The exhibition Who, What, Wear? German Costume & Culture will be on display at the German American Heritage Center in Davenport, IA through August 22, 2021.
Ethnic German dress and traditional costumes are referred to as tracht. Curated from their own collection and from heritage pieces provided by community members, this show presents a variety of historic clothing and explains the nationalistic directive throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Germany towards a design aesthetic hearkening back to a more idyllic time. Although tracht evokes images of a pastoral life, darker forces were behind the rise of this fashion in Nazi Germany.
Listen to the conversation here with Erika Holshoe, Assistant Director of the German American Heritage Center, about the Dirndl and its male counterpart, Lederhosen; the way in which tracht was used as propaganda throughout Germany in the time leading up to WWII; and the deeper lessons we can learn about a society through studying its fashion.
The German American Heritage Center is open Tues-Sat 10AM-4PM and Sun 12-4PM and is located at 712 W. 2nd St. in Davenport, IA.