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Close-cropped hair appaers to have persisted as a popular style into the early 20th century. A good example is a unidentified German boy, probably in the 1910s. We are not sure to what extent this was a popular and to what extent it was required by the schools. Close cropped hair was very common in the early 20th century, but it was by no means unversal. Many boys had hair that was long enough to comb. Here social class was a factor. There may have also been regional variations. Some boys had bangs, but this was not as common as later because so many boys had close cropped hait. We still notice it in the early 1920s, but much less commonly. It was not a style approved by the NAZIs in the 1930s. A miliatry cut with hair of normal length on top, but quite short at the back and sides was the standard. This style the NAZIs did approve of. We see it very commonly in the 1930s, worn by both boys and men. We see more boys wearing bangs in the 1930s and this was a major style in the secind half of the century. After the War, German boys generally followed hair style trends common in the rest of Europe. Short hair was common in the 1950s, although we do not notice many Americam-style crew cuts. This began to change in the 1960s and by the 1970s many boys were wearing quite long hair--in some cases shoulder length. In the 1980s the popularity of long hair declined, but we notice a great varirty of styles and lengths.
Close-cropped hair appaers to have persisted as a popular style into the early 20th century. We are not sure to what extent this was a popular fashion and to what extent it was required by the schools. Another factor was universal military conscription and the military arms race at the time. Young men doing military service may have got acustomed to cropped hair and when they began a family adopted the stule for their boys. One question we have here was to what extent this was a style chosen by the father or mother. Close cropped hair was very common in the early 20th century, but it was by no means unversal. Many boys had hair that was long enough to comb. Here social class was a factor. There may have also been regional variations. Some boys had bangs, but this was not as common as later because so many boys had close cropped hair.
Close-cropped hair continued to be popular in the 1910s. A good example is a unidentified German boy, probably in the 1910s. One school portrait shows shows the range of hair styles worn, probably in the 1910s, but we are not entirely sure about the date.
We still notice it in the early 1920s, but much less commonly. A good example is an unidentified German boy, although this imahe could have been taken in the 1910s. We believe that cropped hair was particularly common among working-class families and theis portrait looks to be an example. We also believe that the association with the military may have been a factor in the declining popularity after World War I. The Versailles Treaty dematically reduced the size of the German Army and there was no longer military conscription. More and more as the decade progressed we see boys with hair long enough to part. An example is another unidentified boy. As the close cropped hair became less and less common, we see more boys wearing bangs. An unidentified boy is a good example.
German boys by the 1930s were wearing hair long enough to comb. We only note side parts. Cropped hair was no longer a widely popular stylerl-20th century. The cropped cuts did not entirely disappear. We do, however, see some boys in the early-30s with cropped hair in classes, depending in part on age. Some boys had a cropped cut that left some hair a little longer at the front. Cropped hair was not a style approved by the NAZIs for schools or the Hitler Youth during the 1930s, although the NAZIs reimposed military conscription. A miliatry cut with hair of normal length on top, but quite short at the back and sides was the standard. The actual length varied from family to famnily. This is called a short back and sides in Britain. I'm not sure what it was called in Germany. Many boys haled short back and sides which left the hair long enough to comb on top. This style the NAZIs did approve of in a general sence. There were no acrtual rules, although some schools did have rules. Excpt for a few younger boys, you do not see boys with long hair. Thiuntriues as well, although in the United States and some other countries, hair length tended to be longer than in Germany. We see it very commonly in the 1930s, worn by both boys and men. We see more boys wearing bangs in the 1930s and this was a major style in the second half of the century.
After World War II, German boys generally followed hair style trends common in the rest of Europe. Short hair was common in the 1950s, although we do not notice many Americam-style crew cuts.
Hair styles began to change during the 1960s. We still see fairly short hair and traditional styles in the early 1960s. Bangs conginued to be a popular style for younger boys. As the decde progressed, short hair became less popular and we begin to see longer hair by the late 1960s. This was particular true in West Germany. Eat German authorities were more resistant to longer hair styles, seeing them as somewhat subversive.
Many boys were wearing quite long hair in the 1970s. Some boys had shoulder length hair.
The 1980s was notable for the variety of hair styles worn by boys. The popularity of long hair began to decline in the 1980s. We notice a great varirty of styles and lengths. Some boys still had long hair, but the shoulder-length hair seen in the 1970s became less commom.
Long hair continued to decline in popularity and by the late 1990s some boys were wearing quite short hair.
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