Corps Rubonia

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Rubonia's coat of arms

The Corps Rubonia was a German-Baltic student union in Riga from May 6, 1875 until the resettlement of the Baltic Germans to the German Reich in autumn 1939. From November 24, 1923 to the winter semester 1930/31 there was a branch convention in Munich.

swell

Various Rubonia albums serve as sources. The first album Rubonorum, written by Julius Dahlfeld after the first ten years, has been lost. The next five have survived and cover the periods 1875–1900, 1875–1910, 1875–1957, and 1875–1972. Only once, on the occasion of its 50th anniversary, has Rubonia published various chapters of its eventful history. Almost at the end a report appeared about the centenary of the connection in Marburg , which also reproduces individual representations of various circumstances and photos from the past.

Founding time

Color
Color song

Riga's boyhood life and customs were alien to the students coming to Riga from the German Empire . The shape and tone of the sociable lad's life aroused displeasure, especially the traffic in the pub, with ostentatious “rough-and-tumble” and “unsophisticated” dominance. The “fox education” was felt to be particularly blatant. This disapproval led to the establishment of a third corporation, Rubonia. The foundation day was May 6, 1875, when the first convention took place in the hunter's room in the Johanneskeller. This day was later considered Foundation Day. The corps was to be called Rubonia after the classic name of the Daugava River on which Riga lies. The colors chosen were light blue-white-black. These colors are made up of the old Rigas city colors blue and white and the colors of the Teutonic Order black and white. Student fencing weapons and compasses were designed, and the color song was composed. At the second convention on May 13, 1875, eight “donor color carriers” and eight “donor foxes” were accepted. On September 17, 1875, he was accepted into the Chargierten-Convent (C! C!).

The next morning the lids were worn for the first time in the “Official Exchange”. For this special Riga facility, the members of the individual corps gathered in closed groups in the vestibule of the Polytechnic or in the avenue opposite on weekdays at 10 a.m. The old man distributed the daily tasks among the foxes , whose appearance was compulsory. The three charged made inaugural visits to the director of the Polytechnic. The individual compatriots introduced themselves to the professors and lecturers in their reception rooms, construction rooms and laboratories. In the evening, the Rubonia appeared almost entirely in the city theater, namely "in the first tier". That was her “entry” into Riga society, which she always endeavored to gain recognition in the future.

After the founding of Rubonia, it was eagerly awaited to whom it would lean, the Fraternitas Baltica or the Concordia. According to their own statement, the Rubons tried to persuade all corporations to proceed together. In the eyes of the Balts, however, they were more inclined to the Concord. The Concordes, often of non-Baltic origin, could not imitate the Baltic in the social field. The Balts, however, had a reputation for leading an all too brisk and desolate, expensive and work-hostile life. The rubon donors, almost all of whom had studied in the German Reich, brought with them "polished and label-strict forms of Reich German corps students". The Rubons therefore quickly took the lead at balls and other social events.

Rules, rites and customs

In their dealings with one another, the corps brothers in Baltic German corporations with a country team structure called each other “compatriot” (L!) And compatriots (L! L!). In some corporations the fraternal was emphasized, the other called "Frater" or "Corpsbruder". The Rubonia had no country team connection. Nevertheless, they also called each other L! or L! L !. The Rubons' everyday life as a student in the corps began with a visit to the "stock exchange". The obligatory fencing exercises were held on weekdays from 12 noon to 1 a.m. At that time, Saturday was still a working day. Every two weeks there were convents on Mondays, and pub and singing evenings on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.

Kommerse

Kommerse began with a warm meal with beer, interrupted by up to three songs, which were often sung with several voices under the direction of the Magister Cantandi . Every fox had to learn the lyrics of the popular songs. Singing from Kommersbuch books was so frowned upon like a beer music. After the meal, the father of the country was celebrated. Then cheers were raised on the Corps, the Philistines, the women and virgins and the Baltic homeland. Then the color song rang out in the first few years, later the Heimatlied .

offspring

A student who wanted to enter into a connection could initially be accepted into the fencing body club or rejected immediately. The term "Fechtbodist" (Fb!) Was derived from the word "Fechtboden" and was used as a designation for the non-colored members of the corps. The newly admitted was usually two semesters fox and wore a monochrome cap, called a lid, which was black with the Rubonia and carried a silver plate with the rubon circle. When he was officially admitted to the closer association, he received the colors, that is, the ribbon and cover. In times when it was forbidden to wear paint in public, people wore their colored cap under a black cover, the Tschachól; but it showed so much of the colors that you could tell whether you had an L! or had a fox in front of him. If a fox was not accepted after two semesters, he remained a fencing bodist. Fencing bodists who had belonged to the corporation for a certain time received Philistine rights. So they, who had not received the full recognition of the convent, should still remain with the circle of friends and the life of connections. Some of them were accepted later, some even as Philistines, for example after the Second World War.

