Figure 1.--This unidentified German boy wears a beret and overcoat during the winter. The snapshot is undated, but we believe it was worn during the 1930s. Notice the jaunty angle of his beret. We suspect this was mother's hand at play.. |
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We also see German boys wearing berets during the 1930s. In fact we have found more German boys weafuing berets during the 1930s than any other decade. One example is a Berlin school photograph which looks to have been taken about 1930. On the previous page we see a younger boy very smartly done up by his mother. He is wearing a bertet with a sailor outfit (figure 1). Many of the images we have found, however, are undated. Here we have an example. The portrait of this boy was almost certainly taken in the 1930s, but we have no idea s just when (figure 1). Thus we are unsure if the popularity of berets changed over the decade. Actually we were a little surprised to find German boys wearing berets, especially during the 1930s. This of course was a decade of hyoper-nationalism. Germany was highly nationalistic even before the NAZIs seized power. Under NAZI rule, nationalism reached the limits of what might is called xenephobia. And un-German elements in society were purged. This of course was most directly aimed at racial groups, especially the Jews, but also Blacks and Asians. Jazz in particular was rediculed because of the asociatiuion with Afro-Americans. But the culture of other European nations was also denegrated, especially the World War II adversaeies, Britain and France. And the beret was assopciated with the French. Perhaps because it was a child's garment it fell under the radar of NAZi sensabilities. We believe that the populsrity of berets did decline dufing the NAZI era, but we do see berets thriughout the decade. Thus it will take some time before we can fully assess our initial assessment.
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