WKStV Unitas-Salia Bonn

WKStV Unitas-Salia Bonn (Wissenschaftlicher Katholischer Studentenverein Unitas-Salia Bonn) is a Catholic student association based in Bonn, Germany. Founded in 1847 as Ruhrania, it is one of the oldest Catholic student corporations in Germany and the association from which the Verband der Wissenschaftlichen Katholischen Studentenvereine Unitas (Unitas federation) emerged. The association is non-dueling (nicht schlagend) and non-colour-wearing (nicht-farbentragend), and it is guided by the principles of virtus, scientia and amicitia — Christian virtue and values, scholarly interest extending beyond one's own studies, and friendship among members. The association was founded on 11 June 1847 in the Gasthof Engel in Bonn's Rheingasse as Ruhrania, initially admitting only Catholic theology students. It was renamed Unitas on 2 February 1854, merged with Salia in 1875 to become Unitas-Salia, and added the designation "Wissenschaftlicher Katholischer Studentenverein" in 1887. Its colours are blue-white-gold, adopted on 5 March 1863, which became the colours of the Unitas federation. The motto is "In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas". Today the association is part of the Unitas federation, the oldest Catholic student federation in Germany and, with around 6,000 members, the third-largest Catholic federation in the country. During the semester it organises lectures, parties, church services and visits to other Unitas associations across Germany. It offers students the opportunity to meet current and former students from various disciplines and to experience an active student life in Bonn. The association is based in Bonn and maintains a house (Haus) where members and prospective members can visit.

The first half of the 19th century saw fundamental upheavals in social ideas that challenged traditional church views. This, together with the contrast between the Protestant-influenced Prussian state and the Catholic population — culminating in the arrest of the Archbishop of Cologne in 1837 — led to the formation of numerous Catholic associations, especially in the Rhine Province. Because the existing forms of student association — Burschenschaften, Landsmannschaften and Corps — did not embody religious values and moreover practised the Mensur (duel), which devout Catholics rejected, the Bavaria was founded in 1844 at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität in Bonn as the first Catholic corporation. Owing to the large influx into this new form of student association, further Catholic associations were founded in 1847. On 11 June 1847, the Ruhrania — from which the Unitas would later emerge — was founded in the Gasthof Engel in Bonn's Rheingasse. The association admitted only Catholic theology students. It joined with Bavaria and the sister associations Burgundia, Romania, Salia and Thuringia to form the Union, in order to gain greater weight against Bonn's liberal student associations. The six Union members wore a red-white-red ribbon, whose colours were intended to demonstrate affiliation with the Archdiocese of Cologne. As early as 1848, Ruhrania had to officially dissolve again because of pressure from the Prussian state as the body responsible for the university on members of student associations. In the summer semester of 1850, former members — especially from the Collegium Albertinum and Collegium Leoninum convents — reconstituted the Ruhrania. They deliberately refrained from wearing colours, since they considered internal work more important than external display. They no longer joined the Union. In the following years the association was fundamentally reformed. In the early 1850s, the still relatively loose league of Ruhrania, held together primarily by shared faith and shared study, became a closer association that realised these things in its own way. Purely social entertainment and outward appearances to confirm Catholicism in public, which had characterised the Union, became less important. Instead, the education of members — at that time still all theology students — for a shared life of faith and scholarly engagement with Catholic doctrine came to the fore. The statutes recorded the patron saints, the association festivals and the manner of cultivating the scholarly principle, which shape the Unitas federation to this day. The association festival, first celebrated on 6 August 1850 in Heisterbach, developed into the highest festival of the Unitas with the combination of a joint celebration of Holy Mass, agape and a scholarly morning session. On 2 February 1854, Ruhrania adopted the name Unitas. This was justified in the association's minute book by the theology student Ferdinand Rheinstädter with the words: "Unity in faith is indeed the essence of Catholicism, unity in scholarship consists above all in the relation of all our scholarly endeavours to the greater glory of God and the glorification of His holy Church, unity in friendship is our mutual sanctification through the effective grasp of the idea of a friendship in the Lord." (quoted after Brenig: 110 Jahre Unitas-Salia zu Bonn, page 9). In 1853, students of other faculties were admitted for the first time by unanimous resolution. Nevertheless, the Unitas remained a theological association until 1887. After the principles worked out in previous years were laid down in a new statute on 3 March 1853, an Altherrenverein (old members' association) was founded in October 1854 for members who had completed their studies, and in 1855 a unanimous declaration by all members was issued regarding the Unitas as a life bond. The motto was set as "In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas". In 1858 the Bonn Unitarian P. Liesen wrote the federation song of the Unitas federation, "Erschalle jetzt, du Bundessang". On 5 March 1863 the Unitas Bonn chose the association colours blue-white-gold, which became the Unitarian federation colours. Blue-white are the colours of Saint Mary, white-gold those of the Catholic Church. On 8 December 1855, with the founding of the Tübingen daughter association Unitas Tübingen, a new federation arose, the later Verband der Wissenschaftlichen Katholischen Studentenvereine Unitas (UV). Originally a single association based in two places was intended. Since Bonn was in Prussia and Tübingen in Württemberg, this was impossible, so an umbrella organisation was founded for both associations. In 1875 the Unitas merged with the Salia to form Unitas-Salia. In 1887 the designation "Wissenschaftlicher Katholischer Studentenverein" was added. The association thus changed its name several times in the 19th century: founded in 1847 as Ruhrania, renamed Unitas in 1854, merged with Salia in 1875 to become Unitas-Salia, and in 1887 the designation "Wissenschaftlicher Katholischer Studentenverein" was added. The Unitas federation, which emerged from it, is the oldest Catholic student federation and, with around 6,000 members, currently the third-largest of the Catholic federations in Germany. Today the W.K.St.V. Unitas-Salia Bonn is a non-duelling, non-colour-wearing Catholic student association that is part of the Unitas federation and is guided by the principles virtus, scientia and amicitia. During the semester it organises joint events such as lectures and parties, attends church services together, and visits other associations from its umbrella organisation throughout Germany. It offers students the opportunity to meet current and former students of various disciplines and to experience an active and varied student life in the federal city of Bonn.

