The Schweizerischer Studentenverein (''Swiss Student's Society'', abbreviation SSS; French: ''Société des Étudiants 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 A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

and

universities of applied sciences A (; plural ), abbreviated FH, is a university of applied sciences (UAS), in other words a Hochschule, German tertiary education institution that provides professional education in many applied sciences and applied arts, such as engineering, te ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

and

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. Formerly, sections also existed in

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

. Its

motto A motto (derived from the Latin language, Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian language, Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a Sentence (linguistics), sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of a ...

is ''!''

History

The SSS was founded on August 31, 1841, as the federation of the catholic-conservative, color-bearing and non-dueling corporations of Switzerland. Its insignia are since 1851 a red-white-green

ribbon A ribbon or riband is a thin band of material, typically cloth but also plastic or sometimes metal, used primarily as decorative binding and tying. Cloth ribbons are made of natural materials such as silk, cotton, and jute and of synthetic mate ...

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 or is the capital of the Cantons of Switzerland, Swiss canton of Canton of Fribourg, Fribourg and district of Sarine (district), La Sarine. Located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss Plateau, it is a major economic, adminis ...

), GV Suitia (in

Schwyz Schwyz (; ; ) is a town and the capital of the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland. The Federal Charter of 1291 or ''Bundesbrief'', the charter that eventually led to the foundation of Switzerland, can be seen at the ''Bundesbriefmuseum''. The of ...

), AV Semper Fidelis (

Lucerne Lucerne ( ) or Luzern ()Other languages: ; ; ; . is a city in central Switzerland, in the Languages of Switzerland, German-speaking portion of the country. Lucerne is the capital of the canton of Lucerne and part of the Lucerne (district), di ...

) and AV Helvetia Friburgensis (

Freiburg im Breisgau Freiburg im Breisgau or simply Freiburg is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fourth-largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, Mannheim and Karlsruhe. Its built-up area has a population of abou ...

). There are not only sections in

German-speaking German (, ) is a West Germanic language in the Indo-European language family, mainly spoken in Western and Central Europe. It is the majority and official (or co-official) language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It is a ...

regions but also in

French speaking Switzerland Romandy ( or ; Arpitan: ''Romandia'')Before World War I, the term French Switzerland () waalso used ( or , , ) is the French-speaking historical and cultural region of Switzerland. In 2020, about 2 million people, or 22.8% of the Swiss popu ...

and in other countries. Originally, the SSS was a political movement of catholic-

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

students and therefore implicitly the antipode of the Schweizerischer Zofingerverein, which had a progressive-

liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist. * An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...

political setting. The SSS intended to gather

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

, conservative forces against liberalism and radicalism. Nevertheless, after the

Sonderbund War The Sonderbund War (, , ) of November 1847 was a civil war in Switzerland, then still a relatively loose confederacy of cantons. It ensued after seven Catholic cantons formed the ("separate alliance") in 1845 to protect their interests against ...

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 The Federal Council is the federal cabinet of the Swiss Confederation. Its seven members also serve as the collective head of state and government of Switzerland. Since World War II, the Federal Council is by convention a permanent grand co ...

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 In the history of Germany, the ''Kulturkampf'' (Cultural Struggle) was the seven-year political conflict (1871–1878) between the Catholic Church in Germany led by Pope Pius IX and the Kingdom of Prussia led by chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Th ...

, the SSS became a society limited to

Catholics The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

. This was changed to "Christian" in 1977. Consequently, the SSS is now also open to

Protestants Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

. Women are allowed to join the society as of 1968. The SSS has a friendship agreement with the CV and the OCV. It is a member of the EKV.

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.

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)

Sections without active but with veteran members (21)

Sections without active or veteran members (32)

Explanation

Notable members (selection)

Holy or blessed members

* Maurice Tornay (1910–1949), Augustinian,

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...

and

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' Word stem, stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external party. In ...

, (GV Agaunia)

Prelates

Norbert Brunner Norbert Brunner may refer to: * Norbert Brunner (artist) (born 1969), Austrian artist * Norbert Brunner (bishop) Norbert Brunner (born 21 June 1942) is a Swiss prelate of the Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of the Roma ...

