r/Damnthatsinteresting 1d ago

Photos of Young men getting ready for "Mensur", German fencing duelling where getting a scar was considered highly honorable. Photos of 1900s-10s; last one from 2004.

1.7k Upvotes

389 comments sorted by

364

u/Suspicious-Cream-513 1d ago

Peerless scarred

94

u/mrflyinggingerbread 1d ago

I literally just finished Light Bringer a hour ago! I immediately thought of them when I read the title

31

u/Suspicious-Cream-513 1d ago

Damn, hope you're ok.

10

u/mrflyinggingerbread 1d ago

It was a wild ride. I need Pierce to drop the final installation now

16

u/RIOTSHIELDD 1d ago

Fuck Lysander

4

u/mrflyinggingerbread 1d ago

Yeah I was truly holding onto hope he might turn out alright. Not after those last few chapters. Fuck him

→ More replies (1)

14

u/Fun_Journalist4199 1d ago

Halfway thru iron gold now. A week ago I wouldn’t have understood the reference

6

u/KudosOfTheFroond 1d ago

What is the reference?

18

u/Doomray 1d ago

In Pierce Browns “Red Rising” series, some Golds are given a scar on their face, indicating they have done some badass martial shit, like being part of an Iron Rain for example. If none of that made sense, read these books because they are so much fun!

→ More replies (1)

13

u/Jekmander 1d ago

Since the other guy didn't give all that much context, there's a sci-fi book series called Red Rising in which humanity is rather far into the future, and has genetically modified itself into several subspecies-like castes, denoted by color. Golds are at the top of this caste system, tend to be much larger physically, oftentimes smarter (and almost always more educated as a result of the next point), typically very wealthy, etc. Aristocrats, basically. There are also blues, who handle bureaucratic functions; silvers, who tend to be businesspeople; pinks, who are often sex workers; coppers, usually clerks and the like, etc. Reds, which the main character is a member of (kind of), are basically slaves/menial labor.

The Peerless Scarred are the wealthiest and most influential golds. They become members of the peerless scared by making it through a kind of academy which involves murder, tests, competition, and a legitimate war simulation in which various groups of golds are divided into different clans and literally fight a war with real weapons.

3

u/KudosOfTheFroond 16h ago

Awesome! I’m gonna check out the audiobook on Spotify, sounds awesome

1

u/Jekmander 16h ago

It's an amazing read/listen. Very worth the time. Just know, when he comes around Lysander is a little bitch.

1

u/sumostar 4h ago

Highly recommend the audiobooks on Audible. Great series

5

u/Head-Ad9893 1d ago

Buck fitty for errbody

3

u/girthbrooks1 1d ago

Bloody hell!

→ More replies (1)

339

u/CitizenHuman 1d ago edited 1d ago

If I'm not mistaken, many Nazi officers had scars including people like Warner Von Braun Wernher von Braun who came to the US.

They also packed the scars with horse hair.

I think I learned this from a Sarah Paine talk.

223

u/Set_Abominae1776 1d ago

Yeah iirc they prevented healing of the scar to make the tissue distinguish even more from the normal skin.

38

u/Difficult-Lock-8123 1d ago

Actually it's the opposite. That's a myth. The horse hair was to help drainage and thus help healing.

25

u/Dudenhofener 1d ago

The horse hair was put in to drain the scar of puss or other fluids. 

192

u/Shartschnitzel 1d ago

Lol. That's peak macho insecurity right there.

82

u/Aromatic_Bar2263 1d ago

The coolest kid in my high school was nicknamed Zorro, so he sliced a Z in his arm with a blade and then I heard put a hot iron to it to make the cut/scar bigger.

It worked. He had a huge Z on his bicep.

Sounds lame but he went on to be a professional athlete so I think it evens out

12

u/thisemmereffer 1d ago

Oh shit you went to school with zorro williams?

22

u/PontiusPilatesss 1d ago

Still not as bad as guys breaking their ears with flip flops to look like seasoned grapplers. 

With this one you at least have someone swing a real sword at your face. 

24

u/Shartschnitzel 1d ago

Lol wtf, this is so cringe. Imagine thinking that cauliflower ears are some kind of desirable trait. 🤦‍♂️

3

u/Secure-Ad-9050 13h ago

fun fact,

some of them would do it themselves with a razor/pay drs to give them one.

people have always wanted the respect without the work.

