Schweizerischer Studentenverein

The Schweizerischer Studentenverein (Swiss Student's Society, abbreviation SSS; French: Société des Etudiants Suisses) is a society of colour bearing students of both genders and at the same time a federation of student corporations which are called sections. Its members are students and former students of high schools, universities and universities of applied sciences in Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Italy. Formerly, sections also existed in Belgium, France and in the Czech Republic. Its motto is virtus, scientia, amicitia!

Schweizerischer Studentenverein
Swiss Student's Society
Basic Data
Foundation:	1841
Members:	59 (113) sections; 1100 active members; 7500 veterans
Abbreviation:	Schw. StV (SES; SSS)
Motto:	virtus, scientia, amicitia!
Colors:	red - white - green
Website:	www.schw-stv.ch

History[]

The SSS was founded on August 31, 1841, as the federation of the catholic-conservative, colour-bearing and non-duelling corporations of Switzerland. Its insignia are since 1851 a red-white-green ribbon and since 1861 a red hat. The member corporations are free to choose any shade of red and the type of hat. The first four sections were founded in 1843: GV Zähringia (in Fribourg), GV Suitia (in Schwyz), AV Semper Fidelis (Lucerne) and AV Helvetia Friburgensis (Freiburg im Breisgau).

There are not only sections in German-speaking regions but also in French speaking Switzerland and in other countries. Originally, the SSS was a political movement of catholic-conservative students and therefore implicitly the antipode of the , which had a progressive-liberal political setting. The SSS intended to gather Christian, conservative forces against liberalism and radicalism. Nevertheless, after the Sonderbund War of 1847 it were members of the SSS who contributed to Switzerlands unity.

The SSS always meant to be a society of politically active members. Nearly all members of the Swiss Federal Council of the CVP were members of the SSS. This orientation to catholic conservatism diminished more and more since 1970. Officially, the SSS is no longer affiliated to the CVP and nowadays open to other political parties.

In 1873, during the time of the Kulturkampf, the SSS became a society limited to Catholics. It was only in 1977 that this principle was changed to "christian". Consequently, the SSS is now also open to Protestants again. Since 1968 women are allowed to join the society, too.

The SSS has a friendship agreement with the CV and the OCV. It is a member of the .

Organisation[]

As of today, the SSS has 69 sections in Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Italy. This makes it the biggest society of colour-bearing students in Switzerland. It has 1100 active members and 7500 veterans.

The SSS was founded as a central society, not as a fusion of individual corporations which is why their members are directly members of the federation as well, including the right to vote. The supreme organ of the SSS is its General Assembly (consisting of all active members) which is held annually at the so-called Zentralfest ("central festival"), the biggest festival of colour-bearing students in Europe.

The General Assembly elects the five members of the Central Committee (CC), including the Central President (CP), the Central Actuary (CA), the Vice President (VCP), the ombudsman of the universities of applied science (FHCC) and the ombudsman of the high schools. The members are elected for one year; reelection is possible but not frequent. There are several permanent and temporary commissions to the support of the CC. The veterans are federated in the Altherrenbund (AHB), which has an own committee. The AHB and the CC are united in the Council of the SSS. Each member of the CC and the AHB has one vote – however, in case of equality of votes, the CC (as the committee of the students) prevails.^[1]

Member corporations[]

In total, there are at least 113 corporations who were at least temporarily member of the SSS.

Sections with active and veteran members (58)[]

