Mensur or German academic fencing is why so many German officers and the elite wore
scars on their faces in the 19th and 20th centuries these scars were badges of honor
and worn with pride though not always on the face of Honorable Men they were the mark of
having belonged to a Mensur organization usually reserved for the upper class and or those with a
University education where a student could join a Mensur fraternity or Corporation
academic fencing in 19th and 20th Century Germany and some neighboring countries like
Austria was much different than it is today they did not use the same swords or equipment
fencers use in modern times German students used mensurschläger or sometimes just called schläger
designed specifically for the sport these swords varied regionally but were designed to cut in a
similar way to a razor the duels were known as Mensuren and somewhat ritualized some protective
clothing could be worn such as padding on the arm and some protection for the eyes and nose
the duels involved attempting to strike the opponent on the head or
face and the duel typically ended once blood was drawn
you you bully you these duels were not so much about winning or striking a blow but showing
courage and the ability to take a hit a duelist in such a match was just as proud to bravely take
a cut to the face as they were to give one Mensur was not a typical duel there wasn't
necessarily a winner or a loser just opportunities to display one's character unlike in fencing the
participants didn't move back or forth in fact dodging or evading wasn't allowed and could end
the match with dishonor the participants were to stand their ground and remained arm's length
until the match is over which was overseen by a referee and often a doctor [Applause]
these scars called a Smite or Schmiss in German were so valued some even felt the
elevated amount enough to show they were good husband material figures such as Statesman
Otto von Bismarck stated the scars to be a sign of bravery and believed
a man's courage could be judged by the number of scars on their cheeks
[Music] universities were where the sport was refined in the 16th century students
were allowed to carry swords to and from school in some German provinces to protect themselves
naturally this led to many duels this could and did lead to fatalities regulated duels in the
17th century were introduced to help reduce these fatalities refereed duels became safer and popular
and duel slowly evolved into a sport this sport further exploded in popularity during peacetime
in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries with Military Officers looking to prove themselves
dueling was outlawed by the Nazi party in the 1930s Hitler had less an issue with mensur than he
did with student corporations that represented the old aristocratic class which he despised despite
this they still took place in secret this was a sport that was so popular for a time students
who were unable to join fraternities sometimes gave themselves scars with a razor after the war
it remained prohibited by occupied Allied Forces for a time as it was considered to have a military
Association the sport returned in the early 1950s and is still practiced today with significant
improvements to safety greatly decreasing the chance of any scars [Music] thank you
all right I'm Johnny thanks for watching till the end remember
to wear your nose armor take care and we'll see you in the next one