Figure 1.--This photograph was taken in the early 1950s with the German Economic Miracle already beginning to chnge the country's face. Note that all of the boys have scooters. Before World War II a photograph like this would have shown only a few kids with scooters.

We see German boys enjoying a range of vehicles. They are not really toys, but childhood vehicles. Younger boys played with scooters and tricycles. Scooters seem paticularly popular. These were middle-class items if you look t groups of boys, only a few will have sccoters and trikes. We do not note the many different types of pedal cars that were popular in America. Older boys enjoyed bicycles. They were not commonly available for boys unless they came from a comfortable middle-class family. German workers did not commonly have cars. Many traveled to work on bicycles. And often they did not wnt their children playing with them because they were expensive items. We see German boys taking group cycling trips. This seems particularly popular as a Hitler Youth activity. We see whole units taking bike trips. We do not have alot of information on this, but we believe that most of the boys involved did not own their own bikes. This all changed after World war II. As strange as it may seem, most Germans benefitted economically by changes made after the War. As a result of the German Economic Miracle, Germans in Western Germany were more prosperousthan ever before. German boys, even working-class boys, by the 1950s did het scootrs, tricycles, and bicycles. They became very common play items.

Economic Trends

Vehicles were middle-class items if you look at groups of boys, only a few will have sccoters and trikes. They were not commonly available for boys unless they came from a comfortable middle-class family. Grmany was the most industrialized country in Europe. Even so, before World War II, living standards and wages were substantially below U.S. leves. German wages did not support purchases like cars and even more expensve toys like bicycles. This is a matter of soe importance. Henry Ford in the United States not only negan the mass productin of automobiles, but he was the first indusrialist who began to see the worker as a potential customer and ontroduced aliving wage. THis was a factor in the Phenomenal growth OF American industry. This mean that at the time of Wold War II, the United States had an industrial base far beyond that of Germany. This meant that Germany launched a war without a fully mechanized army. America not only fully mechanized its army, but supplied vehicles to its allies. American trucks in particular played a huge role on the Eastern Front. This difference can be seen in the vehicjes with which the children played. German workers did not commonly have cars. Many traveled to work on bicycles. And often they did not wnt their children playing with them because they were expensive items. This all changed after World war II. As strange as it may seem, most Germans benefitted economically by changes made after the War. As a result of the German Economic Miracle, Germans in Western Germany were more prosperousthan ever before. German boys, even working-class boys, by the 1950s did het scooters, tricycles, and bicycles. They became very common play items.

Specific Vehicles

We see German boys enjoying a range of vehicles. They are not really toys, but childhood vehicles.Younger boys played with scooters and tricycles. Scooters seem paticularly popular. We see some boys with a tricycle like toy, but without pedal drive. Many scooters were made in wood rather than metal. We see many more scooters than other types of children's vehicles. This is probavly an economic matter. A scooter had no pedals and chain drive. Thus it was a much less expensive item than a bicycle. We do not note the many different types of pedal cars that were popular in America. Older boys enjoyed bicycles. We see German boys taking group cycling trips. This seems particularly popular as a Hitler Youth activity. We see whole units taking bike trips. good example is depicted in a photographic album put together by Rudolf Hanig, a seemingly orinary HJ boy. We do not have alot of information on this, but we believe that most of the boys involved did not own their own bikes.

Created: 3:28 AM 2/12/2009
Last updated: 1:59 AM 12/15/2009