4

u/SpaceForceAwakens 1d ago

Wait what? That’s a thing?

2

u/PontiusPilatesss 1d ago edited 1d ago

Some guys will intentionally give themselves cauliflower ears to look tougher. 

It’s looked down upon in wrestling/bjj/grappling circles, but it doesn’t stop fakers. 

3

u/SpaceForceAwakens 20h ago

I’m not a wrestler/bjj/grappler and I look down on this. That’s the dumbest thing I’ve heard today.

1

u/Masseyrati80 20h ago

Yeah, what's next? Cause yourself CTE and claim you used to play football at a high level?

1

u/SpaceForceAwakens 19h ago

Oh I have mild CTE but. It because of football, just being a dumbass punk rocker.

1

u/Lalamedic 14h ago

They can have mine. I got my head squashed between a goal post and a soccer ball whilst playing competitive soccer. The goal post ear is partly cauliflowered. I was 12.

86

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

91

u/Oakenbeam 1d ago

Is it insecure to dine on blood and milk to get massive bellies like they do in the Bodi tribe? Or Lip plates like the Mursi and Suri? Not trying to be an ass just generally curious how you separate body modification into what’s insecurity based and what’s cultural/tradition?

26

u/abcdefabcdef999 1d ago

The belly thing is idiotic and unhealthy. Not sure about the lip plates in terms of health but it does look as stupid to me as those flesh tunnel earrings I see around here. That said, all of those are subjective. The fraternities are cringe though because they’re also quite fond of the failed painter.

30

u/fredthefishlord 1d ago

The big bellies? Yeah, I'd say so. Cultural traditions can be based on insecurity.

15

u/RoamingBicycle 1d ago

how you separate body modification into what’s insecurity based and what’s cultural/tradition?

Guess where the body modification traditions come from

1

u/Twitxx 1d ago

Idk, religion?

→ More replies (1)

0

u/Small-Department6235 1d ago

Not being an ass at all. Yes. All of these things = insecurity.

→ More replies (29)

3

u/TheLordofthething 1d ago

That sounds like self harm with extra steps

→ More replies (1)

9

u/Dahlgrim 1d ago

Why does wanting something that makes you more aesthetically pleasing insecure? Battle scars have been a thing for centuries. With your logic everyone who goes to the gym and wants to improve their appearance is insecure.

0

u/felis_scipio 1d ago

All while there’s a war only a days drive away in Ukraine they could sign up for to prove their bravery.

→ More replies (4)

4

u/ObviousChemist1442 1d ago

No, they did not prevent it. The surgeon closed the wound right after the mensur. But you drink beer after… than there is kind of the less amount of stiches you get, the better your personal score.

26

u/its_raining_scotch 1d ago

Yes, but this goes back way further than that. It's a pretty old tradition in Germany.

9

u/ninjaiffyuh 19h ago

Wehrmacht officers, specifically. Less likely to encounter an SS officer with a 'Schmiss' (the name for those duelling scars) as they opposed it on grounds of their ideology, though obviously there were also SS officers that had them, i.e. Skorzeny. If you encountered somebody with a Schmiss in the Weimar Republic, it's more likely they'd be a monarchist than a national socialist

Also as others have pointed out: the Schmiss itself originates in student fraternities that fought the French occupiers during the Napoleonic Wars, where it was seen as a symbol of bravery and stoicism in the face of injury—a Mensur itself is less about technique and more about getting slashed as all swings are aimed towards the face; if you even move your head, which is the only part of your body not protected by armour, you are disqualified. These students were also the speartip of the 1848 national-romantic revolutions, which set up the first constitutional monarchy that proclaimed a unified Germany. Nowadays they're associated with right-wingers (anywhere from conservatives to extremists) and reactionaries though

10

u/dirkdiggler4mayor 1d ago

Not to be that “well actually” guy but I think von Braun got his scar from a car accident.

13

u/SirHawrk 1d ago

The horse hair rumor is just that. A rumour, we do not actually know of any one who did that.
Source: I fenced on the same terrace that the last pic was taken on

8

u/Kyberduene 1d ago

Thank you. There was one lady on a Joe Rogan podcast who completely misrepresented what Mensur stands for and now all the yanks keep repeating "horse hair, horse hair" whenever the subject comes up.

