Korp! Fraternitas Tartuensis’ history reaches back to mid-19th century, when the Baltic German fraternity Fraternitas Dorpatensis was formed in Tartu within the Tartu Veterinarian Institute. In itself it united male pupils studying veterinary science and was registered on the 5th of April in 1854.
When, after the War of Independence, the Tartu University’s Veterinarian faculty was made based on the Veterinarian institute, Korp! Fraternitas Dorpatensis proceeded its activity within Tartu University, however the German language and mind had still remained during the times of independence. This kind of atmosphere became unbearable to the veterinarians of the Estonian nation and after an unsuccessful power struggle, some of the active members and freshmen stepped out of the Fraternitas Dorpatensis in corpore. Six withdraws, containing six active members and four freshmen, decided to form a new Estonian fraternity within the Veterinarian faculty. It was named korp! Fraternitas Tartuensis. The colours the newly formed fraternity chose were: green-white-violet, the slogan: In constant work in the light of truth cheerfully towards the future!
Korp! Fraternitas Tartuensis was registered in the Government of Tartu University on the 27th of March in 1929, the date we consider as our fraternity’s birthday. The birth of the newly formed fraternity was a starting point in the fading process of the old fraternity Fraternitas Dorpatensis, which had to end its activity in 1932. Unlike the faith of theirs, our membership grew quite vastly. In addition to students, many veterinary practitioners and lectors became alumni members of the fraternity. In 1931, the Alumni Association was founded and since 1933 students from other faculties were also accepted, that was also an end to our so called “Era of Veterinarians”.
The fraternity house, rented in the Town Hall in the so called Barclay de Tolli House’s second floor (where currently the Stonebridge gallery is positioned), in 1934, had a significant beneficial impact on the fraternity’s development. On the 29th of March in 1936 the Friendship Agreement with Kymenlaakson Osakunta (active within the University of Helsinki) was signed and in 1937 korp! Fraternitas Tartuensis was accepted as the 8th member in the EKL (Estonian Fraternity Union). In 1940, our fraternity held 60 active members, 28 student alumni and 18 freshmen, the Alumni Association held over 80 members.
After the occupation of the Republic of Estonia in the summer of 1940, the red authorities had korp! Fraternitas Tartuensis liquidated. During the first Soviet and German occupation, the Estonian activity within the fraternity continued secretly. Fraters gone west after the war continued activity in exile, where the korp! Fraternitas Tartuensis’ Swedish (Europe’s), North-American and Australian Associations were formed. On the 11th of September in 1965, the Friendship Agreement between the Latvian korp! Fraternitas Lettica was sealed. With the initiative of the honourable alumnus Auvil! Jaak Kukk, the signed works of Fraternitas Tartuensis I-V were issued by the foreign associations. Overall, 10 members in exile were given the title Honourable Alumnus.
The initiative to restore korp! Fraternitas Tartuensis’ activity came yet again from the veterinarian students. Preparations for that started already in the autumn of 1988, when connections between the Estonian alumni and foreign Associations were made. Korp! Fraternitas Tartuensis was registered within the Estonian Academy of Agriculture’s Taught Council in 1989, 3rd of March. The re-founders were five EPA (Estonian Agriculture Academy) and six T(R)Ü (The University of Tartu) students, who were given colours (full membership) in the same years 29th of April. Along with the fraternity, the Alumni Association restarted its activity.
Besides the re-founding, the restoring of connections with Finnish and Latvian Friendship Organisations followed. The new Friendship agreement with Kymenlaakson Osakunta was signed on February 24, 1990 and with korp! Fraternitas Lettica on April 6, 1991 (both were signed in Tartu). When at first our membership included mostly of veterinarian students, then later on the new majority were the students of Tartu University’s. Thus, korp! Fraternitas Tartuensis was registered from EPMÜ (Estonian Agricultural University) to the University of Tartu in 1996.
Since 1990, our Fraternity House in Tartu was in a unique and romantic wooden house in Jakobi street, which was a spirited get-together place for all frater Tartuensis’ and many guests. The Fraternity House has currently moved to Vallikraavi 19.
Although korp! Fraternitas Tartuensis is currently one of the smallest fraternities in Tartu, we think of it as our brotherhood’s virtue. Unlike some larger student association, we can boldly admit that our members are more than just acquaintances. You can find very
versatile and interesting personalities within us, and never have we heard of anyone having a dull time with korp! Fraternitas Tartuensis. In addition to the common gatherings in the so called beer tables and biannual fraternizing parties, we also organize other events, such as family- and freshmen nights, sporting competitions and visits to other student organisations. The spring time outgoings and summer time hikes to many Estonian sites have also became a tradition.
Korp! Fraternitas Tartuensis continues its constant work in the light of truth cheerfully towards the future!
