Figure 1.--This German boy was photographed in 1932. Note the candel he carries with a fake flame. Many German boys were photographed with these candels. His suit does not look new or very fashionable. After the NAZI take over in 1933, long stockings became less common. A caption at the top of the card read, "Heartfelt good wishes to (your) communion". (Herzlichen Glückwunsch zur Kommunion.) This was a less religious greeting than on some of the other cards. Image courtesy of the MD collection. Click on the image to see the back of the card.

This Boy

Outfit

The second boy has a very short hair cut with a right part. He has a lapel-less jacket which buttons at the collar with large buttons. There is no neckwear. I am not sure that he is wearing a white shirt, it may be a button-on detachable collar. I do not see any shirt cuffs. He appears to be wearing kneepants, but they do not have the normal three-button hem trim. They are quite long, extending well over his knee. He wears dark long over-the-knee stockings with old fashioned looking high top shoes. The outfit rather suggests to HBC that this boy came from a less affluent family than some of the other boys wearing more fashionable suits for their First Communions. The outfit looks rather old fashioned and if it had not been postmarked in 1932, HBC would have dated it earlier. Neither his suit or shoes look new.

First communion items

As was common in Germany, he has the large candel with his rossary and Bible. This boy also has a flower corsage.

Reader comments

A reader comments, "I wonder whether this boy may have come from a less affluent family. The clothes appear to be old fashioned which may be clothes from a different generation. The jacket (I may be mistaken) appears to be slightly small and the knee pants appear to be slightly large for him--at least for the 1930s."

Background

The address reads, "An den Schüeler Adolf Fecher, Hier, Humboldtstr." The message reads:" Zur ersten Kommunion wuenschen wir Dir alles Gute. Moegest Du auf diesen Tag recht oft mit Freuden zurueckblicken. Dir und Deinen Eltern liebe Gruesse, Familie Schwarz" English: "To the student Adolf Fecher, Here, Humboldtstreet" (Funny to put "student" in the address, must have been local people, they also did not write down the street number.) The text translates into Englis, "For your first communion we wish you all the best. May you look back at this day often with joy. To you and your parents dear greetings from the Schwarz Family".

1932 Portraits

In the case of this portrait we happen to know not only when it was taken, but we know how this boys' friends were dressed. The image is a photo postcard, several of which were sent to the same boy and are post marked in 1932. Presumably friends in Germany exchanged their First Communion portraits with each other. It is interesting to note the similarities and differences among the suits the boys wear. The boys mostly wear old fashioned wing collars. One boy wears a sailor suit. The boys except for one wear short pants suits. All of the boys with short pants wear dark long stockings, although kneesocks had become much more common for boys this age. The boys look about 12-14 years old. The long stockings are not worn for warmth, but here appear to be considered more formal and appropriate for church than kneesocks. These photographs show not only what boys wore to their First Communions at the time, but a German boy's best dress suit in 1932. These were clearly not suits bought just for First Communion, but rather suits that were meant to be worn for best.

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Created: June 9, 2002
Last edited: June 10, 2002