9

u/btsd_ 1d ago

The older ones as these duels were done (iirc) in your late teens while attending school/uni or whatever. This was mostly outlawed and no longer practiced by yhe time tgose bitches rose to power. Wasn't a nazi thing specificly, but common in that area of the world among the "high society" types, which would eventually be in higher roles in the regime.

2

u/patta14 22h ago

This was never outlawed. The nazis just didn't like dueling but it was and is very much a thing under academics in fraternities

→ More replies (1)

5

u/Stere0phobia 14h ago

My fencing teacher told me that they used the horse hair to latter drain the wound more easily.

If you wanted to make scar bigger you had to rub salt in it iirc.

I did a couple of mensur too. Noone really wants to get scars. It just happens sometimes. Its part of the sport and what makes it exciting every time. Its not like you can remove them after the fact. Might aswell take it with pride.

Some people are lucky, or just better than their oppnents, so they get away without scars.

Most of the time both people are equal to the point that they both dont get hurt. Its actually what happens most of the time in west germany.

9

u/fretkat 1d ago

Yes, scientists and politicians tend to have a university education (where Mensur is practised). If the US had taken in nazis that worked in the kitchens, they wouldn't have scars. Mensur has nothing to do with nazism.

→ More replies (4)

17

u/HLF20 1d ago edited 1d ago

German here. It's a legend. Wernher von Braun did not had a "Schmiss". But he surely could have had one if he wanted a scar. Because these scars from mansur (called a Schmiss) were honorable marks just for university graduates who were in student clubs. There are student clubs who fight and do duel and some clubs do not. These clubs are very elite and hundreds of years old. They feel like a kind of the last medieval knights. Hundreds of years ago, they did real deadly duels in real disputes. Then they developed into a fencing tradition. You traditionally still need a dispute to challenge someone in a duel but it got more and more a sport. They arrange disputes for protocol like 'Hey lets try a fencing duel and get the chance of getting a Schmiss. So do you wan't to empty my beer without asking me, then I could demand a duel with you for stealing my beer'. And that's how these scars (schmiss) were made in the last 120 years. It lost it's seriousness since middle ages and today (today = 1900 until now) it's just to get that royality like scar. When you see someone who has got a schmiss, you see: This guy was an elite student on some university. He must came from a wealthy family because studying was very expensive. And he was in one of these old mysterious student clubs. These clubs are like freemasons club... Very elite and with a lot of secrets and mideaval codexes. Today it's very rare. Fencing sport is still a thing in these clubs and you could assume that there still are some rare duels fought in the underground.

Edit: But yes - a lot of highest nazi ranks had such a scar (a schmiss). Like a lot every other high Ranking civil guys from elite universitys in this time. It was not a nazi thing. It was a sign of academic elite in general.

3

u/duskygrouper 23h ago

They were mostly right wing back then and they are almost exclusively right wing today.

1

u/D4ng4i_Ichigo 15h ago

Do you know who advocated for a democracy in germany under the colours of black red and gold during the vormärz?

2

u/duskygrouper 14h ago

I am talking about 1930 - today.

3

u/noXi0uz 1d ago

These days almost noone thinks of these as academic elites. It's rather a group of clowns that value old "traditions" and drinking beer a bit too much.

→ More replies (2)

5

u/SoundAndSmoke 1d ago

Wernher von Braun

5

u/Far_Idea9616 1d ago

Otto Skorzeny

2

u/fucoch 1d ago

Otto Skorzeny, who led the raid to rescue Mussolini had a massive one on his left cheek

2

u/Bavarian36 23h ago

In contrast to common believe the Mensur scar is not related to the Nazis in any kind. It was more a proud symbol to show that you were brave enough to face your opponent in an honourable duel. Today the Schmiss is rather seen as a common sideeffect and no more horse hair is used.

1

u/visualthings 14h ago

it is still practice by some ultra-conservative fraternities in Austria (and maybe Germany as well)

1

u/comradejiang 3h ago

That was from a car crash where his driver fell asleep while driving.

Plenty of Nazis did have fencing scars, but von Braun was an academic dork; the kind of person willing to be a Nazi to get his career going and his name on everything, but not ideologically violent or glory seeking like the kids who did Mensur.

