How does a visit work?

You come as a guest, listen and watch. The evening — the Sippung (the ceremonial gathering) — has a set, humorous framework with artistic contributions. You’re not expected to perform.

Do I have to perform something?

No. Contributions are welcome but voluntary. As a guest, you’re free to simply listen.

Is Schlaraffia a club, a secret society, or something else?

Schlaraffia is a registered fellowship — not a secret society. The local chapters are legally associations; the shared game gives them their special character.

Why is the language sometimes unusual?

Its own vocabulary is part of the playful spirit. We explain the important words in the glossary — you don’t need to know them beforehand.

What is a Reych, a Sippung, an Einritt?

A Reych is a local Schlaraffia chapter, a Sippung is its ceremonial evening, and an Einritt is the admission of a new member. More in the glossary.

Schlaraffia is a men’s fellowship. We explain openly what that means on the page “Schlaraffia and women.”

Do politics, religion or business interests play a role at Schlaraffia?

No — at least not as the purpose or defining theme of the shared evening. Schlaraffia deliberately does not see itself as a political, religious or business association. Party politics, religious or ideological disputes, and professional self-interest are not meant to set the tone. At its heart are friendship, humor, art, wit and community.

How do I write to a Schlaraffen chapter if I’m just curious?

You don’t need to craft a perfect message. A short, friendly and honest note is plenty. Just write that you came across the chapter, would like to get to know Schlaraffia, and would be glad to hear back about a possible visit. A first message doesn’t need to do more than that.

Do I have to commit to anything for a first visit?

No. A first visit is precisely there to get to know Schlaraffia in the first place. You don’t commit to membership or to any further steps. Only once you sense, after several impressions, that the community really interests you does the question of a further path arise.

What happens if, after the first visit, I realize it’s not for me?

Then that’s completely fine. That’s exactly what the no-obligation getting-acquainted period is for. Schlaraffia is not a duty but an invitation to meet. If, after one or several visits, you feel the form, the people or the atmosphere don’t suit you, you owe no justification.

How long does the Pilger (pilgrim) or getting-acquainted period usually take?

The getting-acquainted period generally follows a set sequence. As a rule, an interested visitor first attends Schlaraffia three times as a Pilger (“pilgrim” — a guest on the path toward membership). If there is basic interest on both sides afterward, six further visits follow as a Prüfling (a candidate under consideration). Only then does the question of admission arise. So typically it’s about nine visits before possible admission. Importantly, this time is not a formality but a genuine, mutual getting-acquainted period: the visitor checks whether Schlaraffia, the people and the particular chapter truly suit him — and the chapter, in turn, considers whether the fit feels right, humanly and culturally.

From guest to Pilger — how the getting-acquainted period really works

That’s exactly why it helps to know the path not just in slogans, but to understand its actual logic: first a guest, then — with continued interest — a Pilger, then a slower mutual approach.

Why Schlaraffia doesn’t want instant membership

From the outside you might wonder why you can’t just join right away if you’re interested. The answer is fairly simple: Schlaraffia does not see itself as a mere leisure subscription you try briefly and book at once if you like it. It’s about a grown community with a culture of its own, a language of its own, a form of its own, and a togetherness meant to last.

So it’s sensible for both sides to experience each other first. The interested visitor should be able to check whether the chapter, the people and the form appeal to him at all. And the chapter should likewise be able to consider whether the visitor fits the community, humanly and culturally.

Step 1: the first visit as a guest

It usually begins with a no-obligation visit as a guest. This first evening is above all a chance to get acquainted. You form an impression, observe, listen, meet your first people, and consider for yourself whether Schlaraffia interests you further at all.

A first visit means nothing final yet. It’s not a tacit application and no promise that you have to continue.

Step 2: openly expressing further interest

If, after the first or after a few first visits, you sense that you’d like to get to know Schlaraffia more closely, the moment comes to say so openly. Nothing more is needed at this point: no solemn declaration, but simply the honest message that you can imagine further visits and would like to understand more deeply how this community works.

Step 3: the Pilger phase

If a chapter and an interested visitor both feel that further acquaintance is worthwhile, a phase of further visits as a Pilger typically follows. This very time is the actual core of the mutual consideration.

In this phase, something very sensible happens:

The visitor experiences Schlaraffia not just as a single evening, but over a longer period.
He gets to know people, tone, humor, rituals and dynamics better.
The chapter, in turn, sees how the visitor engages with the community, whether there’s genuine interest, and whether a coherent picture emerges on the human level.

Why this slowness makes sense

The Pilger phase is not a power game and not an artificial hurdle. It protects both sides from hasty decisions. A single good evening doesn’t yet say much about whether a community fits long-term. Conversely, it would be just as unwise for the visitor to commit firmly after a brief first impression.

Schlaraffia is strongest when it lives not on quick fixes but on relationships that have grown. That’s exactly why it’s wise not to rush things.

Grafische Darstellung des Wegs vom Gast über Pilger und Prüfling bis zur möglichen Aufnahme in die Schlaraffia

The getting-acquainted period follows a clear sequence

Even if individual details of a visit can look a little different from place to place, the basic path is clearly laid out. Anyone who wants to get to know Schlaraffia seriously first visits the community three times as a Pilger. If there is basic interest on both sides afterward, six further visits follow as a Prüfling. Only then does the question arise of whether the mutual acquaintance should actually become an admission.

3 visits as a Pilger
6 further visits as a Prüfling
nine visits in all before possible admission

So it’s not about a single pleasant evening, nor a spontaneous decision, but about nine visits in all before possible admission. This very time is meant to help both sides calmly find out whether the community really fits.

As a rule, the first visits are free and without obligation. So you don’t have to pay membership dues right away just because you’re getting to know the community.

You’re considering, just as the chapter is

This is sometimes forgotten. The getting-acquainted period is not a one-way street in which only the chapter evaluates you. You yourself should and may look just as closely during this time:

Do I feel comfortable with the people?
Can I relate to the form and the humor?
Does the culture of Schlaraffia really appeal to me — or do I just find it interesting from the outside?
Can I imagine coming back to this place regularly?

These questions are not a sign of distance, but part of a healthy getting-acquainted.

And if it’s not a fit?

Then that’s not a failure. That’s exactly what the slow approach is for. It may be that after a few visits you sense: fascinating, but not my place. It may also be that the chapter feels it doesn’t really hold together, humanly or culturally. Both are possible — and that’s exactly why it makes sense not to create a final bond right away.

The honest short version

The path into Schlaraffia is deliberately slow and follows a fixed sequence: first the visit as a guest, then — with interest on both sides — three visits as a Pilger and six further as a Prüfling, so nine visits in all before possible admission. During this time, both sides calmly consider whether the community really fits.

This is not harassment, but a sensible protection against quick fixes — for the chapter just as much as for the visitor.