Figure 1.--These children from a 1969 Hungarian film illustrate Hungarian boys' clothing. The youngestvboy wears suspender shorts. Another boy wears a front-buttoning smock. The other boy wears a colored shirt with long pants.

HBC at this time has very limited infornation on Hugarian boys' clothing. Hopefully Hungarian readers will assisst us us in describing Hungarian styles and fashion trends. HBC at this this has insufficient information to asess chronological trends in Hungarian boys' wear. Hungarian boys wore the standard garmnts worn by other European boys. Hungary until after World War II was a largely agrarian country and we believe folk styles were still widely worn in the country side. Hungarian boys did not wear school uniforms. Some schools appeared to have required smocks in the 1960s. As a Communist Government was in power, this may have been a nationally mandated style, but HBC has only limited information at this time on school smocks.

Hisorical Backgound

The Hungarian nation is defined by the Carpatheian Basin. The history of Hungary more than any other European country is associated ethnically with central Asian nomadic tribes and these nomadic tribes have been attracted by the rich grasslands of the Carpatheian Basin. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Carpatheian Basin wasa center for both the Huns and Avars. The ancient history of Hungary has had almost no impact on modern Hungary because of the arrival of the Maygayars who conquered the Carpethian Basin (700 AD). The language with all its cultural connotations is unrelated to any other important European language, only Finland and Estonia. The Magyars were another fierce raiding people, but were brought in to the European mainstream by King Stwphen. Sandwiched between the Slavonic peoples to the east and the Germanic peoples to the west, this accomodation with Christian Europe was a major factor in Hungary's survival as a destinct nation. Hungary is almost unique in Europe. It is a small counbtry in central Europe that has survived for nearly a 1,000 years-despite repeated defeat in war and failed revolutions. The survival of Hungary over that period is a matter of considerable histotrical interst. One historian suggests that it was Hungary's capacity to assimilate individuals from neighboring countries. Prominent Hungarians are of Croat, German, lovak, Serb, and Romanian origins. In addition, Hungarians have immigrated t other countries, especially in the 20th cenury and played a major role in atomic physics, compuers, and Hollywood among other areas. [Lendval] The country was devestated by the Mongols. Much of the nobility was wiped out by the Ottoman Turks at the Battle of Mohács (1526). Even so, the Hungarians played a major in prevebnting Ottoman pemetration deeper into Europe. The Hungarian crown passed to the Hapsburgs. Hungary was thus for enturies associated with the Haosburgs and Austria. The country emerged from Workd War as an independent nation for the first time in 400 years, but a mich reduced side. The inte-war era saw the rise of Fascism and association with Germany in World War II. Defeat in the War led to the imposition of a Stalinist Communist dictatorship. The Hungarian Revolution (1956) opened the eyes of many Western Europeans as to the true nature of Soviet Communism.

Chronology

HBC at this this has insufficient information to asess chronological trends in Hungarian boys' wear. Hungary until 1918 was part of the Austr-Hungarian Empire and thus presumably heavily influenced by Austrian fashions. Afterwards we suspect that German fashions were probably of some importance. After 1945 Hungarian became a Communist People's Republic with the economy tied into the Soviet-dominated Eastern European block. We have little information, but believe East German (DDR) fashions may have been an important fashion influence. Hungary by the 1960s was more open to the West than most other Soviet satellites and thus Western fashions were also of some importance.

Garments

Hungarian boys wore the standard garmnts worn by other European boys. HBC has some limited information on garments worn by Hungarian boys and have only begun to collect information on specific garments. Younger boys for many years wore dresses. We are unsure how common smocks wre, but we do know that school children commonly wore them, especially after World War II. Sailor suits as in most European countries were a popular style. Short pants were commonly worn by Hungarian boys through the 1950s. They declined in popularity in the 1960s, but some boys still wore them. Boys wearing short pants commonly wore kneesocks, both white and coloted kneesocks. Hungary boys wore sandals, although HBC at this time has very limited information.

Conventions

Families

Here we will follow family fashions over time. HBC has decided to also gather information on entire families. One of the limitations of HBC is that too oftn we just view boys' clothing in contex with what the rest of the family was wearng. This will help to compare boys' clothing with that worn by mothers, fathers, and sisters. These images will help show show differences in both age and gender appropriate clothing.

Folk Costume

Hungary until after World War II was a largely agrarian country. We believe folk styles were still widely worn in the country side, especially before World War I. Hungary until 1918 was governened by Austrians. There was a constitutional change in 1867 when a dual monarch was established for the Empire. I'm not sure at this timre how this affected folk fashion. We have, however, few real details. We do note that there was not one Hungarian national folk costume. Rather there was a wide variety of folk costumes.

Minorities

Hungary like the other Balkan countries has many ethnic minorities. They are mostly etnic groups from neighboring countries (German, Romanian, and Slovak). Likewise ethnic Hungrians live in those countries. Hungary until the NAZI Holocaust had a vibrant Jewish community. The country is also know for its Gypsey community.

Activities

We have only limited information on the boys clothing associated with various activities in Hungary. One activity is religion which has played an imporrant role in Hungarian history. Hungary is a Catholic country. We notice children doing First Communiion. Concerning religion we only have one wedding image. We have no information on Hungarian choirs at this time or on Hungarian dance. Likewise we do not yet have any information on sport in Hungary. Hungarian boys did not wear school uniforms. Some schools, however, appeared to have required smocks in the 1960s. As a Communist Government was in power, this may have been a nationally mandated style, but HBC has only limited information at this time on school smocks. Hungarian Scouts were organized in te years before World War I, but the movement grew considerably after independence. There may have been a right-wing nationalist group that competed with Scouting in the World War II years. After the War the Communist Covernment prohibited Scouting and boyshad to join the Young Pioneers. Scouting has been revived in the 1990s with the return to democratic government. Hungary during the Communist years had a Young Pioneer movement, but we have no details at this time.

Movies

HBC knows of a few Hungariam movies which have provided some information. HBC believes that films made in Hungary and other Eastern European countries often were low-buget affairs. Films with contemporay settings often did not have elaborate costumes, but rather had the boys, espdecially if they were not main characters wear their own clothes--thus providing a useful glimpse of contemprary styles.

Sources

Lendval, Paul. The Hungarians: A Thousand Years of Victory in Defeat (Princeton University Press).

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Created: January 21, 2001
Last updated: 3:48 AM 9/2/2009