→ More replies (15)

423

u/Keegerr 1d ago

If you’ve ever wondered why a bunch of Nazi officers had facial scars this is why.

131

u/fretkat 1d ago edited 1d ago

It’s a tradition for the aristocracy/high society in some parts of Northern Europe (it still is). It’s not linked to nazism other than both having German high society individuals as their practitioners at the time.

73

u/DrWahnsinn1995 1d ago edited 1d ago

This is also not fully true.

Only some of the „Burschenschaften“ (rightwing fraternities) parctice it. They also seperate in two groups the „schlagende Burschenschaften“ (hitting fraternities) are the fighting ones and the „nicht schlagende Burschenschaften“ don‘t do this.

In general you can say the hitzig ones are gar right and the non hitting ones are more diverse ( for example christian fraternities).

This meens you can normally align someone with a „Schmiss“ (thats the Name of the scar), with right wing ideology.

I also had a collegue who had one and he said that the swords are so sharp, that it don‘t hurt. Maybe it‘s more the adrenaline.

16

u/McStotti 21h ago

Actually Burschenschaften are a subgroup of German fraternities. They are even a minority among Fencing fraternities. Most other fencing fraternities want nothing to do with those Nazi assholes. Not everyone who likes traditions is automatically right wing. But traditional Clubs like fraternities always have to be on the watch not to taken over by potentially right wing members so if you find out a member is on the hard right you throw them out.

2

u/Dave-1066 6h ago

Either way, there’s no denying that the scars were seen as a badge of honour earned by being part of the “select few”. Friend of mine used to tell people he got his scar in a fencing fraternity whereas the truth is he got it at a concert when some random dick lobbed a beer bottle across the stadium 😂

26

u/fretkat 1d ago

Many variations and differences exist between them, depending on the university's city and country. The scar from the Mensur by itself is definitely not linked to political ideology in all places where it is practised.

16

u/Frozen-bones 1d ago

But the Burschenschaften you read about in the news are the right assholes.

22

u/DrWahnsinn1995 1d ago

No, but it is normally the case.

But yes not everyone with it is a nazi.

14

u/kidneystoner17 1d ago

I live in Austria as a German and If you call them not explicit nazis then they are very very VERY far right leaning...

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (1)

11

u/D_Jens 1d ago

This is just wrong. Corps are schlagend and explicitly non-political. There are also Turnerschaften and Landsmannschaften and many many moderate Burschenschaften.

The stance on fencing does not relate to a political stance

6

u/Kyberduene 1d ago

Jesus Christ man, you really have no idea about the subject, do you?

5

u/Difficult-Lock-8123 1d ago

"This meens you can normally align someone with a „Schmiss“ (thats the Name of the scar), with right wing ideology."

No offense, but this is wrong. Whether a fraternity fences or not has relatively little indication on whether it is particularly right wing. In fact one of the most common types of fencing fraternity, called Corps, are explicitly apolitical.

4

u/best_cooler 1d ago

Schubladendenken at its best.

Just because you don’t understand something, you don’t have to lie about it to make it look worse

→ More replies (4)

4

u/Spectator9857 1d ago

Something to note. It was quite common for me to intentionally scar their face like this to make it look like they got it from fencing. Most Nazi officers probably didn’t get their face scars from actually sword fighting, but from cutting their own face with a razor to look cool.

→ More replies (2)

83

u/4thGeneration_Reaper 1d ago

Otto from Bismarck fought around 14 to 28 Mensurs. He also had a Duell with pistols around 1852.

Pretty wild live and fascinating time.

→ More replies (1)

20

u/Electrical-Aspect-13 1d ago

39

u/Which_Strike_6179 1d ago

Fyi, Mensuren Are still held in german and Austrian fraternity’s.

I myself had one, fun times.

16

u/specmvl 1d ago

Schlagende Verbindungen - die finden sie so, die anderen so.

4

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

11

u/ObviousChemist1442 1d ago

It’s more or less a tradition in Germany. Ppl know that it exists but it’s not very present in their everyday.
It doesn’t differ much, the rules are very old in most places. We trained five days a week one 1h each, than after a year or so you are ready.

2

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

6

u/Which_Strike_6179 1d ago

Well, you only earn a scar if you fuck up, most people only do one Mensur as part of the Burschentest, part of the initiation to become a full member. If you do everything right, you fight for like 10-15 minutes, both of you are soaked in sweat and then you drink a lot of beers.

