A commercium (plural commercia) is a traditional academic feast known at universities in most Central and Northern European countries. In German it is called a or . Today it is still organised by student fraternities in Germanic and

Baltic countries The Baltic states or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term encompassing Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, and the OECD. The three sovereign states on the eastern co ...

, as well as

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

. At a commercium, tables are often placed in the form of a U or a W, and the participants drink

beer Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...

and sing commercium songs. There are strict and traditional rules that govern this occasion but it may also integrate theatrical and musical aspects. A commercium is the more formal form of the tableround, called in German. The term is derived from the French and had been used for any sort of noisy event. A Commers gathering consists of speeches, toasts and songs, sometimes arranged pranks as well. The drink of preference is

. The arrangements are governed by officials () elected by the members of the ''

Studentenverbindung () or , often referred to as , is the umbrella term for many different kinds of fraternity-type associations in German-speaking countries, including Corps, , , , and Catholic fraternities. Worldwide, there are over 1,600 , about a thousand in ...

''. The sort of event started to be more formalized after 1871. German associations like firefighters or

Schützenverein A Schützenverein (German for "marksmen's club") is a local voluntary association found in German-speaking countries revolving around shooting as a sport, often target shooting to Olympic rules or with historic weapons. Although originating as ...

e started to arrange commercia in the 19th century and still do on special occasions. Some special customs include a salamander or . The guests rise and having emptied their glasses hammer three times on the table with them. On the death of a student, his memory may be honored with a . The operetta ''

The Student Prince ''The Student Prince'' is an operetta in a prologue and four acts with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly. It is based on Wilhelm Meyer-Förster's play ''Old Heidelberg (play), Old Heidelberg''. The piece has a scor ...

'' made German students' drinking habits famous during the prohibition, and the rousing chorus of "Drink! Drink! Drink!" was especially popular with US theatergoers in 1924. In the last years of communist

Eastern Germany The new states of Germany () are the five re-established states of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) that unified with the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) with its 10 "old states" upon German reunification on 3 October 1990. The ...

, some students managed to arrange for new founded fraternities, e.g. Salana Jenensis in Jena and organized commercia on the Rudelsburg.Kurt U. Bertrams (ed.): ''Studentenverbindungen in der DDR.'' WJK-Verlag Hilden 2006 File:Allianzkommers Einladung 1988.jpg, Invitation to a commercium in Eastern Germany 1988 File:Korporierte Studentinnen in Riga.JPG, Sorority students at a commercium in Riga, 2014 File:Kneipsaal Heidelberger Wingolf.jpg, Heidelberg Wingolf's hall for commercia and roundtables

References

{{Meals_navbox Academic meals Eating parties Student societies in Germany Culture of Germany Fraternity and sorority culture

See also

References