Figure 1.--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. |
|
We are just beginning to assess East German fashion trends. Immediately after World War II boys in the Soviet and Westrn occupation zones were the same, except for the regional differences that existed before the War. Gradually differences developed which we are just beginning to assess. We believe that East Germans were strongly influenced by Western fashions, primarily through West German television. Although they could see Western fashion, they could not purchase them in the stores. Eventually the styles were copied in Easter Germany, but there was always a time lag and the clothing was of inferior quality.
East Germany was a creation of the Cold War. The country was created early in the Cold War out of the Soviet occupation zone. The country was absorbed by West Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The unification of Germany marked in realistic terms the end of the Cold War. Germany was an anomally in the East Bloc because it was a divided nation. The Wall effectively cut off the two parts of Germany, but their common language meant that the East Germans had a unique view of the west. Publications could be censored, radio and TV broadcasts could not. Thus the East Germans were vicariously exposed to the Western consumer economy and Western fashions. In terms of boys fashions there were two destincr eras in East German boys fashions. After the Second World War Germany was devestated. Most people had trouble finding even the bare necesities of life. There was little money for clothes. Conditions by 1948 had begun to improve in West Berlin and West Germany, which is why the Soviets instituted the blockade. More and more people were moving to the Western zone. Insights into what German boys were wearing after the War can be seen in some of the many images of the Berlin Air Lift. 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.
The Soviets began errecting a boundary between East and West Germany early in the Cold War. Churchill named it the Iron Curtain. In reality it was a rlatively porous border which with people fleeing West, especially highly trained professionals, East Germany found itself being drained of talent. The East Germans began building the Berlin Wall in 1961 and a less publicized but equally inpenitrable border between East and West Germany. This Wall becme a central support of the East german stte.
I believe thsat the East Germans gfollowed the Soviet practices of requiring a school uniform. I think the same uniform was used for the Young Pioneers. We have, however, few details.
We believe that West Germany and America were the primary fashion influences in East Germany. This was much more the case than any other Eastern European Communist country. The reason for this was television. The East German (DDR) Government could keep out publications as they had to be shipped accross the border. Even travelers would be searched and books and magazines looked over. As a result, relatively small numbers of publications got through. What did penetrate was radio and television broadcasts. As regards fashion, television was very important. East Germans could watch West German TV. It was not permitted, but Government prohibitions were widely ignored. (The penalties were not as draconian as those enforced by the NAZIs during World War II.) Listening to Western TV had to be done in secret (although most who had the possibility did it except those strongly related with the DDR regime).
Almost all East Germans could watch West German and West Berlin TV. Reception was goof except for a few areas located behind mountains or other high elevations. I am not sure why the DDR didn't jam the broadcasts, perhaps there were just too many commercial broadcasts. The DDR apparently didn't use the NAZI approach of restrcting radios (Volksempfänger) to certain frequencies approved by the regime. Many authors believe that the affluence depicted on television ad all the commercials were much more effective in undercutting the DDR than Western propaganda with political messages. It was not just commercials, there were not only German television programs, but a lot of American television and films showing not only fashion but affluent lifestyles. The reason that this was so effective was that it was all in German and the reception was relatively good because of the distances were relaively short and in German. There were propaganda to other Communist countries. East Germans were, however relentlessly bombarded by enumerable commercials from the strongest economy in Europe. It is interesting to think that as muxh as Americans hate commnercials, the television commercial was a major weapon in the Cold War. (The only other example of this was Estonia where people could receive and understand Finish television. It is no accident that Estonia was the first country to suceed from the Soviet Uniomn.) Rusia was also a fashion inflience, primarily through school and Young Pioneer uniforms.
I do not know if there were any East German fashion magazines.
I do not know to wht extent clothing was advertised in East Germany. We do not know if clothing was advertised on television or in newspapers or magazines. Certainly advetising was much more limited than in West Germany if it existed at all. There was virtually no advertising in the Soviet Union. I am not sure that it was entirely lacking in East Germany.
The political division of Germany split many families. Communication varied over time. I do not have details on this, but believe that communicationduring the Stalinist era was limited if not dangerous. After Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik communication became more possible and included actual visits--always West Germans traveling to East Germany. A German reader tells us, "Many persons living in the former DDR, especially children, got West German clothes from relatives living in West Germany (as we got them after the war from American relatives!). But I think that the East German people had to be careful when wearing them."
West German clothes were not markted in East Germany because of East German trade policies. The EastvGerman mark was not freely convertable. East Germany traded primrily within the Comecon, meaning bartering of products by state agencies. Scarce Western curreny was not used to but fashionable clothes. East German clothes wre, however, exported to the Soviet Union and other Eastern European Communist countries. While East German made clothes were inferior to Western product, they were well received in Eastern Europe. East Germans while unable to obtain West German clothing in any quantity, they were aware of West German fashions, as explained above primarily because of television. Publications could be stoped at the border, especially after the Wall began to be constructed in 1961. It was much more difficult to stop TV brodcasts.
Almost every kid in the DDR had to participate in Young Pioneers. East Germans who participated in Pioneers report that were a kind of a double-edged sword. Children had to join the Pioneers (and when older the FDJ) to have any chance of a higher education like college. Very few few kids refused to join. There were regular meetings, but always at school. The organization-form was based on the school-classes. Pioneer meetings were never held at private homes or of course churches. They did not meet kids from other schools or areas at meetings as in Scouting. Parents were very seldom involved in pioneer activites. The Pioneer groups organized s some official events like special celebration days. Those were organized by the schools pioneers unit. Like marching in uniform in the Labor Day parade--a very important event in communist countries. There was also a little fun like hiking trips, school-discos, or carnival. It’s hard to tell which role the pioneers played in this events. Mostly they were organized by the pioneers group managment (group = school-class), but probably without the Pioneers they would also happened in some way.
Unfortunately none of our German readers have reported on their experiences growing up in East Germany yet. We have a number of German readers who have made many valuable contributions to our site. For some reason, however, they have all come from West Germany. We are not entirely sure why that is. Perhaps Westies or more consumer savy than Osties. Or perhaps the Western tradition make people more open to address the issues that HBC addresses. We are just not sure, but hope that East German readers will eventually privide information on their experiences.
A german reade writes, "Sorry but I can't say much here. I am from "West-Germany". In former times of "East-Germany" we had in Bremen no East-German TV. If I remember right some people near the border to "East-Germany" could get some East-German TV. I once heard from people from former "East-Germany" that they got West-German TV Programmes. I don't know if this was officially possible there. I don't know about the influence. Surely not in an official way. But things from the West seem to have been quite popular in the West unofficially among individual East Germans."
HBC has received somments from readers asking why we give so much attenttion to a seeminly frivolus aspect of human behavior. The reason of course is that fashion is an observable aspect of human behavior and social attitudes that offer some insights larger more important historical developments. In this case, we seem to have an actual example as to fashion and live style playing a major role in the demise of the DDR and fall of Communism in Eastern Europe--one of the major historical developments of the 20th Century.
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing German pages:
[Return to the Main German page]
[Return to the Main German Cold War page]
[German choirs]
[German Young Pioneers]
[German school uniforms]
[German royalty]
[German sailor suits]
[Lederhosen]
[Ethnic German]
[Tights]
[Long stockings]
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Cloth and textiles]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Topics]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossaries]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]