The fox training was tough. The foxes found protection with Oldermann , who was their lawyer. The fox should learn to defend itself against attacks, but to differentiate between joking teasing and real insult and provocation. When "pligging" he was supposed to be led onto the ice by his interlocutors, he had to try to get out of difficult situations by reacting skillfully or to draw and demand the consequences. Since these so-called "tears" were only used for education, they were amicably settled by Coramage . The fox chose a cartel holder who asked the offender to apologize for what he said, which he usually gave. If the fox did not react quickly and confidently, there were “penalties”, some of which - but rarely - also involved compulsory drinking of alcoholic or unpleasant beverages. The fox was also immediately crammed on the fencing floor. During the daily practice drumming, those to be drilled wore a helmet and a thick linen shirt. The cramming was done with narrower rounded blades, but these cost the newcomer a lot of scratches and sensitive pain as well as bruises. If he was “cleared”, he could “face the ground”, which means in an emergency, even in a duel . In most connections, an L! the application to take in a certain fox as "baptismal father". With Rubonia there were two L! L !, the later "color father" "prophesied" the fox for the colors, the later "color mother" "supported" the proposition. Voting on a new candidate had to be discussed 14 days in advance regarding qualification. Even older rubies, which are no longer as common in the C! Q! were urgently urged by the convention to get an idea of ​​the “proponent” so that they could vote competently with a white or a black ball. Votes not cast were counted as "against". The admission came as a surprise to the proponent, not infrequently after a violent last plucking.

Honor deal

Most of the contractors arose from the so-called "pliggeries" that were practiced with much love and art in the Baltic States. If one of the interlocutors was not quite up to the other or if the narrow border zone between joke and seriousness was crossed, a controversy could easily arise, in the Baltic usage a "tear". If there was an insult and the "demand" was made, the matter came before a court of honor in Dorpat from 1841, which decided on the satisfaction to be granted. The court of honor decided inappellabel whether and who had to give satisfaction . Usually the choice was made between an oral explanation or weapons. Both forms of "satisfaction" were on an equal footing. Weapons were never prescribed, but mostly chosen. The status of the parties was decisive. If one of the two was "anti-duel", the court of honor wrote the offender a declaration of honor (form of apology), the form of which could change from case to case. If the court of honor (E! G!) Found a so-called "inconsistency" (scolding or the like), it passed the matter on to the boys' court (B! G!), Which had existed in Dorpat since 1864 and decided on the sentence without appeal: Warning, reprimand, threat of expulsion, expulsion ("Jerk off the C! C!"). The jerk could be a temporary exclusion or even 99 years. Given the importance of corporations in the Baltic States, the latter was synonymous with being expelled from society. The establishment of the court of honor and the court for boys was later taken over in Riga. If there was a break in a connection, an internal E! G! together, and the Convent (C!) of the association in question decided on the sentence.

Scale length

In the Baltic States, the scale was only known as a form of duel , there was no designated scale . In the chronicles of the individual connections, the terms “mensur” and “duel” often appear side by side. As a rule, the term “scale length” is understood to mean an argument with the bat or blow, and a “duel” with pistols. Both were illegal and forbidden at all times in Russia and later in Latvia. In addition to the scale between members of different corporations, the Baltic corps were also familiar with the internal scale, which served to clear up internal tensions and could not be avoided at the relatively large convention. It took place on the convent's own quarters (C! Q!). The course of the scales was in any case different in Riga than in Dorpat. The fencing method of the Göttingen Curonia, which is documented there in the winter semester 1804/1805, was adopted in Dorpat as a "voltierende" circle censorship. Here only the inaugural positions of the timpani were marked. The timpani leaned on the bent right “supporting leg” and stretched the left “free leg” slightly backwards and voltaged to the right, i.e. counterclockwise. In this way, like the opponent, he moved in an imaginary circle so that the distance between the two always remained unchanged. This type of fencing was practiced by all corps that were previously located in Dorpat, including the Latvian ones. The Rigasche, the earlier type of polytechnic, was a more or less fixed stand censorship. But even with this type of scale you could "snap back and forth". One paddled back and forth with very quick steps, but one was not allowed to retreat over a line drawn backwards with chalk. Only the chest, shoulder and the upper arm leading the blade were hit. A passage was over when the blade touched one of the two parts. That could be a meeting on the body, but in later years it was also enough if the silk shirt was torn. The fights took place on 7 or 14 courses, but there were also tightened scales where only “bloody carcass lashes” were counted. Anyone who could not fight for health reasons was advertised as a gun boy. A “hunting license” certified that he “only” could shoot. In later times the doctors were warned not to issue hunting licenses lightly, but to check carefully whether the student was able to fencing after all. Numerous students tried to get their hunting license for reasons that were not always sincere, preferring to shoot rather than fight. In pistol duels, instead of the rigging, one wore a fashionable tailcoat and shot with about 20 cm long muzzle-loaders. It was not uncommon to have your ID in tails during the duel, so that if the duel ended unfortunate, you could leave the country as quickly as possible to avoid prosecution.

