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Monday, July 10, 2006
Drinking Brotherhood
What follows is a request for information from those familiar with German culture and German law.
There is a German custom – Bruderschaft trinken (literally, “to drink brotherhood”), in which two male friends decide to use a more informal mode of addressing each other, going from the Sie-Sie or the Sie-Du relationship (formal) to the Du-Du (informal). Friends self-consciously propose a drink to signify the change in the mode of address between them. Although this tradition was once reserved for men, the contemporary instantiation of the practice seems to include women as well.
I've read about this practice somewhere (though I can't remember where) and had its existence confirmed by some German acquaintances I know. Still, I'm looking for an anthropological or sociological treatment of the custom in the English language (other than the mere mention of it, as in Florian Znaniecki, The Dynamics of Social Relations, 17 Sociometry 299, 301 (1954)) -- and have failed to find one. If you know of one, could you pass along a cite? Finally, if you know something about German law and know if these ceremonies have any legal effect, I'd be grateful for information on the subject.
This is obviously for my project on friendship and the law. Thanks in advance.
Posted by Ethan Leib on July 10, 2006 at 02:51 PM in Culture | Permalink
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Comments
In the Russian custom, which I'm sure comes from the German, to drink to bruderschaft is to drink to cement a friendship. It is done with each drinker embracing the arm of the other with their drinking arm. This usually puts the heads of the drinkers to be quite close together, and there is often eye contact throughout the drinking. There are many mostly humorous pictures on the Web, but here's one: https://www.google.com/search?q=%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%8C+%D0%B1%D1%80%D1%83%D0%B4%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%88%D0%B0%D1%84%D1%82&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiGjcmhsazRAhVW9GMKHeXGBjEQ_AUICCgB&biw=1002&bih=441#imgrc=o1IsF0M8yrgHwM%3A
There are no legal ramifications to this ritual whatsoever. It also doesn't usually signal a transition from the formal "vy" to the informal "ty" as the two drinkers are usually already on an informal basis when the ritual takes place.
Posted by: jpek | Jan 5, 2017 8:49:41 PM
It's also used in chapter 24 (Evocation of the Master) of Mikhail Bulgakov's novel "The Master and Margarita", when Behemoth complains about disrespect given to cats. "For some reason cats are usually treated with excessive familiarity, although no cat has ever drunk bruderschaft with anyone."
Posted by: Mel Romero | Dec 17, 2016 6:56:57 AM
It's in Act II of Uncle Vanya. Sonya and Elena decide to drink "bruderschaft."
Posted by: Will | Sep 28, 2007 1:51:13 AM
The only legal significance I can think of: Calling someone "Du" can (under certain circumstances) constitute an insult - Beleidigung, criminal offense under § 185 StGB; especially if used with respect to policemen on duty (recently there was a case that made the news: a popstar called a policeman "Du" and was accquitted, since he is always calling everybody "Du" and therefore - as concluded the judges - did not intend to insult the policeman). Now, if you are on "Du"-terms with the policeman as a private person already, calling him "Du" on duty won't pass the test for an insult (on the objective level and with respect to intent) ... However, if you just met him in a club where everybody is calling anyone else "Du" without getting him to know better, this might not suffice to go free if you call him "Du" on duty, especially if he tells you not to and you go on doing so ...
But all of this is not a question of the specific ceremony described - sorry for clogging your comments ...
Posted by: Positroll | Jul 11, 2006 9:17:24 AM
The NYT reports on a cognate American tradition, the "man date":
Posted by: Frank | Jul 11, 2006 9:14:40 AM
I'd often wondered how and when the French crossed the vous/tu divide. Not sure if there is wine or if it is as unremarkable as calling your dad's friend Mr. Smith "Jim" one day
Posted by: anon | Jul 10, 2006 11:31:06 PM
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