Predicate	Name of the corporation	Style	Language	Gender	Abbreviation	Country	Foundation
SG	Greviria Bulle	G	f	m/f	GR	Switzerland	1989
GV	Abbatia Wilensis Wil	G	g	m/f	AW	Switzerland	1978
SHE	Activitas Fribourg	I	f	m/f	AC	Switzerland	1917
SG	Agaunia Saint-Maurice	G	f	m/w	AG	Switzerland	1859
AKV	AKV Alemannia Fribourg	A	g	m	AL	Switzerland	1895
GV	Angelomontana Engelberg	G	g	m/f	AM	Switzerland	1907
SG	Arvésia Geneva	G	f	m	AR	Switzerland	1946
AV	Berchtoldia Bern	A	g	m/f	BE	Switzerland	1917
GV	Berovia Beromünster	G	g	m/f	BV	Switzerland	1983
AV	Bodania Sankt Gallen	A	g	m	BO	Switzerland	1925
GV	Brigensis Brig	G	g	m/f	BR	Switzerland	1843
AKV	Burgundia Bern	A	g	m	BU	Switzerland	1865
SAKV	Corona Sangallensis St. Gallen	G	g	m	CS	Switzerland	1896
GV	Corvina Einsiedeln	G	g	m/f	CO	Switzerland	1848
AV	Curiensis Chur	A	g	m	CU	Switzerland	1848
GV	Desertina Disentis	G	g	m/f	DE	Switzerland	1990
AV	Die Gundoldinger Lucerne	A	g	m/f	GU	Switzerland	1958
FHV	Die Habsburger Brugg/Windisch	I	g	m	HA	Switzerland	1966
FHV	Die Nothensteiner St. Gallen	I	g	m	NO	Switzerland	1984
GV	Fidelitas Schaffhausen	G	g	m/f	?	Switzerland	2005
AV	Froburger Basel	A	g	m/f	FB	Switzerland	1939
AV	Fryburgia Fribourg	A	g	m	FR	Switzerland	1918
AB	Glanzenburger Zurich	A	g	m	GL	Switzerland	1959
AV	Goten Fribourg	A	g	m/f	GO	Switzerland	1953
AV	Helvetia Friburgensis Freiburg im Breisgau	A	g	m/f	HF	Germany	1843
AV	Helvetia Oenipontana Innsbruck	A	g	m/f	HO	Austria	1860
AV	Helvetia Romana Rome	A	g	m/f	HR	Italy	1850
AV	Kybelia St. Gallen	A	g	f	KB	Switzerland	1999
AKV	Kyburger Zurich	A	g	m	KY	Switzerland	1912
SA	Lémania Lausanne	A	f	m/f	LE	Switzerland	1891
AV	Leonina Fribourg	A	g	m/f	LN	Switzerland	1896
RV	Markovia Wangen	G	g	m/f	MA	Switzerland	1965
GV	Monte Pacis Gossau	G	g	f	MP	Switzerland	1998
GV	Munatia Basel	G	g	m/f	MU	Switzerland	1991
AKV	Neu-Romania Fribourg	A	g	m	NR	Switzerland	1938
AV	Notkeriana St. Gallen	A	g	m/f	NK	Switzerland	1990
SG	Nuithonia Fribourg	G	f	m/f	NU	Switzerland	1845
AV	Orion Zurich	A	g	m/f	OR	Switzerland	1964
GV	Palatia Solodorensis Solothurn	G	g	m/f	?	Switzerland	1955
GV	Penthesilea Appenzell	G	g	f	PT	Switzerland	1993
AKV	Rauracia Basel	A	g	m	RA	Switzerland	1863
CA	Rezia Fribourg	A	r	m/f	RE	Switzerland	1939
GV	Rotacher Appenzell	G	g	m	RO	Switzerland	1941
GV	Rusana Altdorf	G	g	m/f	RS	Switzerland	1918
SA	Salévia Geneva	A	f	m	SL	Switzerland	1876
SA	Sarinia Fribourg	A	f	m/f	SA	Switzerland	1895
SAV	Seetalensis Hochdorf	A	g	m	SE	Switzerland	1975
AV	Semper Fidelis Lucerne	A	g	m	SF	Switzerland	1843
AV	Staufer Fribourg	A	g	m/f	ST	Switzerland	1937
AV	Steinacher St. Gallen	A	g	m	SR	Switzerland	1953
GV	Struthonia Stans	G	g	m/f	SH	Switzerland	1909
GV	Subsilvania Sarnen	G	g	m/f	SB	Switzerland	1860
GV	Suitia Schwyz	G	g	m	SU	Switzerland	1843
GV	Surlacia Sursee	G	g	m/f	SA	Switzerland	1991
AV	Turicia Zurich	A	g	m	TU	Switzerland	1860
AV	Waldstättia Lucerne	A	g	m/f	WA	Switzerland	1891
AV	Welfen Zurich	A	g	m/f	WE	Switzerland	1921
GV	Wikinger Immensee	G	g	m/w	WI	Switzerland	1967
GV	Zähringia Fribourg	G	g	m/f	ZÄ	Switzerland	1843