Convention quarters

Rubonia's Powder Tower

During the time in Riga, Rubonia had eight addresses in succession. Initially, the changes were frequent. Given the financial possibilities or the circumstances of the time, the accommodations were often inadequate. With the move to the second C! Q! there was a convent landlady who kept the quarters in order, took care of "her" connection and was often the refuge for hungry foxes. From October 1878 a library was established. On the occasion of the Christmas summer of 1888, the convent quarters were opened to women for the first time between 5 and 8 in the evening. On October 16, 1890, the Rubonia was given notice of their quarters. A business firm wanted to take over the whole basement and was apparently paying more for it. On April 15, 1891 the Rubonia should leave the premises. The mood was depressed. There was no other quarter in sight. When the topic "Where should we go?" Was discussed again at a late hour at a pub evening, Rubone Heinrich Tiemer said with gallows humor that in order to finally find peace, one should in the old abandoned, only haunted by pigeons and crows " Pull Powder Tower ”. At first this suggestion was laughed at. But when the dismissal became serious, Tiemer and Mehlbart got the key to the tower and inspected it inside. Pigeon dung in high layers on the floor, inhabited and abandoned nests of numerous pigeons, cannon barrels protruding from the pigeon dung. A C! Q! to do, but seemed possible. The philistine Hermann Hilbig took over the construction management free of charge. His design was submitted to the city office with a lease application and approved by them in January 1892. Rubonia initially leased the tower for 20 years for a sum of 100 rubles a year and undertook to expand the tower at its own expense and - apart from street cleaning - to take on all the other duties of a landlord. The architect in charge was Hermann Hilbig, a lecturer at the Polytechnic. The building commission consisted of Heinrich Frobeen, orphan accountant, Wilhelm Bockslaff, architect, and Charles Clark, stud. ing. The powder tower was the 8th C! Q! the Rubonia and is still associated with it today. They moved in on September 12, 1892. The cost of the renovation and expansion was 14,478 rubles, and 640 rubles were received for the sale of the pigeon manure. The Powder Tower was the most famous convention quarter of all Baltic German corporations.

Boy activity

By the 25th anniversary, 168 out of 250 fencing bodists had received the colors since the company was founded. At the beginning of the 20th century Rubonia flourished: in 1900/1901 twenty, 1901/1902 twelve, 1902/1903 fourteen foxes. The reports mention special harmony. There was a lot of singing, good drumming and "numerous" attending lectures. When the Russian Revolution broke out in 1905–1907 , there was already an open revolt in Riga in the first days of January 1905, in which many students took part. The university management closed the polytechnic on January 15th. With the assurance that the corporate student body would be loyal to the university administration, the C! C! the university management to resume teaching as soon as possible. That didn't work. Now the university was closed for three semesters. During this time, the Baltic Germans demonstrated monarchical sentiments, not least in their own interest. That was recognized by the highest authority. In return, there was relief in the area of ​​the school system. The establishment of private schools with native language instruction was allowed again in 1906. With the founding of literary societies, publishers, writers' associations, museums and theaters, the entire cultural system took off again. The German convents, however, had the lead in the C! C! not in hand. The Polish and Russian connections that have now been established sympathized with the Russian "freedom movement". It was clear to the German connections that they were on their own and could not expect help from any side.

First World War

On the evening of August 1, 1914, the German government declared war on Russia. In the early days of the war, a number of measures were immediately directed against the Germans living as Russian subjects in the Tsarist Empire . German schools were closed in August 1914, German associations were liquidated, German-language publications and the use of the German language in public were banned. In 1915 parts of the Baltic region became a theater of war. Between mid-March and September 1915, German troops conquered the entire area populated by Lithuanians . They occupied Libau on May 8th and Mitau on August 1st . Three quarters of Courland's residents fled. The German advance came to a halt at the end of 1915 just before Riga. The serious failures of the Russian Imperial Russian Army , which increased after the Battle of Tannenberg (1914) , prompted the government to take precautionary measures in the event of a withdrawal in the war-stage system . In the autumn of 1915, the Riga University was evacuated to Moscow. Life on the C! Q! fell silent. Only the landlady, who received funding from the Phil Championship, still lived in the abandoned old tower. The small group of remaining Rubons moved into exile with the university in Moscow.

