List of Swiss student societies


Incomplete list of fraternities or Studentenverbindungen in Switzerland, listed with foundation date and home university.
Most of these societies are members of a Federation of societies such as the Schweizerischer Studentenverein /Société des Étudiants Suisses or have subsections at more than one university as the Zofingerverein does.
The societies are traditionally categorized by their stance towards academic fencing. There are four categories,
pflichtschlagend, fakultativ schlagend, frei schlagend and nichtschlagend.
Those Swiss societies which practice fencing are united in the Schweizerischer Waffenring. Some examples of "pflichtschlagenden Studentenverbindungen" in Switzerland today are AT Alemannia, AT Utonia or AT Rhenania. Schweizerische Studentenverbindung Helvetia is unique in that its German-speaking sections practice fencing while its French-speaking ones do not.
The Schweizerischer Studentenverein decided during the second half of the 19th century to forbid fencing to its members due to reasons of religion. Duelling was and still is seen as contrary to Christian/catholic values on which this Federation is based.