(born 1942), Bishop of Sion *

Benno Gut Benno Gut (1 April 1897 – 8 December 1970) was a Benedictine monk of the Archabbey of Maria Einsiedeln, Switzerland, and a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship in the Roman Cu ...

(1897–1970), Cardinal *

Kurt Koch Kurt Koch (born 15 March 1950) is a Swiss prelate of the Catholic Church. He has been a cardinal since November 2010 and president of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity since 1 July 2010. He was the bishop of Basel from 1996 until ...

(born 1950), Bishop of Basel *

Gaspard Mermillod Gaspard Mermillod (22 September 1824 – 23 February 1892) was a Swiss Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Despite a lengthy investiture conflict with the Calvinist Canton of Geneva, he served as Bishop of Lausanne and Geneva from 1883 t ...

(1824–1892), Cardinal * Henri Schwery (1932–2021), Cardinal * Reinhold Stecher (born 1921), Bishop of Innsbruck

Politicians

Members of the
Swiss Federal Council The Federal Council is the federal cabinet of the Swiss Confederation. Its seven members also serve as the collective head of state and government of Switzerland. Since World War II, the Federal Council is by convention a permanent grand co ...

Viola Amherd Viola Patricia Amherd (born 7 June 1962) is a Swiss politician who served as a Member of the Swiss Federal Council from 2019 to 2025, and as President of the Swiss Confederation for 2024 between 1 January and 31 December. She was the head of the ...

(born 1962) * Roger Bonvin (1907–1982) *

Enrico Celio Enrico Celio (19 June 1889 – 23 February 1980) was a Swiss lawyer, politician and journalist, a member of the Conservative Party, State Councilor and Federal Councilor. He was elected to the Federal Council of Switzerland on 22 February 1940 ...

(1889–1980) *

Flavio Cotti Flavio Cotti (18 October 193916 December 2020) was a Swiss politician who served as member of the Federal Council from 1986 to 1999. He was a member of the Christian Democratic People's Party from the canton of Ticino. In the 1990s, Cotti led t ...

(born 1939) *

Alphons Egli Alphons Blasius Egli colloquially Alphons Egli (8 October 1924 – 5 August 2016) was a Swiss attorney and politician who most notably served on the Federal Council (Switzerland) between 1983 and 1987 and as President of the Swiss Confederation i ...

(born 1924) *

Josef Escher Josef Escher (17 September 1885, in Simplon – 9 December 1954) was a Swiss politician and member of the Swiss Federal Council (1950–1954). He was elected to the Federal Council of Switzerland on 14 September 1950 resigned on 26 November 1 ...

(1885–1954) *

Philipp Etter Philipp Etter (21 December 1891 – 23 December 1977) was a Swiss lawyer and attorney who most notably served as President of Switzerland four times between 1939 and 1953, whilst concurrently serving on the Federal Council (Switzerland) for the ...

(1891–1977) *

Kurt Furgler Kurt Furgler (24 June 1924 – 23 July 2008) was a Swiss politician and member of the Swiss Federal Council (1972–1986). He was elected to the Federal Council of Switzerland on 8 December 1971 and handed over office on 31 December 1986. He wa ...

(1924–2008) *

Thomas Holenstein Thomas Holenstein (7 February 1896 – 31 October 1962) was a Swiss politician and member of the Swiss Federal Council (1955–1959). Holenstein studied law at the University of Bern, finishing in 1920. He then worked as a lawyer in his ...

(1896–1962) * Hans Hürlimann (1918–1994) *

Arnold Koller Arnold Koller (; born 29 August 1933) is a Swiss professor and politician. He served as a member of the Federal Council from 1987 to 1999 for the Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP). Koller previously served as a member of the National ...

(born 1933) *

Doris Leuthard Doris Leuthard (born 10 April 1963) is a Swiss politician and lawyer who served as a Member of the Swiss Federal Council from 2006 to 2018. A member of the Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP/PDC), she was elected as President of the Swiss ...

(born 1963) *

Ruth Metzler Ruth Metzler (born Arnold, 23 May 1964) is a Swiss politician who served as a Member of the Swiss Federal Council from 1999 to 2003. A member of the Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP/PDC), she headed the Federal Department of Justice and ...

