A Night at the Ball: A Glimpse at German Fraternities

Last weekend, I accompanied my husband to Heidelberg to celebrate the 130th anniversary of his fraternity. A German fraternity is not quite the same as an American fraternity, but some things it does have in common are a heavy emphasis on drinking and membership into a male-only club.

I haven’t quite made up my mind about the whole concept. It is all a bit antiquated and an attempt to perpetuate some sort of “establishment.” At the same time though, I know that the network has been very important to my husband and I’ve enjoyed talking to and getting to know some of the members and their respective partners throughout the years.

I was having a lot of fun at the black tie ball last Saturday and was thinking once again about the peculiarities of this slice of German university culture. After five years of marriage, the costumes, the swords and the fencing, although still a bit odd, have grown on me. But how to explain this to the outside. In less than 500 words, I’ve tried to provide a quick and dirty definition. READ MORE »