Comparison of American and German fraternities/sororities

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by KAPital PHINUst

Are you for real?

Well, ich bin verde ein schmutzinger vogel sein *lol*

"Verde" is Spanish.
"Schmutzinger" is a surname.

Originally Posted by VictoriaGermany

I was refering to the typical university cities in Germany, e.g. Marburg, Göttingen, Heidelberg...

Sorry, but your German sentence doesn´t make sense. What do you mean by saying this?

What he was TRYING to say was "Ich bin werde ein schmutziger vogel sein".

Not that it's any funnier. And I think the sentence structure is still a little weak.

[RU OX Alum]

he will become a dirty bird?

ich werde das nie verstehen

aber, ich will gern zulernen von deutsche "fraternites" (studentbrudershaften?)

does anybody remember the name of the German fraternity that the one guy who used to post here was in? It had four colors on the coat of arms and they wore tri-colored caps on their heads, and dressed in uniforms with swords.

[VictoriaGermany]

Originally Posted by RU OX Alum

he will become a dirty bird?

ich werde das nie verstehen

aber, ich will gern zulernen von deutsche "fraternites" (studentbrudershaften?)

does anybody remember the name of the German fraternity that the one guy who used to post here was in? It had four colors on the coat of arms and they wore tri-colored caps on their heads, and dressed in uniforms with swords.

Hm, don´t you remember this colours? The description of his cloths is not very precise, because almost every fraternity has the so-called "Chargenwichs", you described.

[KAPital PHINUst]

Originally Posted by RU OX Alum

he will become a dirty bird?

Hint: Substitute "monkey's uncle" for "dirty bird", and you will get the jist of what the phrase was supposed to convey. Again, it was a phrase that the late comedian George Gobel used to say as a signature trademark line.

I got the German version from a old (1975) episode of Jeopardy whereby the category was "Foreign Phrases" and the $60 clue was the phrase I mentioned. Hence my post.

[RU OX Alum]

Originally Posted by KAPital PHINUst

Hint: Substitute "monkey's uncle" for "dirty bird", and you will get the jist of what the phrase was supposed to convey. Again, it was a phrase that the late comedian George Gobel used to say as a signature trademark line.

I got the German version from a old (1975) episode of Jeopardy whereby the category was "Foreign Phrases" and the $60 clue was the phrase I mentioned. Hence my post.

INTEResting, thank you. I'm conversational, but am still learning phrases/expressions and what not.

[cutie_cat_4ever]

I like this topic a lot! Thanks VictoriaGermany I always knew there were Fraternities/Sororities exist outside the US, but I barely know the history of it. It's insteresting to learn how some are similar or different from each other Great topic!!

[KAPital PHINUst]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

"Verde" is Spanish.
"Schmutzinger" is a surname.

What he was TRYING to say was "Ich bin werde ein schmutziger vogel sein".

Not that it's any funnier. And I think the sentence structure is still a little weak.

*lol* Thank you for clarifying. While I haven't actively spoke German save for a few phrases here and there since high school (over 15 years ago), I think I did a pretty darn good job for a rusty guy like myself. *makes pseudo-dignifed facial grimace*

[33girl]

Ach du lieber.

[ihearttrisigma]

VictoriaGermany,

I just wanted to tell you this is one of the most interesting threads I've read in awhile! Thank you so much for sharing!

The sorority I am a member of actually opened a chapter in Manheim I believe in 2003, but has since closed. I can find more information if you are interested.

I look forward to reading more about greek life in Germany!

[VictoriaGermany]

Originally Posted by ihearttrisigma

VictoriaGermany,

I just wanted to tell you this is one of the most interesting threads I've read in awhile! Thank you so much for sharing!

The sorority I am a member of actually opened a chapter in Manheim I believe in 2003, but has since closed. I can find more information if you are interested.

I look forward to reading more about greek life in Germany!

Mannheim? Too bad they closed down. At the end of September members of several German sororities will meet in Mannheim to share experiences and have a lot of fun together.

As we do not have any umbrella organisation for sororities in Germany, we set up an annual event which will be in another city every year. This year it will be in Mannheim.