Exile in Moscow

In September 1915, Rubonia in Moscow, under the direction of Senior Alfred Rosenberg, had around 15 compatriots and foxes. The ban on meetings, the spatial turmoil of the university and the lack of a permanent C! Q! as well as the lack of space in the booths was the obstacle for everyone to come together. However, many found themselves in an economically difficult situation that could only be overcome through fraternal solidarity. In retrospect, that beautified the difficult Moscow days. To the Convents des Rigas C! C! there were no or only few relationships. The February 1917 bourgeois-liberal revolution forced the tsar to abdicate. On September 3, 1917, the German troops entered Riga. The connection between Riga and Moscow was broken. In autumn 1917 there were only a few rubons left in Moscow. They tried to get to Riga through the Eastern Front . The exile in Moscow was over.

Return to Riga

After the occupation of Riga, the compatriots of the Riga and Dorpater German corporations wore their colors again. Four active Rubonia compatriots and some Philistines decided to reactivate the convent. On August 24, 1918, the Baltic Polytechnic was reopened. Including all Latvian parties, the Latvian People's Council proclaimed the Republic of Latvia on November 18, 1918 in what is now the Latvian National Theater . The war in the Baltic States did not end with the Armistice of Compiègne (1918) . The Latvian War of Independence was closely related to the Russian Civil War. In some ways it was a continuation of the conflicts between the great adversaries of the First World War. On November 11, 1918, the formation of a Baltic National Army was approved as a defense body for an entire Baltic state. In the Estonian area the Baltic regiment was accordingly founded on November 27, 1918. Everything that corporation students in Dorpat and Riga could “carry a rifle” was made available to the Baltic regiment or the Baltic state army. There were 59 men from Rubonia. After heavy fighting, Riga had to be evacuated on January 2, 1919. On January 3, 1919, the Bolsheviks advanced . The Bolshevik era, during which several Rubons were murdered, lasted until the re-conquest of Riga on May 22, 1919. The Latvian military administration occupied the Powder Tower on the same day and began to set up a war museum there. The rubons sat in the street.

Interwar period

The fact that Estonia and Latvia became independent states had significant effects on the Baltic German minority as a whole and on the German-Baltic student associations . Only through a far-reaching agrarian reform did both states have a chance of political survival. Farm workers and the landless had to be given property. Last but not least, they wanted to deprive the Baltic German ruling class of their economic basis. With the Latvian Agricultural Law of September 19, 1920, manors, pastoral lands and urban goods passed into state ownership without compensation. The 1887 manor owners were allowed a so-called residual property of 50 ha. Many had to sell their parcels and leave the country. In the 1930s, measures followed such as the Latvization of German company names, the restricted admission of Germans to the legal profession, the transfer of banks to Latvian hands, the ban on the German language in official traffic, the abolition of the German school administration and much more. Immediately after the proclamation of the Republic of Latvia, the Rigas Polytechnic Institute was transferred to the Latvian State University (LU). Soon the study places were no longer sufficient. A numerus clausus had to be created. Only those who passed a competitive exam, which was difficult for a Baltic German, were allowed to study. This entrance examination always included Latvian (language and literature) and, depending on the faculty, a different subject. Those who were rejected initially had the opportunity to study at the Herder Institute in Riga , a private German university founded in 1921. The material situation of the Baltic Germans had deteriorated considerably. With a few exceptions, every German student was a working student who had to earn money in order to be able to live and study. The much-sung free student life no longer existed.

links

A problem with young talent soon emerged. In Riga, the number of high school graduates was no longer divided between three, but now between six Baltic German corps and three newly established Baltic German connections. The three Dorpater Corps - Curonia, Fraternitas Rigensis and Fraternitas Pharmaceutica (renamed Gotonia in 1927) - moved to Riga in 1921. In the 1920s, three new Baltic German connections were established, two for young Baltic Germans and one for Baltic Germans. The Baltic Academic Freischar was founded on October 22, 1925. She had lively relationships with the German Guild , the Ring Academic Freischaren , the Wandervogel and the scouts . The Academic-Scientific Association (AWV) was founded on March 27, 1927. The tradition of the old student associations seemed out of date to their members. They avoided everything that looked like drill, dressage and coercion, and also accepted female students as full members. The aim was to create a community that was as informal and informal as possible, without compulsory drinking and drinking habits, without flaying the foxes and malicious pligging, without satisfaction with the weapon. Wearing colors was seen as out of date. A beer tip and a badge were sufficient for identification. On March 13, 1929, the German women's corporation Constantia was founded as a corporation of German female students at the Latvian University.