• 1887

  Added the designation "Wissenschaftlicher Katholischer Studentenverein".

• 1875

  Merged with Salia to form Unitas-Salia.

• 1863

  On 5 March, the Unitas Bonn chose the association colours blue-white-gold, which became the Unitarian federation colours.

• 1858

  Bonn Unitarian P. Liesen wrote the federation song "Erschalle jetzt, du Bundessang".

• 1855

  Unanimous declaration by all members to regard the Unitas as a life bond; motto set as "In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas".

• 1855

  On 8 December, the founding of the Tübingen daughter association Unitas Tübingen led to the creation of the later Unitas federation (UV).

• 1854

  Renamed Unitas on 2 February; Altherrenverein founded in October.

• 1853

  Students of other faculties admitted for the first time by unanimous resolution; new statutes laid down on 3 March.

• 1850

  Reconstituted in the summer semester by former members, deliberately refraining from wearing colours.

• 1850

  First association festival celebrated on 6 August in Heisterbach.

• 1848

  Forced to officially dissolve due to pressure from the Prussian state on members of student associations.

• 1847

  Founded on 11 June 1847 in the Gasthof Engel in Bonn's Rheingasse as Ruhrania, initially admitting only Catholic theology students.

Non-duelling, non-colour-wearing Catholic student association in Bonn, part of the Unitas federation, emphasising Christian values, academic interest and lifelong friendship.

1. 1W.K.St.V. Unitas-Salia Bonn – Katholische Studentenverbindung in Bonn seit 1847unitas-salia.de
2. 2Über uns – W.K.St.V. Unitas-Salia Bonnunitas-salia.de
3. 3WKStV Unitas-Salia Bonn – Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4WKStV Unitas-Salia Bonn – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org