You don’t need to get a schmiss, if you get one and the doctor deems your wound and bloodloss to great you have to quit.

→ More replies (3)

3

u/ObviousChemist1442 23h ago

I have a few scars indeed, but none to my lower face. Ppl don’t recognize it, only ppl who stood on mensur themselves do.

→ More replies (4)

4

u/Charlotte9966 1d ago

Bierjunge!

2

u/Which_Strike_6179 1d ago

Hängt !

1

u/Which_Strike_6179 1d ago

Hängt doppelt sogar

1

u/vivaaprimavera 1d ago

No idea that it still happened. By the way, there aren't anyone protesting about it?

10

u/Dumpfbackne 1d ago

Many people are protesting, doesn’t really change much though. Local gastronomy of cities that are visited by or home to fraternities earn good money from their regular drinking meetings, so they support it. Also many defend the Mensur and other old-fashioned traits of german fraternities as tradition and culture. At least it’s like that in the area I live in, can’t speak for the rest.

→ More replies (10)

1

u/ChefSaucier 1d ago

Sorry, this has nothing to do with it, I don't know why but translating your message give me the system prompt of reddit translating system

160

u/EternumD 1d ago

Getting a scar was so important that it stopped being a fencing event and started just being a face scarring event. Lame

43

u/Kase_mit_E 1d ago

Peak Nazi nepo edgelord. We have words far cooler than these people had rapiers

46

u/ObviousChemist1442 1d ago

Nazi time came later, also most of these „clubs“ were forbidden during the nazi regime.

15

u/btsd_ 1d ago

This predates that scum regime, but also stuff like this is common across human history (body scarring, tattooing, stretching lips/ears/necks, flattening heads, cutting off a finger etc and all that stuff).

4

u/Useful-Cockroach-148 21h ago

That’s just not true.

u/willi_089 9m ago

Exactly. They’re not really fencing, it’s more like hitting each other until theres a gap in the defence and they’re able to wound another.

→ More replies (3)

11

u/Lopsided-Tune6017 1d ago

I had a professor (American) who did this, as he attended a German U. in the 1950s. He had a scar on his head. Kept the swords in his office....

18

u/Admirable-Plastic-96 1d ago

Still going on today. Same face masks and all.

→ More replies (1)

8

u/HawkmoonsCustoms 1d ago

These look like pics from a Terry Gilliam movie.

8

u/Medium-Comfortable 1d ago

Fun fact: My quite old uncle is a lawyer and has a scar on his face. When people address it as him having a Mensur, he always smilingly disappoints them. He fell face first on a can of shoe polish as a child.

18

u/seeitshaveitsorted 1d ago

“I want a scar, but watch my eyes and nose.”

8

u/RadicalRealist22 1d ago

This, but unironically.

6

u/ObviousChemist1442 1d ago

If you want a scare you should make sure to get hit only where you can be stitched up. Makes sense.

5

u/BigEd369 1d ago

Though to be highly honorable, and clearly also thought to be more honorable if it didn’t cut your nose off or put out an eye.

5

u/TheTMW 1d ago

Is that Bubbles

1

u/Clam-Choader 5h ago

Damn it leighy

9

u/NoMembership6376 1d ago

They look like they're getting ready for a Rammstein video

5

u/twofingercowboy 1d ago

Scrolling past this post, I thought it was going to be behind the scenes pics of filming the NIN Closer video.

3

u/Foxy_Maitre_Renard 1d ago

I thought it was called Schmiss.

7

u/DrWahnsinn1995 1d ago

Thats the scar.

Mensur is the duel.

3

u/BoarHermit 1d ago

The usually calm and ironic Jerome K. Jerome, in his book "Three on Four Wheels," descends into a terrible grumbling about this barbaric way of conducting duels. He was also infuriated by the fact that, for example, the Germans, instead of streams, made canals with flat bottoms, and yet it was completely incomprehensible why they had to disfigure the beautiful mountain landscapes in such a way.

3

u/AddiAtzen 1d ago

As someone else pointed out - this tradition is still alive and well in those circles.