The work in the P! K! was difficult. The three Latvian Dorpater Convente had already moved their headquarters to Riga in 1919, the oldest Latvian corps, the Lettonia, and the Lettgallia (founded in Dorpat in 1870 and 1899 respectively) and the Fraternitas Lettica (founded in 1902 in Moscow as Fraternitas Moscoviensis). On September 27, 1920 these three corps merged with the existing convents of Selonia and Talavia in Riga to form a presidential convention (P! K!). On October 13, 1920 they received confirmation from the university administration. The P! K! had been granted the sole right for its members to wear the corporate colors in public. The approval of a corporation was from the previous listing by the P! K! dependent. The initial constitution of the P! K! stipulated that only Latvian connections to the P! K! were allowed to belong. After extensive deliberations, the Latvian Convents dropped their admission restrictions. Then, from December 1920, the three German Riga Convents and the Fraternitas Rigensis from Dorpat joined the P! K! at. Later the Gotonia and the Curonia followed.

The relationship between the Baltic German and Latvian corps was dominated by the two-vote law and the language conflict. Both served to majorize the Baltic Germans. The two-vote law stated that conventions with more than 50 compatriots had two votes in the P! K! to be granted. The German conventions never reached this number of members. The language conflict meant that in negotiations with the P! K! German was no longer permitted as a negotiating language. The Baltic German Convents therefore left the P! K! On October 30, 1922. and put down their colors. They founded their own German Chargierten-Convent, which existed until the resettlement . After a few negotiations, the German conventions re-entered on June 6, 1924, after they had been granted the right to use the German language in oral negotiations.

1930s

The 1930s brought radical changes. The global economic crisis that began in 1929 reached Latvia in 1931 and 1932. The German student had to restrict himself even more - and deal with politics for the first time. The proportion of German Baltic students who were no longer active increased. Of around 500 German male students in the autumn semester of 1932, only 258, i.e. just under half, were active or inactive in the corporations. In addition there were the students organized in the Academic Freischar or in the Academic-Scientific Association. The number of new admissions of young Latvian conventions continued. In 1932 there were six German and Latvian connections, several of them with double votes. The Germans barely had any influence. The support of the Russian Fraternitas Arctica didn't change that . In 1929 the Ruthenia opened up as the second Russian corps. It wasn't until 1935 in the P! K! recorded. In the spring of 1932 tensions increased. The representatives of some of the younger Latvian conventions demanded that the only language allowed for negotiation should be Latvian. Almost all Latvian conventions voted in favor. On May 14, 1932, all six German conventions then again declared their exit from the P! K !.

Coup

Then came the coup d'état in Latvia on May 15, 1934 , through which Kārlis Ulmanis became the new “vadonis” (leader) of the Latvian state. Parties, clubs and all other organizations, including the student associations, were considered dissolved. So initially there was no meeting of the P! K! instead, on which the applications of the Baltic Germans could have been decided. In the autumn the connections were allowed again. Only the two Russian connections clearly spoke for the Germans. With the Latvians, however, the mood had changed. With the exception of the Latvians, who abstained, all other Latvian corporations were now against a return of the Germans. The reason for the change of attitude of the Latvian corps was the strengthened national awareness. On the other hand, the public behavior of many Germans, especially young people, was not suitable for improving the relationship between the Germans and the majority population. Since they have now given up on it, later in the P! K! In December 1934, the Curonia, the Fraternitas Baltica, the Concordia Rigensis, the Rubonia and the Gotonia registered as student associations at the Latvian University to be accepted and thus forego being able to wear their colored caps in public. The Fraternitas Rigensis stood apart. But also the P! K! Finally, after the coup d'état, it had to adapt its statutes to the normal statutes of the associations. In May 1935 there was another change for the five Baltic German clubs. You have now been re-registered as an association of German student associations at the Latvian university.

Movement against the system

After leaving the P! K! had taken place, the way would now have been free for a prosperous work in the German C! C !. But exactly the opposite was the case. So closed the German conventions in the P! K! always proceeded, so bitterly they fought each other after 1933. The continuation of the German-Baltic connections in Riga and their cooperation and among each other was threatened by the development of the "movement". The later country leader of the "movement", Erhard Kroeger , a member of Dorpater Livonia who was excluded because of non-acceptance of a judgment of the court of honor, felt the behavior of "old Baltic" politicians and parties, namely to secure their own positions and rights, as a rigid insistence Status quo and called his opposition "The System". In the spring of 1933, Kroeger submitted an application to the Latvian Ministry of the Interior for approval of the Baltic German National Socialist party he had founded. In contrast to the “system”, he called his party the “movement”. The Latvian government refused admission as a legal party on June 1, 1933. Kroeger was left with the path to illegality. In the spring of 1933 the "German Educational Association" was founded instead. He brought National Socialist ideas to the Germans in Latvia. In a short time it became the center of the “movement” with a total claim to the leadership of the Baltic national community, especially the entire Baltic youth. He was able to assert his intentions with the non-student youth, but never fully with the student body. The educational association was in stark contrast to the corporations. Although the Baltic German corporations never lacked national will and national dignity, the “movement”, especially the “Bildungsverein”, presented them as “reactionary clubs” that no longer had a right to exist. You would encourage individualism. In contrast to this, the "moving" students wanted comradeships based on the German model as a replacement for the old corps. But tensions also began to spread within the corps. As early as 1934, a number of active members of various associations resigned, primarily those who saw no further advancement in their work at home. The majority of the corporates, however, defied the "movement". The C! C! left the Association of German Youth of Latvia (VDJL) because it had come under the influence of the "movement". A number of members of the Baltic German Corps joined the "movement", a large part of the corps (still) rejected the Führer principle , including Rubonia.

