Helvetia Eystettensis

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In the 19th century, Helvetia Eystettensis was a colorful foreign section of the Swiss Student Union at the Episcopal Lyceum Eichstätt (Bavaria).

history

At the Eichstätter Lyzeum, founded in 1843, there was a philosophy department, which also included natural science subjects, and a theological department. The institute was also visited by foreigners from the beginning, from 1848 also by Catholic students from Switzerland, who did not have a Catholic theological faculty in their home country until 1890 and who were particularly impressed by the good scientific reputation of the Eichstatt professors, especially the philosophy teachers, and their ecclesiastical conservative attitude loyal to Rome. The influx, especially from the original Catholic cantons of Switzerland, reached its peak during the years of the Kulturkampf , ebbed almost suddenly from 1890 and expired in 1912. Of the roughly 320 Swiss people, around 200 organized themselves in Helvetia Eystettensis.

The first Helvetia Eystettensis (1864–1867)

It was founded on February 2nd, 1864 by the philosophy student and later St. Gallen canon August Popp from Bischofszell TG as a section of the Swiss Student Union. Right from the start, great emphasis was placed on the members' scientific activities by means of lectures and submitted "section work"; this soon succeeded in gaining the goodwill of the Eichstätt high school professors, who from 1865/66 onwards took an intensive part in the life of the section as "guests of honor". His own songs as well as the extensive correspondence with friendly sections of the Swiss Student Union served to strengthen the patriotic idea . The strength of the section reached its highest level in this first phase in the academic year 1866/67 with 14 members. Most of them lived as "external" with families in the city, the rest as "internal" in the episcopal seminary on Jesuitenplatz, the " Collegium Willibaldinum ". In addition to the scientific meetings, there were the usual student festivities such as bars and joint activities in the area. New members were accepted as “candidates”, while non-Swiss friends who were friends could take part in the events as associates or “auditores benevoli”.

From the academic year 1867/68, the Eichstätt Section did not reconstitute itself for five years, as the influx from Switzerland to Eichstätt had become too small.

The second Helvetia Eystettensis (1872-1891)

The re-establishment was carried out by seven students who had previously attended the St. Georgen Episcopal Boys' Seminar in St. Gallen . In this second phase, the Section experienced, with a few exceptions, strong growth year after year, especially from external parties who played a decisive role in the life of the Section; the number of members fluctuated between 20 and 30. Contacts were maintained with the other Eichstätter associations, in particular with the Catholic Journeyman's Association , in whose hall theater was played and larger festivities were held. By means of a raffle, a club flag was acquired, which was consecrated on May 22nd, 1877 in the seminary church ( guardian angel church ). With her one could participate appropriately in the annual Corpus Christi procession and appear representative in public on other occasions.

The twelve years from 1877/78 onwards can be described as the heyday of the Eichstätter section. In this phase there was a strong reference to German corporate students and their customs. In the winter semester of 1877/78, the Eichstätter section acquired the name “Helvetia Eystettensis” and immediately sealed the section's literature. The self-organization was refined by introducing separate convention forms for the different member groups. The German beer comment was also taken over and the traditional student costume, the wank , was worn . The scientific life of the section took a back seat and the number of the corresponding sessions was reduced. In 1884, the son of a merchant and publisher, and later Discalced Carmelite and missionary bishop Adelrich Benziger from Einsiedeln, donated a round table to decorate the - constantly changing - pub, which today is in the episcopal seminar with the circle of the Swiss student association and the beer names of the section members . In 1884/85 the later first professor of Swiss history at the University of Freiburg im Üechtland , Albert Büchi , studied in Eichstätt, and wrote a section history with two other section members, which was printed with additions in 1889. In 1888, the later well-known Swiss poet Heinrich Federer stayed for a few months with the Eichstätt section until he had to leave Eichstätt again because of his asthma.

Ironically, in the year of its 25th anniversary in 1889, the number of members of the section had dropped to just eight members. Nevertheless, the jubilee was celebrated on a grand scale in June 1889, ie with the usual elements in German corporation such as the welcome evening, festive service, banquet, pageant, burial passage, Kommers and a final garden party. Even after that, the section remained small, as with the establishment of the University of Friborg, there was less and less the need for Catholic Swiss students to go abroad to study. The last foundation festival was celebrated on the 27th in the summer semester of 1891. After that, the life of the section was obviously abruptly interrupted by the departure of the members, or at least the careful recording of meetings and events that had been going on until then came to an abrupt end.

From the academic year 1891/92 the section was not reconstituted. From 1892 to 1894 it was considered suspended in the entire association and suspended from 1895 and thus no longer existed until further notice. Even well into the 20th century, the section was often lauded, especially in obituaries for its members - clergy, doctors, teachers, lawyers, publicists, etc. - as an association that was successfully a piece of home abroad.

The association's literature, which was kept in an archive box, is now in the manuscript department of the library of the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt . The club flag is said to have reached Switzerland. Some photomontages with the section members and guests of honor from 1887 have also remained in the Eichstätt seminary and can be viewed there.

literature

  • Various section reports in the “Monthly Roses” , the magazine of the Swiss Student Association
  • Remembrance of the 25th anniversary of "Helvetia Eystettensis" celebrated in Eichstätt on June 4th, 5th and 6th, 1889, Eichstätt 1889
  • Siegfried Schieweck-Mauk: "... unforgettable years". Swiss students at the Episcopal Lyceum Eichstätt (1848-1912), treatises on student and higher education, ed. from the Association for German Student History eV, Vol. 15, Cologne: SH-Verlag 2007, ISBN 978-3-89498-174-7