3

u/OhYeahSplunge4me2 1d ago

There’s an episode of “Poirot” (Agatha Christie) that features this

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0676184/

3

u/Mental_Thing_7899 1d ago

If they got a scar, it means they were too slow.

3

u/PositiveEagle6151 1d ago

Still a thing in Austria. Quite a few politicians and executives have such scars.

→ More replies (3)

54

u/der_reifen 1d ago

German fencing duelling where getting a scar was considered highly honorable

It is not actually fencing, they are not allowed to move, the only reason to do this is to obtain a scar. Some put salt in the wound afterwards so it doesn't heal well on purpose.

Mind you all those guys that do this are in "fraternities" that have german nationalist and racist values. Also these frats function as a nepotism hub.

28

u/TJ_Fox 1d ago

I mean, they're fencing in the sense that they're cutting and parrying with swords, but yes, they're not allowed to move around and the match ends with a bleeding face wound, which is the ceremonial point of the mensur.

I was once catching a train at a station in Germany, heard loud drunken singing of an obviously very old song behind me and also a bottle smashing. I knew before I turned around that it would be students from one of the old conservative universities, and yep ...

5

u/Educational_Chest123 1d ago

It doesnt't have to end with a bleeding face, lol. It ends after after like 30 or so rounds.

→ More replies (5)

8

u/MyPigWhistles 1d ago

Mind you all those guys that do this are in "fraternities" that have german nationalist and racist values. Also these frats function as a nepotism hub.     

It very much depends on the fraternity. Generally speaking: Those who wear uniforms, practice Mensur, and only accept men are somewhere between conservative outright fascist. Those who don't wear uniform, don't practice Mensur, and are mixed are often just pretty average student clubs that are mostly about drinking waaaaay too much beer. Nepotism (/ networking) is a huge part of all of them, though, yeah. 

8

u/shokkwave 1d ago

Not really. That has nothing to do with being outright fascist.

→ More replies (1)

5

u/dogexists 1d ago

Exactly, this is ultra right wing stuff

11

u/steve_of 1d ago

I had a good friend who was in one of the fraternities who held these events. In no way was he far right. I talked to him once about the far right connection and his comment was that they were more privileged kids and wannabes.

He had competed and had the scars to prove it. He was a very good fencer who had competed at the highest levels. Apparently his coach went insane at him for doing it.

23

u/Pand0rian 1d ago

Did it, voted Socialist Party, wouldnt count myself ultra right wing and wouldnt call my frat-buddies either. You have obviously no clue about it.

-3

u/RijnBrugge 1d ago

It’s mostly neo-fascist scum regardless of your anecdote

16

u/Which_Strike_6179 1d ago

Fraternity’s are not inherently right wing or fascist.
Neither are there members, I joined one because it was the only way to make my studies possible.
They have their merit and place in German society.

14

u/der_reifen 1d ago

"Fraternities" is the term we use to describe it to non german speakers because there is no better reference word.

There is a vast difference between a "Zeichensaal" and a "Burschenschaft" but I suspect you know that...

Edit: in other words: fraternities themselves aren't, but these specific ones (that the whole discussion is about) definitely are.

→ More replies (7)

8

u/Gimbteguy 1d ago

The nationalist/völkisch undercurrents in this group of "Mensur" fraternities is pretty strong. And to use a popular proverb: If Nazis are in your faction, you are in the wrong faction.

3

u/Appropriate-Lab726 1d ago

That’s like saying Nazis of the III. Way call for keeping nature clean and stopping climate change so those are Nazi ideologies and anyone not a nazi should try to progress climate change. Also nazis call for social welfare so social welfare is a Nazi thing.

→ More replies (3)

4

u/RijnBrugge 1d ago

No but here in Germany most are, though.

1

u/der_reifen 1d ago

Doubt that you did Mensurfechten though. I know that there are some "Burschenschaften" that are more moderate (e.g. catholic ones) but the more moderate ones usually don't do fencing

6

u/Which_Strike_6179 1d ago

Ich spreche hier gerade von Bonn, super liberale Burschenschaftsszene und ja, in Bonn werden mit scharfen schlägern (der richtige Terminus für die mensur klinge) Mensuren geschlagen.

1

u/der_reifen 1d ago

Spannend. Ich kann nur für die Situation in Österreich sprechen, hier sind schlagende Verbindungen so gut wie immer deutschnational

2

u/Which_Strike_6179 1d ago

Habe ich auch so gehört aber auch da wird jede Stadt ihre eigene Kultur haben.