Rubonia's reopening in Riga

In September 1920, at a Philistine evening, it was decided to reopen Rubonia, although only two compatriots and four foxes were present. The Philistine Harry Mehlbart made rooms available in his house at Säulenstrasse 18 for the new convent quarter in the so-called inner courtyard. Convent life had changed considerably. It was limited to two official evenings a week, the singing evening and the pub evening. Timpani was only possible in the evening hours. In the Reich, the National Socialist leadership had demanded in 1933 that the Kösener Senioren-Convents-Verband (KSCV) should join the Allgemeine Deutsche Waffenring , whose federal law contained the "Aryan principle". Corps should not have Jews or people married to Jewish women. This problem did not arise in Latvia. German schools had many Jewish students, but they spoke Russian at home and therefore did not go to Baltic German connections. There were also several Jewish student associations in Riga. As far as is known, there was only one exception in the German corps, Hermann Idelson. He joined Rubonia in January 1931 and was reciprocated on December 14, 1931 . According to the annual report for the academic year 1932/33, however, at the suggestion of the Berlin Philistine Association, a provision had been included in the special comment that prohibited the admission of non-Aryans. In practice it evidently did not concern the convention; in any case, Idelson advanced to secretary and cashier. In another context it is reported that Rosenberg himself requested Idelson's expulsion from Rubonia. The convention refused, whereupon Idelson voluntarily resigned so as not to cause difficulties for his connection. He joined the Abwehr, was denounced in 1941, arrested by the Red Army and presumably shot. There was also no offspring at Rubonia. Its continued existence was made possible in 1937 through negotiations with the AWV. It was agreed that willing members of the AWV would enter the Rubonia as foxes in 1937 and, after a shortened fox time, could receive the colors in 1938. Only a few AWVers did not go along with this agreement as “die-hard” corporation opponents.

Branches in Jena, Berlin and Munich

After the First World War there was a small group of Rubon philists in Munich who joined the NSDAP very early on. They included Max von Scheubner-Richter , Alfred Rosenberg , Arno Schickedanz and Otto von Kursell . They are claimed to have had a decisive influence on Adolf Hitler in the early days of the party . In the early days, Max von Scheubner-Richter was regarded as one of Hitler's closest confidants, as his foreign policy advisor and financier of the early movement with good contacts to Russian exiles who supported Hitler. He was fatally wounded on November 9, 1923 while marching on the Feldherrnhalle and tore Hitler, with whom he had marched arm in arm, to the ground, whereby the latter survived. Hitler is said to have said to Scheubner-Richter's widow, "Everyone was allowed to die, only one not". His death turned into a political opportunity for Rosenberg, whom Hitler entrusted to represent him for the duration of his imprisonment in Landsberg. Annoyed by opposition and intrigue, he soon resigned from this office. Due to his Baltic German descent and his time in Moscow during the October Revolution , he was considered a specialist in Russia and communism in the early days . He later became the chief ideologist of the NSDAP.

In the interwar period , more and more young Baltic Germans left their homeland because they believed they had no good job prospects there. So that they did not perish in the Reich, Rubonia, like other Baltic German corporations, considered and implemented a branch connection in the Reich. From 1922 to 1934 there was a convent of the Curonia in Jena and from the winter semester 1921/22 to the winter semester 1931 there was a subsidiary of the Fraternitas Academica in Berlin. On November 24, 1923, eight L! L! the branch convent. On December 10, 1923 it was officially confirmed by the Rubons in Riga and on December 17, 1923 the foundation convention took place in the presence of three Philistines. The quarters usually changed from semester to semester, probably because the rubons were often too loud for the landlords. Finally you ended up in "Biedersteiner Park" at the English Garden , a small suburban beer pub with an adjoining room. The communists drank their beer in the adjacent dining room. Most of the Munich Rubons had to earn part or all of their living as working students. Convent life was no different from that in Riga. On Friday evening the pubs took place, before that the convent. One was more frugal than in Riga. One or two times a week they crammed. One or two appointments per week were reserved for fox training. If there were no commitments to the connection at the weekend, you either went to work, i.e. to earn money, or to the mountains. And just like at home there was a fox theater every now and then and also fox escapes. The foxes did not flee to the Philistines , but to the mountains, where they had to be caught, in order to then celebrate with the boys. A total of 34 or 37 students were accepted. Four remained fencing bodists. All in all, the Munich Rubons formed a small, tightly closed corps. Unfortunately, the influx to Munich slackened. External, especially pecuniary difficulties and the compulsion to have to study as soon as possible led to the scattering of the Rubons in Germany. The Philistine Association and the Riga Convent wanted the branch convention to continue to exist in Germany under all circumstances and to be relocated to Berlin, where a closed Phil Championship could have given the young convent support. This did not happen due to matriculation difficulties. And so the subconvent in Munich closed in the winter semester 1930/31.

