German Boys Clothes: 1909 Middle Class Family


Figure 1.--These German siblings were photogrphed in 1909 without their parents. Their mother clearly liked sailor suits for both the boys and girls until they wer older teens. Only the youngest child does not wear a sailor suit. He looks to be wearing a black dress. Two of the boys died in World War I. Image courtesy of Album1900.

These German siblings were photogrphed in 1909 without their parents. We know nothing about their parents, not even the family name. They look like a substantial middle-class family. Their mother clearly liked sailor suits for both the boys and girls until they were older teens. We assume it was their mother, but perhaps father was also involved. It is a good example of how popular sailor suits were in Germany before World War I. The photograph also illustrats the convention of dressing the children alike, in this case both the boys and girls wore sailor suits. Only the youngest child does not wear a sailor suit. He looks to be wearing a black dress. Three of the boys died in World War I.

Chronology

This German family portrait is dated on the back. These German siblings were photogrphed in 1909 without their parents.

The Family

We know very little about their parents. We do know that the family name is Ubbelohde. They look like a substantial middle-class family. We do know that the family was from Stade, Germany. The portrait is a good example of how powerfully World War I affected Germany and the rest of Europe. Three of the boys died in the War.

The Children

We do know the first names of the children and when they were born: Gottfried (1905), Eberhard (1902), Mechthild (1900), Albrecht (1898), Irmgard (1896), Freia (1894), Jobst Heinrich (1893), and Berthold (1890). All three older boys (Berthold, Jobst Heinrich and Albrecht) died as soldiers in World War I. The two younger boys would have not yet been of military age. Berthold was killed in 1917, Albrecht in 1917 and Jobst Heinrich in 1916. Freia died in 1937. The two younger boys would have been of military age in World War II. Gottfried survived the Wr and died in 1967.

The Clothing

Their mother clearly liked sailor suits for both the boys and girls until they were older teens. Presumably the older boys also wore sailor suits when they wer younger.We assume it was their mother, but perhaps father was also involved. It is a good example of how popular sailor suits were in Germany before World War I. The photograph also illustrats the convention of dressing the children alike, in this case both the boys and girls wore sailor suits. Only the youngest child does not wear a sailor suit. His name was Godfried and he was about 4 years old when the portrait was taken. He looks to be wearing a black dress.

German Sailor Suits

Readers might want some background information on sailor suits in Germany. Sailor suits were as popular in Germany as in vuirtually any European country--much more so than in England. Quite old boys would wear sailor suits in Germany, perhaps older boys than elsewhere in Europe. The sailor suit reflected Germany's infatuation with building a navy, a decission which led Germany and Europe down the path to World War I.








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Created: January 16, 2004
Last updated: January 16, 2004