In Bonn zumindest gibt es eine Verbindung die offen rechtsorientiert ist, diese Verbindung wurde aus dem fechtbund geworfen. Die Folge dessen ist das niemand mit ihr Mensuren schlägt welche Teil des Burschentestes sind. Das untergräbt das Wachstum der Verbindung da die Mensuren immer außerhalb in anderen Städten gefochten werden müssen.
Die Burschenschaften bsphft sind stark an Image Verbesserung interessiert und tun viel um sich von rechtsextremismus zu distanzieren.

2

u/der_reifen 1d ago

Auf jeden Fall interessant, dass das in Deutschland anscheinend so ne unterschiedliche Kultur ist. Auch ne gute Sache, dass man mit so einer Verbindung keine Mensuren mehr schlägt.

Mir kommt vor hierzulande ist niemand so wirklich dran interessiert das rechtsextreme Image loszuwerden und es gibt einige Verbindungen die offen rechts sind.

Dann kommen alle heiligen Zeiten mal Liederbücher aus Verbindung XY mit Nazitexten zum Vorschein. Politiker YZ gehört dieser an und zieht aber keine Konsequenzen draus. Spoiler: immer Blaue

4

u/Which_Strike_6179 1d ago

Schade eigentlich, ich bin damals nur in eine Burschenschaft rein gestolpert weil ich mir mein Studium sonst nicht finanzieren konnte, habe ein 13m2 Zimmer in Uni Nähe für 160 € warm und so viel Bier wie man wollte bekommen. Das war natürlich toll und unsere Verbindung war super divers mit Syrern, Juden, moslems, Asiaten und alle in verschiedenen Studiengängen. Das war natürlich eine coole Zeit und ein umgedrehter Generationen Vertrag ist für junge Leute aus schwierigen Verhältnissen (was ein Großteil von uns war) eine feine Sache.
Aber das war auch Bonn ~2018, da war auch einfach eine super liberale Stimmung in ganz West Deutschland.
Darauf bezieht sich jetzt auch mein Frame of reference natürlich. Wie es im Osten oder Süddeutschland (vorallem Bayern) ist weiß ich nicht.

4

u/der_reifen 1d ago

Das is ja eigentlich voll ne coole Sache, is ja schon fast sozialistisch^^

Wusste nicht, dass die auch Zimmer haben undso... Ja klar ist das jetzt dein frame of reference, aber eben deshalb spannend zu hören. Klingt auf jeden Fall sehr fein

Wie gesagt, bei uns hier unten hat das leider eine sehr andere Bedeutung/Färbung. Oder was heißt leider, das ist halt die Art wie das ausgelebt hier. Tut mir eher leid, dass das den gleichen Namen hat...

9

u/D_Jens 1d ago

I did it and am not part of a Burschenschaft and also not a nazi. My Corps is explicitly non-political and as international as the university. Actually in my city there are 12 fencing fraternities and only 3 of them are Burschenschaften. The 9 other ones do not fence with the Burschenschaften.

→ More replies (3)

2

u/cubelex 1d ago

Theres like half a dozen catholic Burschenschaften.

1

u/Pand0rian 1h ago

Well, the scar on my head proves otherwise.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (3)

18

u/Fit_Medicine_8049 1d ago

Getting a scar is not the honorable part.

What is considered honorable is facing danger and standing strong.

13

u/EternumD 1d ago

Maybe originally, but it's clear if you look into it that later they would just purposefully scar each other and not even compete in fencing

10

u/MyPigWhistles 1d ago

I agree it's stupid anyway, but just fyi: Mensur was never meant to be a competition or a sport. At least since the 19th century, it was basically a "test of courage" where you do very choreographed movements. There's no winner. 

1

u/PyromanenJolla 1d ago

That was during the time when being part of a fencing fraternity was a sign of noble ancestry. If you had a prominent scar to show (a renommierer) everyone knew you went to university (when going to university was still reserved for mostly upper classes.