End of the boy state

In the autumn semester of 1934, the Convent of Curonia in the C! C! the motion to resolve that the C! C! should be recognized by all German boys as the highest authority and all outside influences must be resolutely warded off. This preposition was adopted by all convents against the voice of the Fraternitas Rigensis. The Fraternitas Rigensis took the position that only the German student body was the community of all worthy boys and only they had a claim to leadership of the whole boy state. Since an agreement on this within the C! C! could not be achieved, the Fraternitas Rigensis resigned from him on September 25, 1934, but continued to claim that their active members had to wear the lid and the ribbon. An attempt to mediate by the rector of the Herder Institute, Woldemar von Knieriem , Frater Rigensis and honorary philistine of Rubonia, failed; the Fraternitas Rigensis did not give in on the color question. Thereupon, in March 1935, the German Assembly of Chargierten on the Convent of the Fraternitas Rigensis imposed the "Ruckung", Easter 1936 repealed because the measure proved to be worthless. The German C! C! took a united stance towards the Fraternitas Rigensis until at least 1937. In the course of 1937, the Curonia gave up its previous opposition to its members who were actively involved in the movement. The Rubons and Gotons also gradually began to switch in this direction. The Concordia Rigensis, on the other hand, stayed away from political activity.

In the 1938 / I semester, the new chairman Otto von Fircks created a new order of honor that was aligned with the order of honor in the Reich and was approved by the leader of the "movement", Kroeger. As a result, the chairman or leader of the German Student Union should be given far-reaching decisions in matters of honor, while the corporations should be given the decision about their own L! L! be taken. The Charged Assembly could not parry the new attack. The time of unity was over. There was only one resolution that left it up to each individual convention to decide independently. The Rubonia, which had meanwhile accepted most of the members of the AWV into its corps, and the Gotonia accepted the order of honor. The Concordia Rigensis left its members free to accept. The Curonia and the Fraternitas Baltica clearly took their position against it and subsequently stepped out of the C! C! out. That was the end of the Baltic German lads' state in Riga. With the exit of the Curonia from the C! C! on March 28, 1938, he finally collapsed. The end of the German Baltic connections in Riga came quickly. Rubonia had a general assembly on July 3, 1939 at the C! Q! convened. Only 14 members were present. The active convention decided to register the student association LU studenti biedruba Rubonia from the autumn semester 1939 no longer at the Latvian University, but at the Herder Institute as a student comradeship "Scheubner-Richter". The Presidium should submit the amendment to the statutes to the Ministry of Public Affairs and make changes if necessary. The last batch elections before the relocation took place in the same general assembly. Apparently the renaming to comradeship “Scheubner-Richter” was not officially confirmed. With the decision of the Minister for Public Affairs in autumn 1939, all German connections and associations were closed.

Uprooting

In a "confidential protocol" to the German-Soviet border and friendship treaty dated September 28, 1939, the Soviet Union had given "residents and other personalities of German descent" in areas of Soviet interest the opportunity to resettle in the German Reich . On October 6, 1939, Adolf Hitler called the Baltic Germans " Home to the Reich ". Everyone was completely unprepared for the call. The relocation had to be carried out in agreement with the competent local authorities, which was achieved in contracts with Estonia on October 15 and with Latvia on October 30, 1939. On November 7, 1939, the first ships carrying Baltic German resettlers left Riga and Libau . A total of around 100 transports were necessary to evacuate the Baltic German ethnic group. The last evacuation ship left Riga on December 16, 1939. It is said that the resettlers sang the Latvian national anthem when they left the ports .