Sections without active but with veteran members (21)[]

Predicate	Name of the corporation	Style	Language	Gender	Abbreviation	Country	Foundation
AV	Agorà Fribourg	A	g	m/f	AF	Switzerland	1971
SG	Ardevensia Sion	G	f	m/f	AR	Switzerland	1988
SG	Aster Fribourg	G	f	m/f	AS	Switzerland	1967
GV	Audacia Pfäffikon	G	g	m	AU	Switzerland	1994
FHV	Daltonia Muttenz	I	g	m	DA	Switzerland	1976
FHV	Die Ruithonen Burgdorf	I	g	m	RU	Switzerland	1900
AV	Helvetia Monacensis Munich	A	g	m	HM	Germany	1844
AV	Helvetia Lovaniensis Leuven	A	g/f	m/f	HL	Belgium	1872
GV	Himeria Porrentruy	G	f	m/f	HI	Switzerland	1925
?	Lepontia Bernensis Bern	?	?	m	?	Switzerland	1931
SA	Lepontia Cantonale Locarno (Lucerne)	A	i	m	LC	Switzerland	1885
SA	Neuburgia Neuchâtel	A	f	m/f	NN	Switzerland	1995
AV	Neu-Welfen Zurich	A	g	m	NW	Switzerland	1946
GV	Paludia Heerbrugg	G	g	m/f	PH	Switzerland	1991
SG	Rhodania Sion	G	f	m/f	RH	Switzerland	1846
SA	Romania Turicensis (Zurich)	A	f	m	RT	Switzerland	1930
SA	Romania Bernensis (Bern)	?	f	m	?	Switzerland	1945
SA	Sancta Johanna Fribourg	A	f	m/f	SJ	Switzerland	2003
GV	Saruna Sargans	G	g	m/f	SN	Switzerland	1992
FHV	Turania Winterthur	I	g	m	TR	Switzerland	1892

Sections without active or veteran members (32)[]

Predicate	Name of the corporation	Style	Language	Gender	Abbreviation	Country	Foundation
GV	Adelphia Bellinzona	G	g	?	?	Switzerland	† 1968
AV	Augusta Turin	A	g	?	?	Italy	† 1888
SG	Blarentia Pruntrut	G	f	?	?	Switzerland	† 1931
AV	Helvetia Eystettensis Eichstätt	A	g	?	?	Germany	† 1895
AV	Helvetia Herbipolensis Würzburg	A	g	?	?	Germany	† 1888
AV	Helvetia Lipsiensis Leipzig	A	g	?	?	Germany	† 1902
AV	Helvetia Mediolanensis Milano	A	g	?	?	Italy	† 1967
AV	Helvetia Tubingensis Tübingen	A	g	?	?	Germany	† 1975
AV	Helvetia Westfalensis Münster	A	g	?	?	Germany	† 1914
AV	Justiniana Sion	A	g	?	?	Switzerland	† 1901
GV	Laudania Lucerne	G	g	?	?	Switzerland	† 1976
AV	Leonia Como	A	g	?	?	Italy	† 1895
SA	Lepontia Friburgensis Fribourg	A	i	m/f	LF	Switzerland	?
GV	Petromariana Delle	G	g	?	?	France	† 1901
SG	Salésia Evian-les-Bains	G	f	?	?	France	† 1882
?	Sektion Luzern	G	f	?	?	Switzerland	† 1849
?	Sektion Chur	G	g	?	?	Switzerland	† 1878
?	Sektion Dillingen	A	g	?	?	Germany	† 1877
?	Sektion Frauenfeld	G	g	?	?	Switzerland	† 1861
?	Sektion Grosser Sankt Bernhard	G	f	?	?	Switzerland	† 1871
?	Sektion Heidelberg	A	g	?	?	Germany	† 1877
?	Sektion Mainz	A	g	?	?	Germany	† 1871
?	Sektion Mariastein	G	g	?	?	Switzerland	† 1874
?	Sektion Monza	A	g	?	?	Italy	† 1866
?	Sektion Paris	A	g	?	?	France	† 1878
?	Sektion Prag	A	g	?	?	Czech Republic	† 1864
?	Sektion Strassburg	A	g	?	?	Germany, now France	† 1877
?	Sektion Thonon	G	g	?	?	France	† 1891
?	Sektion Zug	G	g	?	?	Switzerland	† 1858
I.V.	Sinceritas Biel	I	g	?	?	Switzerland	† 1910
A.V.	Valeria Florens Sion	A	g	?	?	Switzerland	† 1892
S.A.	Vigilia Fribourg	A	f	?	?	Switzerland	† 1933

