Clothing tells a story. Our clothes express who we are and what we value. They may give clues about our occupation or background. They can give us a sense of cultural belonging. These things are true for us, and they were true for our ancestors.
Did you have ancestors from Germany or areas where German was spoken? Keep reading to learn more about the traditional German clothing your ancestors might have worn.
Trachten
In any perusal of German clothing, you’re likely to come across the words tracht and trachten (the plural of tracht). The original meaning of trachten was “something that is worn.” However, it’s now associated mainly with traditional clothing of bygone eras. It can also apply to accompanying hats, jewelry, hairstyles, and even symbols and insignia.
Historically, trachten identified wearers as belonging to a certain social class, working in a given occupation, or following a certain religion. Sometimes trachten were worn as a symbol of national unity. Today, trachten can be a meaningful way to connect with one’s cultural heritage.
Dirndls and Lederhosen
Dirndls and lederhosen may quickly come to mind as traditional German clothing. These outfits originated in Bavaria but have been widely adopted elsewhere.
A dirndl is a dress consisting of a blouse, bodice, skirt, and apron. Dirndls were originally worn by servants or peasants. They were typically made of sturdy cloth that would stand up to hard work and repeated washings. Over time, however, others took notice of these unique costumes and created their own adaptations. For example, aristocratic ladies in the 18th century used finer fabrics like silk for their dirndls and added embroidery and other ornamentation.
Lederhosen are breeches worn by men, typically made of leather from cows, goats, or deer. They include suspenders worn over the shoulders and connected in the front by a decorative crosspiece. Lederhosen are often complemented by knee-high socks, leather shoes, a checkered shirt, and a jacket.
Although dirndls and lederhosen are well-known trachten, many regions have less well-known—but equally beautiful—traditional costumes. This blog article provides a visual survey of traditional clothing in many regions, including Hesse and Baden-Württemberg.
Headwear
Women’s headwear can be simple or quite elaborate. One of the more eye-catching hats is the Bollenhut, which originated in the Black Forest area. It has a wide brim with pompoms on top. The pompoms are red for single women and black for married women.
The Goldhaube is an elegant hat painstakingly created from golden fabric and adorned with embroidery, sequins, or other decorations.
The quintessential tracht hat for men is the Tyrolean hat, which may be decorated by a band, a feather, a sprig of edelweiss, or even a Gamsbart, which is a tuft of hair from an animal.
Trachten Today
Dirndls fell out of favor after World War II, but they have enjoyed a resurgence in recent years. Today’s designers are “breathing new life” into this traditional dress, and it’s not unusual for women to wear dirndls to family celebrations or other special events.
Traditional clothing is also an important part of cultural celebrations like Oktoberfest, which is held around the world.
Your Journey of Discovery
If you’d like to learn more about your trachten-wearing ancestors, here are some resources for you:
- FamilySearch Historical Records has a Germany research page.
- The FamilySearch Research Wiki has an informative page about Germany Genealogy.
- RootsTech offers free prerecorded classes about German family history.
- The BYU Family History Library’s webinar library contains recordings on topics such Beginning German Research, German Online Record Collections, Census Records in Germany, and more.
- There’s a Germany Genealogy Research group in the FamilySearch community.
Begin your journey of discovery today!
