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The membership in Burschenschaften (fraternities) has reduced significantly and membership is more frowned upon in society because most of them are very much on
by cycomanic 7y ago
The membership in Burschenschaften (fraternities) has reduced significantly and membership is more frowned upon in society because most of them are very much on the right most fringe of society (in particular the "schlagenden Verbindungen, i.e. the ones that do duels).
- andrepd 7y agoFascinating. In my country, fraternities are very much on the leftmost fringe of society.
- archi42 7y agoOh, where are you from? It's (sadly) true that there is no significant movement of left-wing fraternities over here in Germany (at least none that I'm aware of). I never understood why, because it is part of a historic student culture - and leaving that culture (or any kind of culture) to the right wing seems kind of sad.
- andrepd 7y agoPortugal. The first fraternities were founded in the 30s. They had their boom in the 50s and 60s, when university education started to become available for the middle class in earnest. This also coincided with the peak of discontentment with the ruling authoritarian fascist regime. The fraternities were a center of anti-regime activities (the communist party was virtually the only real resistance organisation during the dictatorship). Perhaps that's why the fraternities have always been left-wing bastions. But it's interesting how that culture remained even 40 years after the end of the fascist regime.