Renonce (fraternity)
A renonce (from French renoncer , "to renounce") was a member of the Corps , the oldest type of student association , in the first half of the 19th century who was not accepted into the "closer association", only loosely attached to the respective one Community and thus formed a circle of sympathizers. Renoncen wore a special color , which was mostly reduced in color.
Emergence
The corps had emerged around 1800 and had taken over elements of the old country teams as well as elements of the student orders from the 18th century .
The establishment of the conspiratorial community with binding membership and ceremonial reception in the “narrow corps” as well as other identification features came from the student orders.
The old country teams have taken over the possibility of a loose togetherness according to regions of origin. In the Corps, this function was taken over by the entirety of the Renoncen. The corps thus formed a contact point for students from the same region of origin, grouped around the core of the community, the “narrow corps”, which was formed by the “corps boys”. Newcomers to the university thus enjoyed the protection and support of an established community, even if they did not want to become more involved.
status
The corps then also recruited its new corps boys from the group of renonces, if necessary. In some corps there was also a kind of numerus clausus , a regulation that said that the number of recipients in each case could not exceed the number of the original founding boys. In this case a corresponding number of renunciations could only be received when members left.
Renoncen could only be accepted into the inner corps if these renunciations were no longer foxes , i.e. newcomers to the university in the first or the first two semesters. Only when they had achieved the status of a lad after this period could they become “corps boys”.
Renoncen today
When the renunciation system was abolished around the middle of the 19th century, the corps recruited their new corps boys directly from the foxes, who now without exception aspired to be accepted into the “narrow corps association”. The term “fox” changed from a term for “young student” in general to a technical term for “young member of a student association”. In the new fox status, the concepts of renunciation and the "old" fox coincided. Hence it is that today, for example in Berlin, Göttingen, Heidelberg, Stuttgart and Braunschweig, foxes of the corps are sometimes referred to as Renoncen and add a "ren." To their signature. Some corps call the act of accepting a young student as a fox "renunciation".
The so-called “fox color” today has its origin in the graded color of the Renoncen.
Even with women's associations , the term “Renonce” instead of “Fox” is now common for young members.
The renunciation system from the first half of the 19th century still has an impact on the culture of the corps, which differs from the traditions of younger connection types. While all other connections call their full members "boys", the corps still attach importance to the designation "corps boys", since according to the old opinion not all boys were also corps boys. To this day, it is customary for the corps to count the date of reception as the date of entry, i.e. the date of admission as a corps boy. In the case of other connections, the date of admission as a fox is usually the date of joining.
“Renoncation” is also a common term for the probationary period that a student association has to endure in order to join an association of corps. The same applies here as when an individual is accepted into a corps. The "renouncing" association has to prove itself several semesters before it can finally be accepted into the association and be called "Corps".
literature
- Ernst Meyer-Camberg : About the development of the concept of renown . Once and Now, Yearbook of the Association for Corps Student History Research, Vol. 11 (1966), pp. 142–150.
- Renonce , in: Friedhelm Golücke : Student Dictionary . Student und Hochschule from A to Z , 5th, completely revised and expanded edition in four volumes, published on behalf of the Association for German Student History and the Institute for German Student History, Vol. 3, p. 430. Essen 2018, ISBN 978-3 -939413-68-4 .