Figure 1.--This is the 4th class (Classe de quatrième) at the Villa Saint Jean. The photograph was taken in 1940-41. The boys wear a variety of short pants, knickers, and long pants suits.
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Figure 1.--This is the 4th class (Classe de quatrième) at the Villa Saint Jean. The photograph was taken in 1940-41. The boys wear a variety of short pants, knickers, and long pants suits. |
This was the Villa Saint Jean, a private Catholic school located at Fribourg. It was founded by Les Marianistes--a Catholic order. Apparently the Marianistes were expelled from France by the secular French Republic. The Marianistes as a result established a boarding school in nearby Switzerland. There was no school uniform, but there was a dress code and the boys wore suits of their own chosing.
Apparently the Marianistes (Order of Mary) were expelled from France by the secular French Republic. The Marianistes as a result established a boarding school in nearby Switzerland. The Marianistes were founded in France during 1817. They began working in Switzerland during 1839. The Marianistes were devoted to promoting family life. They were very active in education. The Chambre française (I'm not sure just what governmental body this was) issued anti-Catholic reglations, including measures to supress religious orders.
This was the Villa Saint Jean, a private Catholic school. It was founded by Les Marianistes--a Catholic order. Apparently the Marianistes were expelled from France in 1903 by the secular French Republic. The Marianistes as a result established a boarding school in nearby Switzerland. The school was a secondary school for boys beginning about 12years old. The oldest boys look to be about 18 years old.
The school was located in Fribourg. It is interesting to note that the Canton de Fribourg is in Switzerland the most catholic of all cantons and is really bi-lingual at the border of the French speaking and German speaking parts of the country.
A website about the school explains, "The secondary school system in France starts with the sixième (6th class) and goes until the Première (1st class). After the Première you have one more year for philosophy or mathematics. At the Villa, the youngest pupils (6th, 5th) were in Gallia, the middle (4th, 3rd,) were in Les Ormes, the big boys (2nd, 1st and philo-math) in la Sapinière." I am not sure why the reference here is to French schools. Perhaps Swiss schools folloed the French model. Most of the teachers were French priests. Perhaps French Catholic families wanting a Catholic ducation for their boy, sent them to this school in Switzerland. As far as e call tll, tge students were mostly French rather than Swiss. Of course a factor here was that during the German occupation, some parents myhave sent their children to school in Switzerland for saftey.
We have no information on school clothing when the school was founded in 1903 or in the erly 20th century. There does not appear to have been a school uniform, but there was a dress code and the boys wore suits of their own chosing. We note some class portraits from the early 1940s. The boys wear suits for formal chool portraits. We are not sure how the boys dressed for everyday classes. Most boys appear to have worn suits, but we also note sport jackets. The clothes varied over time. we note the boys in the early 1940s weaing short pants, knickers, and long pants suits. There was no school rule about the type of pants. Presumably the choice here was made by the parents. I'm not sure how the boys viewed this. They look to be mostly single-breasted suits. The boys in shorts wear mostly kneesocks, but some boys wear sandals with out socks. The boys by the 1950s are wearing mostly long pants suits.
Most of the children at the school were Catholic. I believe that the pupils, by the time they arrived at Villa St. Jean would have done their First Communiin. This may not be the case because I think before World War II that French children did their First Communion later than in the United States and many other countries. After their first year or so they were confirmed. Ther may also have been a Renewal ceremony. There are several portraits of the students before or aafter religious ceremonies. They mostly wear suits, but some boys wear sailor suits. The boys wear quite a range of outfits. One boy weaers a kind of Eton tuxedo looking suit. We are not sure what ceremony is involved with these portraits.
Among celebrities that school had as students A. de Saint Exupéry and Juan Carlos king of Spain.
Related Chronolgy Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[Main Chronology Page]
[The 1880s]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1950s]
[The 1960s]
[The 1970s]
[The 1980s]
Related Style Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[Return to the Main Swiss individual school page]
[Main Swiss smock page]
[Main country page]
[Long pants suits]
[Short pants suits]
[Socks]
[Eton suits]
[Jacket and trousers]
[Blazer
[School sandals]