Don´t know how much you are in contact with your sorority sisters in Germany. If they are interested to meet the German sororities on the DVT (Damenverbindungstreffen), please let me know and I will give you further details.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by ihearttrisigma

VictoriaGermany,

I just wanted to tell you this is one of the most interesting threads I've read in awhile! Thank you so much for sharing!

I agree. Thanks for starting the thread, VictoriaGermany.

My own (possible) German connection: I am a brother in Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, a social fraternity for men with a particular interest in music. We were founded at the New England Conservatory (Boston) in 1898, and our original name was The Sinfonia Fraternity (or often simply, The Sinfonia). Fraternity lore has it that the name was suggested by the director of the Conservatory, who suggested that the newly-forming group adopt the name of an organization he had belonged to when he was a student in Leipzig.

[VictoriaGermany]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

I agree. Thanks for starting the thread, VictoriaGermany.

Thank you , I am happy to share my experiences with you.

Originally Posted by MysticCat

My own (possible) German connection: I am a brother in Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, a social fraternity for men with a particular interest in music. We were founded at the New England Conservatory (Boston) in 1898, and our original name was The Sinfonia Fraternity (or often simply, The Sinfonia). Fraternity lore has it that the name was suggested by the director of the Conservatory, who suggested that the newly-forming group adopt the name of an organization he had belonged to when he was a student in Leipzig.

Wow, that´s interesting! I just checked, but unfortunately, couldn´t find any information about Sinfonia Leipzig on the web. Possible, it doesn´t exist anymore.

Thanks for writing about music-oriented corporations. I almost forgot to mention that we have them as well . There is one umbrella organisation with fraternities and unisex corporations in Germany. All Corporations have their colours, but they do not wear them. We are in contact with a sorority from Hamburg which was founded last year and entered the umbrella organisation this year in May. It´s the first sorority in this organisation.

Beside this, there are the so-called "Sängerschaften". They are also involved in the academic fencing tradition and I guess in most cases their members sing in a choir. Unfortunately, fencing with sharp weapons and singing in a choir doesn´t fit together very well, therefore more and more Sängerschaften have to close down.

I can only imagine the standing American students´corporation have. In Germany, it is always hard to find new members to keep the idea of a life-long friendship alive.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by VictoriaGermany

Wow, that´s interesting! I just checked, but unfortunately, couldn´t find any information about Sinfonia Leipzig on the web. Possible, it doesn´t exist anymore.

Possibly it doesn't, and maybe it never did. As I said, the idea that the name came from a Leipzig Sinfonia is lore that has been passed down as long as anyone can remember, but our official history notes that it is not corroborated in any early official records, so no one really knows whether it's true or not.

Thanks for writing about music-oriented corporations. I almost forgot to mention that we have them as well . There is one umbrella organisation with fraternities and unisex corporations in Germany. All Corporations have their colours, but they do not wear them. We are in contact with a sorority from Hamburg which was founded last year and entered the umbrella organisation this year in May. It´s the first sorority in this organisation.

Which umbrella organization is this?

Beside this, there are the so-called "Sängerschaften". They are also involved in the academic fencing tradition and I guess in most cases their members sing in a choir. Unfortunately, fencing with sharp weapons and singing in a choir doesn´t fit together very well, therefore more and more Sängerschaften have to close down.

LOL. I did a little bit of fencing in college (although fencing as sport, not academic fencing).

But this is all very interesting, and I'd love to know more about the Sängerschaften. (I did find this link, which gives me an excuse to practice my rusty German.)

[Wiu_sigmatri]

Originally Posted by ihearttrisigma

VictoriaGermany,

I just wanted to tell you this is one of the most interesting threads I've read in awhile! Thank you so much for sharing!

The sorority I am a member of actually opened a chapter in Manheim I believe in 2003, but has since closed. I can find more information if you are interested.

I look forward to reading more about greek life in Germany!

I'm also a sigma, I was actually looking at our guidebook today and it opened in 2001 and a military base/school and I couldn't find if it closed or not.