Figure 1.--Here we see a German boy with a highly decorated halter during the 1930s. The decorations are flowers, surely Edelweiss.

There were both plain and decorated halters. The decoration was on the cross bar. We see large numbers of both. We are not aware of what the boys felt about the decorations or if there were age preferences. A reader has provided some insights. The decoration of Lederhosen halters varied significantly. This is a little difficult to assess from the photographic record. Some of the decoration do not show up well in photographs unless they are closeups. This is because the decoration were often tooled without any color. Decorations vary in both type and design. This varied chronologically. Before World War II there was more variation than afterwards. After the war, especially by the 1950s and later however for the normal Germany-wide worn type of Lederhose for boys (so not the Trachten-version in Bavaria) there in fact were only three main options: plain crossbar, embossed crossbar and crossbar with white medaillon. For the motives of the decoration just two possibilities: deer or flower (edelweiss) The designs do not vary much in subject matter, but there were stylistic differences. Some workshops produced a very prominent halter design. The designs on the crossbars were Alpine desisns such as flowers (Eldelweiss) and hunting scenes--especially deer/stags. We are not sure why these two were so common. The dear presumably relates to hunting. We are less sure about Edelweiss. Flowers of course are pretty, but this of course is not commonly a consideration for boys clothing. Presumably it relates to Alpine medows where Edelweiss were found. The cross bar may be embossed with scenes of deer often this is replaced with a replica (plastic) carved bone medallion showing a similar scene. The type of decoration embossed into the cross bar will have been cheaper than the type with white medaillons attached to it, especially if they were made of deer horn (that was originally the case at least for adults; for children they often might be made of simpler stuff). Regarding the motive: allthough it will not have been a strict rule, Edelweiss was something for smaller boys and seen as too childish by teenagers. They generally preferred a deer. As the piece in case of a white medaillon was rather eyecatching and moreover placed on a rather eyecatching spot too. It wasn't apparent to younger boys what kind of decoration he was wearing, but it was the kind of thing that teenagers did notice. A reader writes, "I have never seen other kinds of decoration for boy-halters than Edelweiss and deer. For adults one encounters sometimes some coat of arms or something else. In their case sometimes their initials were sewn into the leather of the cross bar on both sides of the central medaillon; I am not sure if this also sometimes happened in the case of boys."

Options

There were both plain and decorated halters. The decoration was on the cross bar. We see large numbers of both. We are not aware of what the boys felt about the decorations or if there were age preferences. A reader has provided some insights. The decoration of Lederhosen halters varied significantly. This is a little difficult to assess from the photographic record. Some of the decoration do not show up well in photographs unless they are closeups. This is because the decoration were often tooled without any color. Decorations vary in both type and design.

Chronology

Designs

The designs do not vary much in subject matter, but there were stylistic differences. Some workshops produced a very prominent halter design. The designs on the crossbars were Alpine desisns such as flowers (Eldelweiss) and hunting scenes--especially deer/stags. Here we see an Edelweiss sesign on a younger boy's halter. The Edelweiss flowers are depicted in various ways. We are not sure why these two were so common. The dear presumably relates to hunting. We are less sure about Edelweiss. Flowers of course are pretty, but this of course is not commonly a consideration for boys clothing. Presumably it relates to Alpine medows where Edelweiss were found. The cross bar may be embossed with scenes of deer often this is replaced with a replica (plastic) carved bone medallion showing a similar scene. A reader writes, "I have never seen other kinds of decoration for boy-halters than Edelweiss and deer. For adults one encounters sometimes some coat of arms or something else. In their case sometimes their initials were sewn into the leather of the cross bar on both sides of the central medaillon; I am not sure if this also sometimes happened in the case of boys."

Cost

The type of decoration embossed into the cross bar will have been cheaper than the type with white medaillons attached to it, especially if they were made of deer horn (that was originally the case at least for adults; for children they often might be made of simpler stuff). Regarding the motive: allthough it will not have been a strict rule, Edelweiss was something for smaller boys and seen as too childish by teenagers. They generally preferred a deer. As the piece in case of a white medaillon was rather eyecatching and moreover placed on a rather eyecatching spot too. It wasn't apparent to younger boys what kind of decoration he was wearing, but it was the kind of thing that teenagers did notice.

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Created: 5:53 PM 6/2/2009
Last updated: 6:35 PM 12/27/2020