Societas Eruditorum

I just did a google search on this and got mainly German hits. Anyone have any ideas what it is? I ask because the novel I am reading, Cryptonomicon, mentions it and I have heard references to it.

FWIW.

http://www.brock.uni-wuppertal.de/Schrifte/English/Universi.html

A “club”?

But clubs have purposes, what is the purpose of Societas Eruditorum? Also does anyone speak Latin, eruditorum sounds like education

It means “society of scholars”. A “club” of scholars.

Thanks Goose I was wondering about that. But what do they do, are they like Jesuit Priests educating people or are they Academics debating how many angels can charleston on the head of a pin