Figure 1.--German boys commonly wore short pants during the 1940s. After the War in 1945, many faniles had a hard time making ends meet. Thus quite old boys might continue wearing their boyish short pants suits. Younger boys often went barefoot as their parents could not afford shoes. Notice the suspender shorts.

Germany especially Berlin was ground zero of the Cold War. It was the one place that Soviet and American tanks stood mussle to mussle. Fashion was the least of the wories faced by German families immediately after World War II. Boy wore their old clothes far beyond what they normally might have. Conditions began to improved somewhat by 1948, especially in West Germany was provided U.S. Marshall Plan assistance. It was not until the 1950s and conditions really began improving with the West German miracle that German mothers could begin think about fashions for theor sons.

Chronologies

Clothing styles in the early post-War era were still destinctly German, but Gemany was significatly influenced by the occupation. Colored shirts were one inovation popularized by the Americans. Also German children's fashions were affected by the same economic and social trends afecting the rest of Europe. After the Second World War Germany was devestated. Conditions and clothing were initially similar in all three occupations zones. There were initially four (America, British, French, and Soviet). The Western Allies merged their zones so there became an eastern and western zones. Conditions were terrible in both zones, but the living conditions in the western zine had begun to improve by 1948. There was, however, little money for clothes. In a short period of time, West Germany was transformed by the German Economic Miracle. Insights into what German boys were wearing after the War can be seen in some of the many images of the Berlin Air Lift. This was somewhat complicated in Germany by the politicl division of East and West Germany, especially after the Wall was built beginning in 1961. German boys' clothes began to change in the 1960s. One factor was rising income levels. Another was the development of rebellious teen culture. The trend developed later in Germany than in America and other western European countries, but by the 1960s it had arrived. The change was particularly rapid after the Paris student strike of 1968. By the 1970s shorts had become increasingly rare except on younger boys. Little boys still wearing shorts during the winter might be dressed in long over the knee stockings or in beginning in the 1950s, tights. Some boys would wear them for warmth under long pants. Most German boys like other boys in Western Europe wanted jeans. The change was a slower in Communist Eastern Germany (DDR). But East Germany received West German (BRD) television and fashion easily breeched the Iron Curtain. By the time that the Berlin Wall fell, German boys were dressing in the indestinguishable pan-European styles. The West German boys were a bit more stylish as their parents had more money, but the same styles were commonly worn on both sides of the Wall.

Figure 2.--This East German film showed common German boys clothes during the early 1980s. Boys were wearing short pants suits less, but casual shorts were still common.

Two Germanies

With the onset of the Cold War. Two Germanies developed. Most of our information concerns West Germany, but hopefully our German readrs will provide more information on East Grmany to improve our understanding of fashion trends.

West Germany

West German boys continued to wear the styles of the 1930s and 40s during the 1950s. Boys wore short pants, often quite short shorts. This began to change in the 1960s and by the 1970s German boys were enthusiatically adopting the pab-European styles of blue jeans and casual shirts.

East Germany

The Communists tried to create a new German identity and in many ways succeded, witness the difficulties Oesties encountered in the new unified Germany. What the Communists could not control was the desire of East Germand to participate in the consumer society that they saw nightly on West German television. This of course included children clothes. Boys' on both sides of the border wanted the same stylevof clothes. East German boys were always late in adopting new stles, but follow thier West German counterparts.

The Cold War

The cold War in many respects began and ended in Berlin. That beleagered city was at the center of the Cold war during its most dangerous period. It was in Berlin and West Germany that American and Soviet tanks faced off directly. Few countries wee more affected by the Cold War than Germany. As a result, some background on the Cold War may assist readers in understanding German developments.

Personal Experiences

We have collected some personal accounts from German boys as well as foreign boys visiting Germany. Unfortunately we do not yet have any accounts from Communist East Germany.

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Created: March 10, 1999
Last updated: 11:59 PM 7/24/2010