Figure 1.-- Lederhosen are most associated with Germany. They were widelyworn by German and Austrian Scouts in the 1950s and 60s. Note that only two of these four boys wear lederhosen. As in most German Scout troops, lederhosen were an accepted option.

Lederhosen are strongly assocaited with uniformed youth movements. They were presumably first by Germany's Wandervogel--Germany's first important uniformed youth group. Wandervogel boys also wore corduroy shorts. Boys in other German and Austrian youth groups in the early 20th century also wore them. They were of course widely worn by Hitler Youth boys. After World War II (1939-45) they were widely worn by German and Austrian Scouts as well as Scouts in France and other neigboring countries. Often the lederhosen they wore did not match. They rarely wore the halters when wearing lkederhosen as part of their Scout uniform. Lederhosen are now not nearly as common with Scouts as was true in the 1950s and 60s, but some boys in Gernmay and other European countries still wear them. Often lederhosen were not worn by the entire troop. Rather it was commonly accepted that lederhosen were an accepted option for the boys. There were major differences within different regions of Germany as to the popularity of lederhosen.

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Created: August 31, 2001
Last updated: August 31, 2001