GbVKs

[tuttipole]

The "Baltic Fraternities Convention" (=GbVKs/BTKs/BRKs)) are keeping
up the activities in the past centuries of the corps at Riga´s and
Dorpat´s/Tartu´s universities.

The convention´s background is based on the close connection of
German, Latvian and Estonian students in the 19th and 20th centuries.

This was brought to an end by the "Hitler-Stalin-Treaty" which led to
German-Baltic people being "repatriated" after 700 years of common
history.

Since 1808, twelve German corps have been founded based in Dorpat
(Tartu), Riga and St. Petersburg.

Since 1870, twenty Latvian, and after 1900 ten Estonian corps have
been founded in Tartu, Tallinn, Riga, Moscow and Gdansk.

In fact, almost all students of Riga´s ,Tallinn´s and Tartu´s
universities were corps members in 1939.

For some time also Polish corps were members of Riga´s PK
(Chargiertenconvent).

Already in the early 50ties of the 20th cent. Estonian, Baltic-German
and Latvian corps members met at Augsburg to re-animate the tradition
of GbVKs, BTKs and BRKs..

Organized by "Baltische Gesellschaft" and "Baltischer
Philisterverband" the 1st Baltic Kommers was celebrated at Heidelberg
in 1963, and BFCs have been celebrated yearly from then on.

Today, an increasing number of Estonian and Latvian corps members are
taking part - even those formerly exiled to USA, Canada or
Australia .

Ever since the Baltic States have regained their independence a lively
corps life has been developing there and "BFCs" are now being
celerbrated regularly in Estonia (Tartu/Dorpat or Tallinn/Reval),
Latvia (Riga) and Germany (Hamburg, Göttingen or München/Munich).

Since the beginning of the 20th century, several sororities have been
founded in Tartu, Tallinn and Riga . Much like the members of the
Baltic fraternities - members of those sororities also wear caps
(Deckel) and ribbons.

The sororities are very keen as well and contribute greatly to to the
social importance of academical life in the Baltic States.

Perhaps, the Baltic Fraternities´ Conventions (BFCs) might now be
called "BSFC"s

The first of these "BSFCs" took place in Hamburg in 1996. Three years
later sororities and fraternities were invited to Göttingen, hosted by
Corps Curonia Goettingensis . In 2002, the Baltic Fraternities´
Convention took place in Munich, hosted by Baltische Corporation
Fraternitas Dorpatensis zu München.

In 2003 we journeyed to Estonia where the 40th Balti Rahvaste Kommers
was organized by Tartu´s Fraternitas Estica and Indla (a sorority)

After Riga, Hamburg and Tartu the 44th Baltijas Tautas Kommers will at
the beginning of July take place in Riga