Explanation[]

Legende

Predicate: GV = Gymnasialverbindung; High School Corporation (SG) AV = Akademische Verbindung; Academic Corporation (SA), (CA) AKV = Akademische Kommentverbindung; Academic Comment Corporation FHV = Fachhochschulverbindung; Corporation at a University of Applied Science (SHE) SAV / SAKV = Semiakademische Verbindung; Semi-Academic Corporation AB = Akademische Burschenschaft RV = Regionalverbindung; Regional Corporation (not affiliated to a university) Style of the corporation: G = Gymnasialverbindung; Corporation at a High School I = Ingenieursverbindung; Corporation of Engineers A = Akademische Verbindung; Academic Corporation Language of the corporation: g = German f = French i = Italian r = Romansh Gender of the members: m = exclusively male f = exclusively female m/f = mixed

Notable members (selection)[]

Holy or blessed members[]

• Maurice Tornay (1910–1949), Augustinian, missionary and martyr, (GV Agaunia)

Prelates[]

• Norbert Brunner (born 1942), Bishop of Sion
• Benno Gut (1897–1970), Cardinal
• Kurt Koch (born 1950), Bishop of Basel
• Gaspard Mermillod (1824–1892), Cardinal
• Henri Schwery (1932–2021), Cardinal
• Reinhold Stecher (born 1921), Bishop of Innsbruck

Politicians[]

Members of the Swiss Federal Council[]

• Viola Amherd (born 1962)
• Roger Bonvin (1907–1982)
• Enrico Celio (1889–1980)
• Flavio Cotti (born 1939)
• Alphons Egli (born 1924)
• Josef Escher (1885–1954)
• Philipp Etter (1891–1977)
• Kurt Furgler (1924–2008)
• Thomas Holenstein (1896–1962)
• Hans Hürlimann (1918–1994)
• Arnold Koller (born 1933)
• Doris Leuthard (born 1963)
• Ruth Metzler (born 1964)
• Giuseppe Motta (1871–1940)
• Jean-Marie Musy (1876–1952)
• Ludwig von Moos (1910–1990)
• Josef Zemp (1834–1908)

Other politicians[]

• Achille Casanova (born 1941)
• Anton Cottier (1943–2006)
• Dominique de Buman (born 1956)
• Bruno Frick (born 1953)
• Felix Gmür (born 1966)
• Carlo Schmid-Sutter (born 1950)
• Urs Schwaller (born 1952)

Others[]

• Daniel Anrig (born 1972), Commandant of the Pontifical Swiss Guards
• Roman Bannwart (1919–2010), Theologian
• Pierre Hemmer (1950–2013), Entrepreneur
• Hans Küng (born 1928), Theologian
• Elmar Mäder (born 1963), Commandant of the Pontifical Swiss Guards
• Giusep Nay (born 1942), president of the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland
• Michel Plancherel (1885–1967), Mathematician

Further reading[]

• List of Swiss student societies
• Studentenverbindung

Literature[]

• Sébastien Grüter: Histoire de la Société des Étudiants Suisses. Imprimerie de l'Œuvre de Saint-Paul, Fribourg, 1916
• Urs Altermatt (Editor): Den Riesenkampf mit dieser Zeit zu wagen… Schweizerischer Studentenverein 1841-1991. Maihof-Verlag, Lucerne, 1993, ISBN 3-9520027-2-0

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Schw. StV.

• : Schweizerischer Studentenverein in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
• Schweizerischer Studentenverein
• Zentralfest des Schweizerischen Studentenvereins
• Postal cards of the SSS

References[]