Togetherness

Schlaraffia is a worldwide German-speaking society founded in Prague (then part of the Austrian Empire) in 1859 with a pledge of friendship, art and humour.

When in 1859 the director of the German Theatre, Franz Thomé, wanted to induct one of his young artists, the bass player Albert Eilers, into the Prague artists’ association ‘Arcadia’, he was rejected because of his impecuniousness as an obvious proletarian. In protest, Eilers and his theatre colleagues founded a regulars’ table, which they derisively named the ‘Proletarians’ Club’. From this, after many detours and setbacks, the present-day world-spanning ‘Schlaraffia’ developed.

The motto of the association is In arte voluptas (meaning approximately: in art lies pleasure). Schlaraffia is an exclusively male organisation and its members are generally middle-aged and in secure positions. The Schlaraffen meet in midwinter once a week in their Schlaraffen castle, which is equipped in the style of a knight’s tavern from the Middle Ages, for ‘Sippungen’, gatherings which take place in the fixed ceremonial form of a knight’s play. In doing so, everyday life is satirised as well as kept alive through recitations of literary and musical forms. An antiquated language with its own vernacular for everyday things, known as ‘Schlaraffen Latin’, gives the Sippungen their own humorous note – for example: ‘powder pot’ for tobacco pipe, ‘gasoline horse’ for car, ‘castle monster’ for mother-in-law.

Their mascot is the eagle owl (Bubo Bubo) symbolizing wisdom, virtue, and humour (the owl itself presents knowledge and wisdom). In 1874, the association’s journal Der Schlaraffia Zeyttungen appeared for the first time in Leipzig. It still appears today several times a year.

The greeting of the Schlaraffen is Lulu. The onomatopoeic artificial word is also used in the Sippungen as an interjection (throw-in) of approval and praise. According to the folklorist Erich Kaessmayer, it may be the abbreviation of the translation of ‘Play the game!’ into Latin - ludum ludite! Since almost all the founding members were stage professionals, they used appropriate text quotations in their cheerful table conversations.

There is no connection with Freemasonry, and Schlaraffians clearly distance themselves from service clubs such as Lions Club or Rotary International, student associations or carnival clubs and similar associations. During the National Socialist era and later under the government of the GDR, many local groups were forced to cease their club activities and were only able to survive these times in very isolated cases through secret meetings in safe surroundings (mostly private homes).

Local groups of Schlaraffia in cities are called ‘Reyche’ by Schlaraffians. The first Schlaraffenreych was founded in Prague (therefore called ‘Allmutter Praga’) by German artists. Now, there are 261 ‘Reyche’ and ‘Colonien’ (local associations) worldwide in which German is spoken exclusively (although the members do not have to be German) and which are in close contact with each other. They are grouped together in the ‘Allschlaraffia’, which also publish the ‘Allschlaraffische Stammrolle’, a book of over 1200 pages, which every Schlaraffe receives updated annually and which provides an overview of all (including defunct) Reyches, Colonies and their predecessors (Stammtisch and Feldlager) as well as the ‘Sassen’ (members). Every Schlaraffe is welcome in every Reych in the world at any time. At present there are Reyches in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Sweden, the USA, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, Thailand, South Africa and Australia.

Artists, actors, writers and other public figures were and are Schlaraffians, including:

• the Prague theatre director Franz Thomé, founder of Schlaraffia
• the directors of the Vienna State Opera Wilhelm Jahn and Gustav Mahler
• the opera singers Anton Arnold, Eduard Bachmann, Hermann Becht, Walter Berry, Bruno Heydrich
• the founder of the Augsburg Puppet Box Walter Oehmichen
• the technical directors Friedrich Kranich and Rudolf Kueck

An overview of all events, including contact details, can be found in the brochure Sippungsfolgen, which is published annually by the All-Sharma Council. Schlaraffen are recognisable by the ‘Rolandnadel’, a small white bead worn on the left lapel, or by a sticker attached to the vehicle showing a winking owl's head.

Albert Eilers and his colleagues founded the Schlaraffia because they were looked down on by wider society. Since then, in many parts of the world, theatre workers have established clubs, associations, professional institutions and unions to share knowledge, improve working conditions and increase the recognition of their work. Organisations can, however, provide another equally important function – mutual support and friendship outside the workplace.