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The seaside was also popular in Germany. Beaches on lakes near Berlin were popular day trips. There were also seaside resorts on the Baltic coast. German'y Baltic coast is today rather limited. The German Empire until World War I, however, had a very extensive Baltic coast. Even after the 1919 Versailles Agreement and the creation of the Polish Corridor, there was still an dxtensive Baltic coadt. There were also a number of Baltic Sea islands that were popular resorts. We have little information about specific resorts. The card here is from Doberan taken before World War I. We notte another beach resort image that was taken at Sylt, but after the War. Unfortuntly, the German seaside Baltic resorts are in the north, just the opposite of the French Mediteranean beach resorts located in the South. This limited the seasonal appeal of the German resorts. As with America, England, France, and other countries, it was popular to have portraits taken in studios located at these beach resorts. Of course, no garment was more popular for these beach resort portraits.
These children were photographed at a studio in the German resort at Doberan (figure 1). On the back I can make out the names 'Greta and Adolf'. These portraits had beach settings, but were taken inside studios. The clothing the chillder wear is probably what they would have actually worn on the beach. The image is undated, but we would estimate that it was taken about 1905. A HBC reader believes it might have been made earlier. The children are pictured with a flag. We are unsure what the the flag represents.
Bathing beaches were also popular in Germany. Given the German climate, they would have been very seasonal. Most popular were the sea beaches in the north. Beaches on lakes near Berlin were popular day trips. There were lakes near Berlin that were popular attractions on hot summer days. I'm less sure if other German cities had similar locak attractions. The North Sea coast (between Denmark and the Netherlands) was a smaller area than Germany's extensive Baltic coast. The Baltic Sea (or Ostsee as the Germans say) has wonderful sandy beaches and the water is not as rough at the North Sea coast. The German Baltic Coast is today much more limited than before World War II. The German Empire until World War I, however, had a very extensive Baltic coast. Even after the 1919 Versailles Agreement and the creation of the Polish Corridor, there was still an extensive Baltic coast. There were also a number of Baltic Sea islands that were popular resorts.
We have little information about specific German resorts. The card here is from Doberan taken before World War I (figure 1). I am not sure where Doberan was located. We note another beach resort image that was taken at Sylt, but after the War. I think Sylt was a Baltic Sea resort.
The German seaside Baltic resorts are in the north, just the opposite of the French Mediteranean beach resorts located in the South. This limited the seasonal appeal of the German resorts. Here one factor was the distance from population centers. Another factor was climate. There is a big difference between Mediteranean beaches and North Sea or Baltic beaches in terms of the weather and seasonality.
The seaside resorts on the North Sea and Baltic coast would have required a train trip for most Germans. Germany had an excelent rail system. Thus the beach resorts could be easily accessed. Most middle-class families coukld have afforded a sea-side holiday, but many working-class families would have found them difficult to afford. Most British people lived relatively close to beach resorts and the same was true of France to a leese extent. Most Germans, however, lived at sime distance to seaside resorts.
As with America, England, France, and other countries, it was popular to have portraits taken in studios located at these beach resorts. Here we see a typical studio portrait at the turn of the century (figure 1). We always assumed that the studios were located in nearby towns. We note one North Sea beach where the studio was located right on the beach. We notice a big board outside the studio where the photigrapher posted copies of many portraits taken of the beach goers. We note a wide range of outfits in these beach portraits. Of course, no garment was more popular for these beach resort portraits than sailor suits. Both boys and girls wore them. Before the turn of the century beach resport photography was normally taken in the studios with beach scene backgrounds. After the turn of the century we see mostly outdoor photographs taken by the beach goers themselves.
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