Figure 1.--Here we see what looks like a rural German school, we think in the 1930s. Note one boy is wearing a HJ shirt. Most of the school images we have seen in the 30s show children wearing shoes to school. Here several of the boys in this class are barefoot.

We note relatively few German children going barefoot in the 20th century. We note some children, especially in working-class urban areas and rural area. Most children as far as we can tell from the photographic record wore shoes to school, except in times of economic distress, especially after World War I and II. We especially notice German boys going barefoot after World War I, at least into the 1920s. We see far fewer German boys going barefoot in the 1930s after the NAZIs seized power. Rarely do you see HJ boys going barefoot. We are not sure at this time how to assess this trend. Many boys went barefoot in the post-World War II era because of the collapase of the German economy. By the 1950s it becomes rare to see German boys going barefoot, although many boys wore sandals. With the German economic miracle of the 1950s, you almost never see children going barefoot. We note at the end of the century, children enjoying trips to barefoot parks.

The 1900s

We note relatively few German children going barefoot in the 20th century. We note some children, especially in working-class urban areas and rural area.

The 1920s

Most children as far as we can tell from the photographic record wore shoes to school, except in times of economic distress, especially after World War I and II. We especially notice German boys going barefoot after World War I, at least into the 1920s.

The 1930s

We see far fewer German boys going barefoot in the 1930s after the NAZIs seized power. Rarely do you see HJ boys going barefoot. We are not sure at this time how to assess this trend. We think most German mothers wanted their children to go to school with shoes. This is suggested by the photographic record. We do see some children barefoot at school. A good example is the Merschwitz town school.

The 1940s

Many boys went barefoot in the post-World War II era because of the collapase of the German economy. By the 1950s it becomes rare to see German boys going barefoot, although many boys wore sandals.

The 1950s

With the German economic miracle taking off, you almost never see children going barefoot after the early 50s.

The 1980s

An Italian reader tells us, "As a student, in early 1980s, I spent some summers working in a big guesthouse where group of children went from summer camps. It was in northern Italy on the Lake of Como. There were Italian groups but also some German groups. Many German children went barefoot in the house and someone went barefoot also in the village. The Italian children went always shod, perhaps wearing only flip-flops, but never barefoot."

The 1990s

We note at the end of the century, children enjoying trips to barefoot parks.