(born 1964) *

Giuseppe Motta Giuseppe Motta (29 December 1871 – 23 January 1940) was a Swiss politician. He served as President of the Swiss Confederation 5 times. He was a member of the Swiss Federal Council (1911–1940) and President of the League of Nations (1924–1 ...

(1871–1940) *

Jean-Marie Musy Jean-Marie Musy (10 April 1876 – 19 April 1952) was a Swiss politician. Affiliated with the Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland, he was elected to the Federal Council of Switzerland on 11 December 1919 served until 30 April 193 ...

(1876–1952) * Ludwig von Moos (1910–1990) *

Josef Zemp Josef Zemp (2 September 1834 in Entlebuch – 8 December 1908) was a Swiss politician and member of the Swiss Federal Council (1891–1908). On 17 December 1891, he was the first member of a conservative party to be elected to the Federal Council ...

(1834–1908)

Other politicians

Achille Casanova Achille Casanova (2 October 1941 – 17 July 2016) was a Swiss journalist and politician. He held the office of Vice-Chancellor of Switzerland between 1981 and 2005, and during this time became the first official spokesman for the Swiss Federal ...

(born 1941) * Anton Cottier (1943–2006) * Dominique de Buman (born 1956) *

Bruno Frick Bruno Frick (born 31 May 1953) is a Swiss politician of the Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP/PDC). Frick has been a member of the Swiss Council of States for the Canton of Schwyz The canton of Schwyz ( ; ; ; ) is a Cantons of Switzerl ...

(born 1953) *

Felix Gmür Felix Gmür (born 7 June 1966) is a Swiss Roman Catholic bishop. He is the bishop of Basel since his installation on 16 January 2011. He had previously served as secretary of the Swiss Bishops' Conference. Gmür was born in Lucerne in 1966. Fro ...

(born 1966) * Carlo Schmid-Sutter (born 1950) *

Urs Schwaller Urs Schwaller (born 31 October 1952 in Fribourg) is a Swiss politician. He was a member of the cantonal government of Fribourg, the '' Conseil d'Etat'' from 1992 to 2004. He then served in the Swiss Council of States for the Canton of Fribour ...

(born 1952)

Others

Daniel Anrig Colonel Daniel Rudolf Anrig (born 10 July 1972) is a Swiss military officer and police officer. He served as the 34th Commandant of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, appointed by Pope Benedict XVI on 19 August 2008. He replaced Elmar Mäder who had ...

(born 1972), Commandant of the

Pontifical Swiss Guards The Pontifical Swiss Guard,; ; ; ; , %5BCorps of the Pontifical Swiss Guard%5D. ''vatican.va'' (in Italian). Retrieved 19 July 2022. also known as the Papal Swiss Guard or simply Swiss Guard,Swiss Guards , History, Vatican, Uniform, Require ...

* Roman Bannwart (1919–2010), Theologian * Pierre Hemmer (1950–2013), Entrepreneur *

Hans Küng Hans Küng (; 19 March 1928 – 6 April 2021) was a Swiss Catholic priest, theologian, and author. From 1995 he was president of the Foundation for a Global Ethic (Stiftung Weltethos). Küng was ordained a priest in 1954, joined the faculty ...

(born 1928), Theologian * Elmar Mäder (born 1963), Commandant of the

Giusep Nay Giusep Nay (born 9 August 1942 in Trun, Grisons) was the president of the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland for 2005 and 2006; he resigned in 2006. Nay was elected to the Supreme Court in 1988 after being nominated by the Christian Democrati ...

(born 1942),

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

of the

Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland The Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland ( ; ; ; ; sometimes the Swiss Federal Tribunal) is the supreme court of the Swiss Confederation and the head of the Swiss judiciary. The Federal Supreme Court is headquartered in the Federal Courth ...

Michel Plancherel Michel Plancherel (; 16 January 1885 – 4 March 1967) was a Swiss people, Swiss mathematician. Biography He was born in Bussy, Fribourg, Bussy (Canton of Fribourg, Switzerland) and obtained his Diplom in mathematics from the University of Fribou ...

(1885–1967), Mathematician

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,

External links

*
Schweizerischer Studentenverein

Zentralfest des Schweizerischen Studentenvereins

References

{{Authority control Christian fraternities and sororities in Switzerland Fraternities and sororities in Switzerland Student societies in Switzerland 1841 establishments in Switzerland Student organizations established in 1841