Editing German Student Corps (section)

==Characterization==
Corps are built upon the principle of [[Toleration|tolerance]]: No corps may endorse a certain political, scientific, or religious viewpoint. In addition, all members are solely chosen by their personal character. Neither national, ethnic, nor social provenance play a role.

''Corpsstudenten'' (corps students) wear ''[[couleur]]'' (colored stripes and caps) and practice ''[[Academic fencing|Mensuren]]'', academic fencing with razor-sharp blades that can result in bleeding face wounds, ''[[Dueling scars|Schmisse]]''. The corps usually bear names that reflect their former origin from certain German regions, such as ''Saxonia'' (Saxony) or ''Guestphalia'' (Westphalia). Formerly, when a distance of a few hundred kilometres between a student's home town and his university meant weeks of travel, students from the same part of Germany traveled together and formed some kind of "new family". The distance, plus the fact that they carried the money for a complete semester with them in a bag, might also explain why students began fencing, simply for self-defense, for students, military officers, and aristocrats were the only people allowed to carry arms.

Like all ''Studentenverbindungen'', corps consist of two bodies: The active part consists of all members, that still study and have duties for the fraternity, and the so-called ''Altherrenschaft'' (alumni organization), comprising all those who graduated and thus provide the bear share of the monetary stimulus for the fraternity. A fundamental idea is that older students should help their younger fellows, and this principle dominates the relationship between the two bodies. The former keeps the everyday business of the corps alive, organizes gatherings, and keeps the ''Corpshaus'' (Corps House) in order. The ''Altherrenschaft'', graduates with regular incomes, provide financial support. This usually means quite cheap housing for the younger members among other things. The ''Altherrenschaft'' has the power to intervene in the business of the active members, typically to ensure the principles and spirit of their corps.

The active body is headed by a panel of three ''Chargierte'' (charged persons), who are elected by all active, full members at the beginning of each semester (or at the end of the former one). Their functions are called ''Senior'', ''Consenior'' and ''Drittchargierter'' (meaning ''third charged person'', also named ''Subsenior'' in some corps).:
*The ''Senior'' is responsible for all corps affairs in general, but leading and heading gatherings and events in special; he supplements his signature with a single cross (x) (in some corps with three crosses (xxx)) as an external sign of his duties.
*The ''Consenior'' teaches fencing to all members of the inner corps and assures the execution of the Mensuren in coordination with the Conseniors of other corps; his signature is enhanced by two crosses (xx).
*The ''Drittchargierter'' (also known as ''Sekretär'', Secretary) has administrative tasks like paperwork and often the task of a treasurer; his sign is three crosses (xxx) (in some corps one cross (x)).

Being the oldest of their kind, the corps tend to treat all other forms of German Studentenverbindungen with contempt; corps despise all posturing and affectation (e.g. the overly use of [[Latinism]]s) that other kinds of ''Studentenverbindungen'', esp. Catholic corporations and [[Burschenschaften]] show.

Even with the principle of tolerance being a central aspect in each corps' self-image, every corps student is urged to develop his own viewpoints, to stand for them and to strongly participate in society, whether in politics, economy, or social affairs. This encouragement for ethics and self-confidence on one hand, and the absence of a limitation to certain views on the other, let Corps students often show up as the leading figures of the most diverse political directions. The emphasis on individuality brought many corps students in opposition to [[totalitarianism|totalitarian]] regimes, such as the National Socialist dictatorship.

{{Quote|The object and purpose of the Corps was and still is solely the education of students to become a strong, free and cosmopolitan personality who is not held back by religious, racist, national, scientific or philosophical limitations of the mind. Three primary institutions within the fraternity aid with achieving this aim; including the Corpsconvent [regular council meetings of the Corps Brothers], the Kneipe [celebratory get-together of Corps Brothers with speeches, beer and songs], and today's Bestimmungsmensur  [the event of academic fencing with sharp blades for the first or one of the first times], where the ones to fence are chosen on the basis of placing two equal opponents in front of each other. [...] This experience, and the intertwined need to overcome one's own fear, dedicated to the union of his Corps, and the connected strengthening of the sense of community aids the personal growth just as does taking a hit without losing one's stand and accepting the assessment of the Mensur by the own Corps Brothers.|[[:de:Hermann Rink]]<ref>Hermann Rink: ''Die Mensur, ein wesentliches Merkmal des Verbandes.'' In: Rolf-Joachim Baum (Hg.), ''"Wir wollen Männer, wir wollen Taten!" Deutsche Corpsstudenten 1848 bis heute''. Siedler Verlag, Berlin 1998, {{ISBN|3-88680-653-7}}, S. 383 f.</ref>}}

The Weinheimer Student Corps also maintain a confederation with [[Tau Kappa Epsilon]] fraternity, a college Fraternity with over 270 chapters in the United States and Canada.