Schlaraffia Associations as a “Freundschaftsbund” of the Central European Middle Class (1859–1939)

Abstract

“Schlaraffia” is a title used to this day in reference to exclusively male associations that cultivate mutual friendship, art, and humor while maintaining pseudo-medieval “chivalric” ceremonies. These groups grew out of the humorous and artistic society of Prague theatre workers founded in 1859. From 1876, the individual local organizations united in the Allschlaraffia Union, which was active mainly in Germany and Austria Hungary but also in German-speaking communities elsewhere in Europe and around the world. In the late 1880s and early 1890s, the social stratification within middle-class elites led to the movement’s being rebuilt; Schlaraffia came to more closely resemble so-called lodge associations, which were seen as more civilized and serious. The original drinking society character evolved into that of a solid, socially exclusive men’s club. Schlaraffia in Prague and its chapters subsequently pursued goals along the same lines as lodge societies like the Freemasons, Odd Fellows, and B’nai B’rith, which sought to instill a sense of idealism, humanity, tolerance, friendship, and brotherhood in their members and foster personal growth. The Schlaraffia, however, differed in the means by which they sought to achieve these goals. Schlaraffian sociability relied not on arcane rituals but rather on cheerful ceremonies, not on edifying lectures and charitable campaigns but on artistic endeavors and humorous performances. This mix of the serious and the frivolous gave the Schlaraffia their unique character and made this network an attractive avenue for recreation, communication, and socialization, especially among the German-speaking middle class. Because they attracted a high number of elites, they played a considerable role in the cultural and social history of Central and East Central Europe.