Figure 1.--Here we see a German primary school class in 1938. This photograph was taken during the NAZI era, but just before World War II. It is interesting because of the variety of clothing worn. We don't know the location within Germany or the name of the school, but it was a school obviously for boys only. The boys seem to be about 10-11 years old. The class seems to be about evenly divided between boys who wear short trousers and boys in long trousers. This seems to be a little unsusual in Germany, but it looks like the photograph was taken durung the winter. By the late 30s, some German parents were buying long trousrs for swinter wear.

Here we see a German primary school class in 1938. This photograph was taken during the NAZI era, but just before World War II. It is interesting because of the variety of clothing worn. We don't know the location within Germany or the name of the school, but it was a school obviously for boys only. The boys seem to be about 10-11 years old. The class seems to be about evenly divided between boys who wear short trousers and boys in long trousers. This seems to be a little unsusual in Germany, but it looks like the photograph was taken durung the winter. By the late 30s, some German parents were buying long trousrs for swinter wear. A factor here might have been the Hitler Youth winter uniform which was very long ski-type knickers. Long stockings seem to predominate with the short trousers, but one boy wears knee socks. The colors of the long stockings vary also--black, beige, and brown.

The School

We don't know the location within Germany or the name of the school, but it looks to us like a primary school. It was a school obviously for boys only.

The Class

The boys seem to be about 10-11 years old. This was the age when boys going on to secondary schools left their primary school.

Location

We do not know where the school was located. One boy looks to be wearing an Alpine jacket so perhaps it was in a mountenous area of Bavaria. This would help explain the long pants.

Chronology

We do know that the photograph was taken in 1938 dring the NAZI era, just before World War II.

Clothing

It is interesting because of the variety of clothing worn. The class seems to be about evenly divided between boys who wear short trousers and boys in long trousers. This seems to be a little unsusual in Germany, but it looks like the photograph was taken durung the winter. By the late 30s, some German parents were buying long trousrs for swinter wear. A factor here might have been the Hitler Youth winter uniform which was very long ski-type knickers. Long stockings seem to predominate with the short trousers, but one boy wears knee socks. The colors of the long stockings vary also--black, beige, and brown. Long stockings in Germany were usually held up by a Strapsleibchen, a sleeveless undershirt worn underneath the outer shirt with four elastic garters attached to its bottom hem. Some of the boys wear suits with shirts and neckties; others wear waist-length jackets or sweaters with open-collared shirts. One boy in the front row at the left wears a German-styled jacket with contrastingly dark lapels and long trousers gathered at the ankles (like ski pants). None of these boys seems to be wearing the Hitler Jugend uniform that was popular with some schoolboys during the period. Perhaps this particular school didn't allow such uniforms. The haircuts are interesting also. There are no very short cuts that were popular in earlier decades in some parts of Germany.

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Created: 7:23 PM 5/30/2007
Last updated: 7:23 PM 5/30/2007