Poses

On April 27, 1941, the University of Posen was opened. Now the Baltic German corporations could have been reactivated; but that was undesirable on the part of the NSDAP. They met at foundation festivals and on other occasions. When the German-Soviet War began on June 22, 1941 and all the men still available were called up, there was hardly a younger Rubonen left in Poznan. The escape began on January 20, 1945 in the Battle of Poznan . Only very few mementos of the old connections that had survived the resettlement could be taken. Almost everything was lost.

post war period

Only reconstituted in 1948, the Rubonia Philistine Association joined the Baltic Philistine Association founded on September 20, 1953 . The Rubons' goals were the ideal and material promotion of the Baltic academic offspring and the support of needy compatriots and war widows. Naturally, the funds available for this were initially only very small. In later years a study fund for needy students in Baltic corporations was established. Some Rubonia Philistines were elected philistines to the Concordia Rigensis, which had reopened as Corps Concordia Rigensis by a Convent resolution of October 13, 1956 in Hamburg and was accepted into the Kösener Seniors Convents Association (KSCV) on May 15, 1959 . On August 1, 1959, the foundation of the Corps Curonia Goettingensis took place in Göttingen, which was accepted into the KSCV on December 8, 1959. As the first Baltic German corps, the Rubones solemnly appointed Curonia Goettingensis as their traditional corps on July 25, 1964. Band awards should not take place. All Rubon sons who were active in colored compounds received a silver plate with the Rubon circle and motto to be worn on the ribbon. On November 27, 1993, Rubonia was officially represented again in Riga. In the presence of the three rubon philistines Hans Buschmann, Ewald Meyer and Gerhard Windisch, a plaque was placed in the powder tower. In German, English and Russian it recalls the Rubonia Corporation and its relationship with the Powder Tower.

Members

Sorted by year of birth

literature

  • Album of the compatriots of Rubonia - 1875 to 1900. Compiled by Oscar Fischer Rubonus . Graphic Art Institute Alex. Grosset i / FF German, Riga 1900.
  • Philistine Association: Album Rubonorum 1875–1910. Compiled by Herbert Balk, Rubonus. Book printing of the Rigaer Tageblatt (P. Kerkovius), Riga 1910.
  • Philistine Association of Rubonia (ed.): Album Rubonorum 1875–1957. Edited by Ernst Kühnert. Max Schmidt-Römhildt, Lübeck 1957.
  • Rubonia Philistine Association (Ed.): Album Rubonorum 1875–1972. Modifications made by Woldemar Helb. 1972.
  • Rubonia 1875-1925. From the life of a Baltic German corps . Self-published, Riga 1925.
  • Klaus Boehm: The hundred year old Rubonia 1875–1975. Report on a Baltic corps. Akademie-Druck, Munich 1975.
  • Manfred Hildermeier: History of Russia. From the Middle Ages to the October Revolution . Munich, Verlag CH Beck oHG 2016, pp. 939–940.
  • Gabriele von Mickwitz: Erhard Kroeger - a German life 1905–1987 . In: Jahrbuch des Baltic Deutschtums 42 (1995), pp. 163–195.
  • Max Hildebert Boehm: Baltic influences on the beginnings of National Socialism , in: Yearbook of Baltic Germanism 14 (1967), pp. 56-69.
  • Karsten Brüggemann: Max Erwin von Scheubner-Richter (1884–1923) - the “Führer of the Führer”? In: Baltic German, Weimar Republic and Third Reich, Volume 1. Ed. Von Garleff, Michael. Böhlau Verlag, Cologne Weimar Vienna 2001. pp. 119–145.
  • Paul Georg Lankisch : Rubonia - history of a corps in Riga . Once and Now, Yearbook of the Association for Corps Student History Research, Vol. 63 (2018), pp. 185-258.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Oscar Fischer: Album of the Compatriots of Rubonia 1875 to 1900 . Riga 1900.
  2. ↑ Herbert Balk: Album Rubonorum 1875-1910 . Riga 1910.
  3. ↑ Ernst Kühnert: Album Rubonorum 1875-1957 . Lübeck 1957.
  4. ↑ Woldemar Helb: Album Rubonorum 1875-1972 . 1972.
  5. ^ Rubonia 1875-1925. From the life of a Baltic German corps . Riga 1925.
  6. ↑ Klaus Boehm: The Hundred Years of Rubonia 1875-1975. Report on a Baltic corps . Munich 1975.
  7. ^ Baltic Historical Commission (ed.): Entry on Hermann Otto Hilbig. In: BBLD - Baltic Biographical Lexicon digital
  8. ^ Minutes of the Ordinary General Assembly of February 12, 1934
  9. ↑ Walter L. Lange: On the downfall of the Rigian boy state. Einst und Jetzt, Vol. 12 (1967), pp. 111-116
  10. ^ Resettlement of the Baltic Germans from Estonia and Latvia 1939-1941 (Northeast Institute)
  11. ↑ The Resettlement of the Baltic Germans from Estonia and Latvia 1939-1941 in Latvian History and Historical Journalism (Northeast Institute)
  12. ^ Livonian biographies
  13. ↑ Album Rubonorum 49
  14. ↑ Album Rubonorum 206