The Latvian Students’ Academic Fraternity – Corps Fraternitas Academica was founded February 4, 1925 in Riga. Its goal is to join together students in order to enhance academic life, to refine a sense of honesty and responsibility, and to encourage temperance. Fraternity desires to encourage a deeper sensitivity to science, literature, art and sport; to provide moral and material support for its members during their student years and after. It is oriented to developing decent and strong Latvian citizens who could take an active part in Latvia’s cultural and social life.
Fraternitas Academica initial roots were formed in the Academic Scout Club (Akadēmiskais skautu klubs, ASK) which was founded in 1924 to consolidate those students who were scouts and to help them develop their traditional spiritual values. This Club was registered as an autonomous unit by the Latvian Scout Central organization. The emblem of the ASK included a rhomboid lily in white with a green border; this emblem has been preserved on the top of the fraternity cap in the form of a five pointed star.
The Fraternity’s original name was Fraternitas Academica but because of the desire by some critics to mitigate confusion with the German fraternity established in Dorpat (present Tartu, Estonia), at the Special Convention (Speciālais konvents) on March 28, 1927 it was changed to Fraternitas Academica Latviensis. However, the original name was confirmed by the University of Latvia Council (Latvijas Universitātes Padome) on February 8, 1933.
Upon the registration of the new society with the University of Latvia, it held 22 members from various faculties, including 17 from the now defunct ASK as well as 5 from the Faculty of Theology.
Because a majority of the Scout Club members belonged to the fraternity Lettonia their suggestion to obtain sponsorship of the new organization’s constitution (Komāns) with the older fraternity was approved. The founders and the first semester group of new members or pledges guaranteed the United Academic Fraternities’ Bylaws (Apvienoto Korporāciju komāns) with Lettonia in November, 1925.
The following four semesters were very active consolidating the foundations of the new society, developing inner social life and recruiting new members.
On November 8, 1927 Fraternitas Academica was accepted as a full member by the Latvian Academic Fraternities’ Convention (Prezidiju Konvents). The Fraternity’s graduate or Alumni Association (Filistru biedrība) was organized in March 1928. This group included those active members who had graduated as well as the honorary members accepted during the initial founding years. Fraternitas Academica Alumni Association was accepted into the Union of Academic Fraternities’ Alumni Associations (Filistru Biedrību savienība) on April 15, 1929 where it took an active part until its liquidation in 1940 after Latvia’s occupation by the USSR.
About 1926, the Fraternity prepared an initial model of its coat of arms or heraldic emblem in gypsum but this was changed on February 4, 1930 when the newly created emblem by Hugo Mercs, 1925-ll, was consecrated.
Members of Fraternitas Academica have actively participated in all the Latvian Academic Fraternities’ Convention (Prezidiju Konvents) institutions, sending its representatives both to the Student Council and participating in the leadership of the Union of Academic Fraternities’ Alumni Associations (Filistru Biedrību savienība). Until WW2 the Fraternity had permanent basketball, athletics and volleyball teams that participated in various competitions organized by the Latvian Academic Fraternity Convention (Prezidiju Konvents). The Fraternity undertook leadership of the Latvian Academic Fraternities’ Convention (Prezidiju Konvents) in 1930-II, 1938-II, 1995-II and 2006-I semesters.
On November 23, 1934 the Fraternity concluded a treaty of friendship with the Latvian students’ academic fraternity Tervetia. Another treaty of friendship was signed on November 5, 1938 with the Lithuanian students’ academic fraternity Šarūnas of the Lithuanian Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas.
All official activities of the Fraternity were terminated by the decree of the Minister of Social Affairs on July 13, 1940, as a result of Latvia’s occupation by the USSR. Until then the Fraternity had enrolled 264 members.
During the Nazi occupation, the activities of the Fraternity were partially renewed and one new member, Alfreds Nerbulis, 1941-II, was accepted. However, under the pressures of wartime and its attendant rules many members had been dispersed, and some were lost forever.
Following the war, the first meeting involving many members of the Fraternity was organized in 1947 in Eslingen, Germany where a new presidium or executive board (prezidijs) was elected. During the initial years of 1950 Alfrēds Gulbis, 1933-II, began to contact members who were living in the West. Osvalds Uršteins, 1927-II, was elected the first Fraternity president (seniors) in exile. During the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Fraternity on June 19, 1965, the newly recreated heraldic emblem by Hugo Mercs was sanctified by Fraternity’s founder pastor Kārlis Būmanis. The Fraternity led the (World) Latvian Academic Fraternities’ Union (Latvijas Korporāciju apvienība) in 1970/71 and again in 1988/89.
On August 18, 1985 a memorial plaque created by artist Gunārs Straumēns, 1964-I, was sanctified in the Latvian Memorial Park Cemetery in the Catskill Mountains of New York State. This plaque honours those members who had fallen in WW2, victims of Soviet repressions and our deceased brothers.
Official Fraternity life in Latvia was renewed at a Special Convention on February 4, 1990. On March 28, 1990 the Fraternity’s statutes were confirmed by the University of Latvia and on June 17, the Fraternity’s Alumni Association statutes were accepted. Between the second semester of 1990 to the second semester of 1995 two executive boards (prezidiji) of the Fraternity existed simultaneously; one in Latvia and the global board. Starting with the first semester 1996, the Fraternity’s global executive board has been located in Riga. The Fraternitas Academica Alumni Association was registered with the Latvian Ministry of Justice as a social organization on January 6, 1994. Similar registration of the Fraternity – Corps Fraternitas Academica was achieved on March 18, 1996.
The first Fraternity’s song book (kantikums) was published on the eve of the organization’s 76th anniversary, in January 2001.
As a result of changes in Latvian legislation, the Fraternity and the Alumni Association were registered with the Republic of Latvia Business and Association Register in 1995, on August 8 and October 20, respectively.
On November 7, 2007 Fraternitas Academica Alumni Association was accepted into the renewed Union of Academic Fraternities’ Alumni Associations.
At the end of 2004, a book about the Fraternitas Academica 43 members who had studied theology – 43 no korporācijas Fraternitas Academica – was published by Arnolds G. Rautenšilds, 1925-II.
In February 2005, on the occasion of the Fraternity’s 80th anniversary, the first biographical encyclopaedia – Album Fratrum Academicorum – was published. In 2009, the Fraternity opened its own website – www.academica.lv
The Fraternity’s headquarters have been moved several times: 1920’s – Ādmiņu Street 9, then Zigfrīda A.Meierovica Boulevard 9a-1 (1931-35), Zigfrīda A.Meierovica Boulevard 16-1 (1936-40), Basteja Boulevard 4-1 (1992-93), Alberta Street 9-10 (1994) and ever since 1995 privately owned quarters in Baznīcas Street 45-37.
Since its founding in 1925 Fraternitas Academica has accepted in its ranks 461 members who have come from a variety of disciplines and higher educational institutions as well as from various geographical locations.
As of first semester, 2011 there are 65 Fraternitas Academica pledges, active members, alumni and guarantors of the United Academic Fraternities’ Bylaws (Apvienoto Korporāciju komāns) living in Latvia, Australia, Canada and the United States of America.
The alumni living abroad are joined by the Foreign Chapter of the Fraternity’s Alumni Association.
Each semester the Fraternity elects 3 delegates of its executive board to represent the Fraternity at the Latvian Academic Fraternities’ Union (Latvijas Korporāciju apvienība).
