Figure 1.-- Here we see another unidentified German primary school. Unfortunately we do not know where it was located or even if it was in East or West Germany. It looks to be a class of 7-year old boys which would mean second year students. While that is only a guess, we do know that the portrait was taken in 1954. Many German schools in the 1950s were still segregated by gender in the 1950s. You can see long pants beginning to be worn by younger boys which was not very common in the 40s.

This class portrait we have been able to identify. The school was the Hoffmannschule in Betzingen, presumably a primary school. Betzingen is a suburb of Reutlingen, about 30 miles to the east of Stuttgart in southwest Germany. The boys are about 7-8 years old, meaning only a second or third years boys--although this is only a guess. The man is Rektor Willmer. Rektor here means principal or headmaster of the school. While that is only a guess, we do know that the portrait was taken in 1954. Many German schools in the 1950s were still segregated by gender in the 1950s. You can see long pants beginning to be worn by younger boys which was not very common in the 40s. Long stockings are still quite common, at least in chilly weather. Most of the boys wear long stockings with short trousers, but a few wear long trousers, and one boy is wearing shorts with knee socks. The long stockings seem to be cotton and vary in color from brown to tan to beige. It is obvious that the boys wear Leibchen with four garters. Notice the fourth boy from the left in the front row. He clearly wears garter straps with graduated button holes that fasten onto buttons sewn onto his stocking tops, and a portion of the strap hangs down lower than the hem of his trousers. Probably most of the boys wear commercial Leibchen with metal clips on the supporters (rubber buttons and loops), but the more old-fashioned graduated elastic straps with button-holes still persisted as well. This seems to be a very middle-class group. Notice the sweaters and in case unusual H-bar suspenders for trousers. Some boys are wearing Bavarian jackets which suggests southern Germany.

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Created: 12:48 PM 11/2/2008
Last updated: 2:05 PM 11/11/2008