Hoffmann von Fallersleben and Oskar Schade. Sixth volume. Second issue. Hannover 1857, pp. 241-416 (containing: The Deposition on the Universities, pp. 315-369).
  • The university in the cartoon . Evil images from the curious history of universities, edited by Michael Klant. Hannover 1984. [Deposition p. 18 ff.].
  • Friedrich Wilhelm Weitershaus (ed.): Deposition, as is done when accepting and confirming a young fellow who honestly learns the praiseworthy art of printing , Giessen; Gütersloh [Bertelsmann] 1960. [Free adaptation by: Paulus de Vise: Depositio cornuti ud new version by Johann Rist] - Bibliographically also under the title: Depositio Cornuti Typographici = The postulate of the book printer. Imprint of an older original manuscript with a reminder. Frankfurt am Main 1921 [containing: excerpt from the otherwise customary deposition / how such Bey acceptance and confirmation of a boy = companion who honestly learns the laudable art of printing is performed. Established in the year of Christ 1699.].

Web links

Commons : Deposition  - collection of images, videos and audio files