Couleur facts for kids

Couleur (from French, in English colour, or in the United States color) is the word which is used for the headgear and ribbons worn by members of some Central European student societies (Studentenverbindungen).

Ribbon

The ribbon (so called Band) is worn over the right shoulder to the left hip. Both ends are held together by a button, often made of metal or porcelain. A lot of societies have two types of ribbons. One is used by the new members (so called Fux or Fuchs, after the German for "fox"), the other one is used by the elder members (so called Bursche or, if with degree, Alter Herr). The ribbons of the elder members show the original or full colours of the society, where the ribbons of the new members often show a variation of them, such as displaying only two of the three main colours.

Example of a pair of ribbons of the same society, Bursche upper, Fux lower

Button of metal with colours

Headgear

Cap

collection of caps

Mostly a cap (so called Mütze) has a black peak, a crown coloured by one of the colours of the ribbon and a band with the colours of the ribbon.

Tönnchen

collection of Tönnchen with Zirkel on the top of the crown

A Tönnchen (German for little Tonne, English little barrel) is a headgear with a flat crown, the top coloured by one of the colours of the ribbon and mostly embroidered with a Zirkel and straight upright sides with the colours of the ribbon. Tönnchen are worn instead of caps by the elder members while inoffcial occasions.

Straßencerevis

Straßencerevis with vine leaves

Straßencerevis with oak leaves

A Straßencerevis looks like a Tönnchen but it is embroidered with a Zirkel and oak leaves or vine leaves.

• Peter Krause: O alte Burschenherrlichkeit - Die Studenten und ihr Brauchtum, Graz, Wien, Köln 1979 (German), ISBN: 3-222-11127-8
• Peter Krause: O alte Burschenherrlichkeit - Die Studenten und ihr Brauchtum, 5. verb. Auflage, Graz, Wien, Köln 1997 (German), ISBN: 3-222-12478-7
• Paulgerhard Gladen: Gaudeamus igitur - Die studentischen Verbindungen einst und jetzt, Köln 2001 (German),ISBN: 3-88059-996-3
• Edgar Hunger / Curt Meyer: Studentisches Brauchtum, Bonn, Stuttgart 1958 (German)

Images for kids

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  Ribbon, cap and Zipfel of an Austrian Studentenverbindung

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  Couleur bands of the Zionist Verbindung Nehardea from Basel, in the Jewish Museum of Switzerland’s collection.

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  Example of a pair of ribbons from the same society, Bursche upper, Fux lower.

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  Button of metal with colours.

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  Collection of caps, from left to right: Biedermeierformat, Tellermütze, Biedermeierformat