Figure 1.--These are German National Labour Service (Reichsarbietsdienst--RAD) boys. They were teenage boys during their mandatory labor service. You can see their RAD caps and belts. The boys were 17 years old. The photograph is not dated, but was probably taken in the late-1930s. Apperently nightshirts were still quite common. Click on the image for informnation about RAD. A reader writes, "An interesting photo. Notice the metal dishes or pots worn as hats, obviously for comic purposes. One of the boys is also wearing a leather belt around his nightshirt, which he wouldn't have worn in bed. The boys here are acting up in their dormitory. A few of the boys are wearing their RD uniform caps." Another reader writes, "one boy seems still to have his long stockings on. At first I thought this was just a matter of dark lighting, but if you compare this boys' legs to all the others, I think it is clear that one pair of legs is clothed--maybe because this boy is only partially undressed in the dorm." We are not sure just what he is wearing. Teenagers this age did not wear long stickings and would have surely been rediculed if they had shown up in long stockings. Perhaps he is wearing trousers. It is difficult to tell.

Our information on German sleepwear is still quite limited. The two basic garments are night shirts and pajamas. Night hirts are basically the same garment, although detailing can can vary. Pajamas come in a wide variety of styles. Nightshirts were worn by boys and girls in the 19th century. Pajamas rapidly replace nightshirts during the early 20th centry in America and Britain. This does not seem to be nearly as common on the Continent. We see German boys wearing nightshirts commonly in the 1930s. Here we see RAD boys wearing nightshirts in their dormitories (figure 1). This was probably before World War II. We believe that nightshirts were more common than pajamas before the War. Wesee several images of children wearing them in the 1940s. After the War by the 1950s, pajamas had becone more common, but nightsirts were still worn. We note a 1953 German catalog with a page on sleepwear that offered nightshirts. We note a advertisemnt for a bathrobe and the boy does not appear to be wearing pajamas in a1955 catalog. A British reader tells us that the German boy in a family he stayed with during the 1960s wore a nightshirt.

Garments

Our information on German sleepwear is still quite limited. The two basic garments are night shirts and pajamas. Nightshirts are basically the same garment, although detailing can can vary. Pajamas come in a wide variety of styles.

Gender

Both boys and girls wore both nightshirts and pajamas. Styling could be different, but was not always different. This varied over time. Age was another fctor.

Chronology

Nightshirts were worn by boys and girls in the 19th century. Pajamas rapidly replace nightshirts during the early 20th centry in America and Britain. This does not seem to be nearly as common on the Continent. We see German boys wearing nightshirts commonly in the 1930s. Here we see RAD boys wearing nightshirts in their dormitories (figure 1). This was probably before World War II. We believe that nightshirts were more common than pajamas before the War. Wesee several images of children wearing them in the 1940s. After the War by the 1950s, pajamas had becone more common, but nightsirts were still worn. We note a 1953 German catalog with a page on sleepwear that offered nightshirts. We note a advertisemnt for a bathrobe and the boy does not appear to be wearing pajamas in a1955 catalog. A British reader tells us that the German boy in a family he stayed with during the 1960s wore a nightshirt.

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Created: 2:57 AM 1/19/2009
Last updated: 12:59 AM 8/17/2009