DUELS OF HONOUR

In German universities of the 19th and early 20th century, duelling scars were a show of courage and a brotherly bond

‘Duelling’ could take many other forms, and many of these were for honour as opposed to a legal dispute. In the German military duelling scars, or ‘Schmisse’, were seen as something of a symbol of pride by officers. These scars were often referred to as ‘Mensur Scars’ and were the result of fencing. University duels of honour between students were incredibly common and although protective gear was worn (padding on the arms, chest and throat, and eye guards) these fights were extremely violent. Occasionally, due to the spontaneous and sometimes heated nature of these duels, they would take place without protection for the combatants. This practice was banned shortly following World War I and continued to be prohibited by the Nazi party. Following the end of World War II it was reinstated, though soon fell out of favour. ‘Academic’ duelling is still practised in some universities, though thankfully the obsession of obtaining facial scarring seems to have vanished.