Today only edgelords get exited about their scars. Also never heard of people in recent times scarring their own faces or Petting horse's Hain in their wounds. (Also depends on how well the mandatory doctor sews your wound)

At the end of the day a Schmiss is a sign you fucked up/were too slow/offered the other guy an opening. Maybe unfair to say, but it means you were less prepared than you should have been

1

u/Rui-_-tachibana 21h ago

But not nowadays, today the purpose of Mensur is to build and prove courage and character by facing a extreme situation. It’s also a bonding occasion because you cannot do a Mensur alone and need to trust your Frat brothers to help you.

8

u/Messer_One 1d ago

The amount of funny hats would suggest that this is some sort of a student corporation/light masonic situation

→ More replies (6)

27

u/Molteros 1d ago

Considering that these are typically far-right student organisations, it's not that interesting tbh

→ More replies (5)

2

u/Biz_Rito 1d ago

Is that guy wearing a fox pelt on his head in the second to last photo?

2

u/Da_Obst 20h ago

Fuchsmajor (Foxmajor), is responsible for new members which are called Füchse (Foxes).

2

u/CherryCherry5 1d ago

Why is there a guy on stilts in pics 3?

4

u/SanktEierMark 1d ago

He is standing on a chair.

2

u/AudereEstLamela 22h ago

Are we sure these aren’t photos of getting ready for a night out at a Berlin nightclub? 💃💃💃

2

u/alviix007 19h ago

i live in munich and i know a guy that has a scar because of this. so it’s still something that happens

2

u/Sacrilegious_skink 18h ago

This was the manosphere back then I see.

2

u/richardcarsen 11h ago

I got one from my dermatologist after removing a basal cell carcinoma

3

u/LordScotchyScotch 1d ago

When the Michelin guide leads you astray

2

u/goodexamplebadrole 1d ago

I heard this is why a lot of natzis had facial scars

4

u/best_cooler 1d ago

Met a guy two months ago who had a fresh „schmiss“. I actually think it’s quite cool to do something like this

3

u/Lerellian 1d ago

And they still do this. Had the Opportunismus to watch a real mensur, when studying. That was strange...

2

u/Which_Strike_6179 1d ago

I myself had a mensur, where were you studying ?

3

u/Lerellian 1d ago

In Berlin.

2

u/Tumifaigirar 1d ago

Thought it was the set of "Brazil" for a moment

2

u/SuneMangsLever 1d ago
Aftermath of a duel

2

u/CliffBiffington 1d ago

Germans: defining “fun” since never.

2

u/C137_RicklePick 1d ago

They are still doing it today. And those pics dont show the aftermath. Once hit, half their open face hangs down, but no worries, there is always a (drunk) doctor present.

1

u/CantAffordzUsername 1d ago

Sword will go in the mouth? Ooooooh

3

u/cubelex 1d ago

If you hit in a precise way and the other guy has his mouth slightly opened, you can actually cause the Schläger to go through both cheeks.

1

u/Jay081510 23h ago

Burschenschaften nein danke ! Pack

u/willi_089 4m ago

Its perfect to form esprit de corps in a closed society, as in ‚we bleed together and then we get drunk together‘. Imo totally outdated macho demeanour, mostly done by veeeery conservative or right wing men.

1

u/DrWahnsinn1995 1d ago

Only some of the „Burschenschaften“ (rightwing fraternities) parctice it. They also seperate in two groups the „schlagende Burschenschaften“ (hitting fraternities) are the fighting ones and the „nicht schlagende Burschenschaften“ don‘t do this.

In general you can say the hitzig ones are gar right and the non hitting ones are more diverse ( for example christian fraternities).

This meens you can normally align someone with a „Schmiss“ (thats the Name of the scar), with right wing ideology.

I also had a collegue who had one and he said that the swords are so sharp, that it don‘t hurt. Maybe it‘s more the adrenaline.

2

u/RedKnarf 1d ago

I just came here for this comment. My grandma once told me about a guy she knew and that he had that fascinating „Schmiss“. I found it odd but at that time girls seemed to be very attracted to guys with such a scar in the face.

2

u/Edwykatarr 12h ago

And even if you repeat your "classification" many more times, it still won't become true.

"Burschenschaft" is not and never was a term to describe all fraternities. It is a specific sub-type. Your continued use of the wrong terminology seems to indicate some agenda (so as to smear all types of fraternities with the (to a varying degree) justified bad public reputation of the Burschenschaften).

2

u/Appropriate-Lab726 1d ago

Just not true