Schweizerischer Studentenverein

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 and universities of applied sciences in Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Italy. Formerly, sections also existed in Belgium, France and in the Czech Republic.

The Schweizerischer Studentenverein (SSS) was founded on August 31, 1841, as the federation of the Catholic-conservative, color-bearing, and non-dueling corporations of Switzerland.The first four sections were founded in 1843: GV Zähringia (in Fribourg), GV Suitia (in Schwyz), AV Semper Fidelis (Lucerne), and AV Helvetia Friburgensis (Freiburg im Breisgau).

There are not only sections in German-speaking regions, but also in French-speaking Switzerland and in other countries. Originally, the SSS was a political movement of Catholic-conservative students and therefore implicitly the antipode of the Schweizerischer Zofingerverein, which had a progressive-liberal political setting. The SSS intended to gather Christian, conservative forces against liberalism and radicalism. Nevertheless, after the Sonderbund War of 1847, it was members of the SSS who contributed to Switzerland's unity.

The SSS was always meant to be a society of politically active members. Nearly all members of the Swiss Federal Council 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 with the CVP and nowadays is open to other political parties.

The SSS has a friendship agreement with the CV and the OCV. It is a member of the EKV.

The motto of SSS is Virtus, scientia, amicitia! Its colors are red, white, and green. Its symbol is the red hat. The member corporations are free to choose any shade of red and the type of hat.

In 1873, during the time of the Kulturkampf, the SSS became a society limited to Catholics. This was changed to "Christian" in 1977. Consequently, the SSS is now also open to Protestants. Women are allowed to join the society as of 1968.

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 support the CC. The veterans are federated in the Altherrenbund (AHB), which has its 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.^[1]

In total, there are at least 113 corporations that were at sometime a member of the SSS. There are three types of corporations: Gymnasialverbindung (High School Corporation), Ingenieursverbindung (Engineering Corporation), and Akademische Verbindung (Academic Corporation).

Organizations fall under a predicate, including:

• Gymnasialverbindung (High School Corporation)
• Akademische Verbindung (Academic Corporation)
• Akademische Kommentverbindung (Academic Comment Corporation)
• Fachhochschulverbindung (Corporation at a University of Applied Science)
• Semiakademische Verbindung (Semi-Academic Corporation)
• Akademische Burschenschaft (German-speaking Academic Corporation)
• Regionalverbindung (Regional Corporation, not affiliated to a university)

The following 59 sections have active and veteran members.

The following 21 sections have no active members, but still have veteran members.

The following sections are inactive and do not have any active or veteran members.

• Pierre Hemmer, electronics engineer and business executive, founder of MC Management et Communications SA
• Michel Plancherel, Mathematician

• Giusep Nay, president of the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland

• Viola Amherd, member of the Swiss Federal Council
• Roger Bonvin, member of the Swiss Federal Council
• Achille Casanova, Vice-Chancellor of Switzerland
• Enrico Celio, member of the Swiss Federal Council
• Flavio Cotti, member of the Swiss Federal Council
• Dominique de Buman, President of the National Council (Switzerland)
• Anton Cottier, member of the Great Council of Friebourg, senate, and president of HC Fribourg-Gottéron SA
• Alphons Egli, member of the Swiss Federal Council
• Josef Escher, member of the Swiss Federal Council
• Philipp Etter, member of the Swiss Federal Council
• Bruno Frick, member and president of the Swiss Council of States
• Kurt Furgler, member of the Swiss Federal Council
• Thomas Holenstein, member of the Swiss Federal Council
• Hans Hürlimann, member of the Swiss Federal Council
• Arnold Koller, member of the Swiss Federal Council
• Doris Leuthard, member of the Swiss Federal Council
• Ruth Metzler, member of the Swiss Federal Council
• Giuseppe Motta, member of the Swiss Federal Council
• Jean-Marie Musy, member of the Swiss Federal Council
• Carlo Schmid-Sutter, member and president of the Swiss Council of States
• Ludwig von Moos, member of the Swiss Federal Council
• Josef Zemp, member of the Swiss Federal Council

• Daniel Anrig, Commandant of the Pontifical Swiss Guards
• Roman Bannwart, theologian and musician
• Norbert Brunner, Catholic Bishop of Sion
• Felix Gmür, Roman Catholic bishop
• Benno Gut, Roman Catholic Cardinal
• Kurt Koch, Roman Catholic Bishop of Basel
• Hans Küng, theologian
• Elmar Mäder, Commandant of the Pontifical Swiss Guards
• Gaspard Mermillod, Cardinal and bishop of the Roman Catholic Church
• Henri Schwery, Roman Catholic Cardinal and Bishop of Sion
• Reinhold Stecher, Roman Cahtolic Bishop of Innsbruck
• Maurice Tornay (GV Agaunia), Augustinian missionary and martyr

• List of Swiss student societies
• Studentenverbindung

• 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, ISBN 3-9520027-2-0

• Urs Altermatt: "Schweizerischer Studentenverein" in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
• Schweizerischer Studentenverein
• Zentralfest des Schweizerischen Studentenvereins
• Postal cards of the SSS