German & Austrian Hutmachers

[Dreispitz]

That may be, but there are plenty of Protestants in Swabia and much of Franconia - and Switzerland is mainly Protestant.
Is there more hat-wearing in Germany and Austria today than in the rest of Europe?

Well, when you ask in hat shops, people will tell you that hat wearing hats increased over the last four years. The most common hats, you find in the streets of Munich, today, are bavarian styles or transitional syles. Bastsrdised country style fedora crossovers to go with Lodenmänteln. Sometime with a little Indy tinch to it.

In Austria, Northern Italy, Switzerland, Slovenia, Chech Republic, I do come across hats in Winter, quiet often. Certinly the elder generation still wears hats on a larger scale.

The youngsters follow the trend to wear short brimmed fedoras. Some Roger Cicero, a singer, started this trend a few years ago.

 

[Dreispitz]

I guess it´s the same reason why there is so many catholics in southern germany... The traditions didn´t die out there, but why? Maybe it´s just the nature of people from mountains.

People still have the stuff hanging in their wardrobes. Country costumes were and still are often bespoke made items and expensive. Therefore they are kept and handed down to next generations. Especially acessoirs.

Religion plays a part in that country costumes are worn for religious holydays. This si for protestants, as well, as for catholics.

 

[Hal]

People still have the stuff hanging in their wardrobes. Country costumes were and still are often bespoke made items and expensive. Therefore they are kept and handed down to next generations.

One sees this in Protestant Norway, but more with women than with men.

 

[LordBest]

I picked it up on eBay a couple of years back, before I became interested in hats and golden era style beyond seeing them as historic items. I would appreciate any information regarding the firm of Johann Fehme you might have, if any, of course.

Wow, where did you come across that beauty!?

Johann Fehme does not exist, anymore, as the many hatters of Munich and other places do not, either.

Top hats, Homburgs and Fedoras were the town hats in Germany until the war times. Top hats were also common in rural areas, worn on sunday for church or special occasions. Certinly not by everyone. Like in town.

By the way, some of the more formal black countrey costume hats are derivatives of the top hat. The Ausseer was a high crown stiff top hat, initially.

 

[Dreispitz]

I picked it up on eBay a couple of years back, before I became interested in hats and golden era style beyond seeing them as historic items. I would appreciate any information regarding the firm of Johann Fehme you might have, if any, of course.

Hello to Down Under!

I found the shop. It still exists, today. Was there only two weeks ago. The Name is actually Zehme. www.zehme-huete.de

Old established hatter of Munich. They started business in 1834 and became purveyors of hats to the Royal Court of Bavaria.

 

[LordBest]

Fantastic! Thank you very much. Now I just need to see if it is possible to get a date on my top hat, I wonder if Zehme could tell me, perhaps based on the style of label. I never would have guessed that was a Z.

Hello to Down Under!

I found the shop. It still exists, today. Was there only two weeks ago. The Name is actually Zehme. www.zehme-huete.de

Old established hatter of Munich. They started business in 1834 and became purveyors of hats to the Royal Court of Bavaria.

 

[Pat_H]

Hallo Pat,

this style of hat was still in use after wwII within army and police forces. They almost entirely disapeared in the 80ies. I think, mountain troopers still weare the gray cap with their formal uniform. There is also a current field cap of the form in camo design.

Thanks.

They look like they'd be a practical hat for outdoor use, or at least cold weather outdoor use, in the original configuration, so I'm a little surprised that they disappeared. Oh well.

I've seen a Swiss variant of this that was a military cap once that was my size. I should have bought it for an outdoor winter beater.

 

[Pat_H]

Maybe it represents the foot of a game animal...
It's a kind of reversed version of the "arrow" style.


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The crease resembles the foot of a horse, if we consider the entire foot. That is, the hoof and the frog (the frog being the interior portion of the foot).

I don't know if that makes much sense, but this crease does replicate the appearance of that fairly nicely.

 

[Rick Blaine]

BRAVO!

This is a terribly interesting thread! Thanks for instigating it! The variation and detail on these hats are fascinating. The color contrasts, eye-popping liners and variety of form & texture_ just mind-blowing!_ It has given me an appreciation for the cultural & historical context in which these hats were created.
So, regarding the regional & geographical variation in the hats, might they be manifested in such details as ribbon/trim color, rope design, color & configuration, brim width, crown height and hat pin & feather details? Might a fellow be recognized as to his region or even his town or village of origin by the details of his hat? (Save the obvious hat-pin spelling it out.) And did the rope around the base of the crown have a practical genesis, perhaps among the Alpine climbers?

 

[Wolfmanjack]

Interesting thread.

On German hats, I wonder if the certain style of German cap called a bergmutze still receives any use? That is, are the bergmutze/feldmutze caps still used by rural German workers at all?

At one time, they were a very common cap. A lot of European armies wore them, and of course, they're' infamously associated with the German Army from the later stages of WWII. Be that as it may, I think a version of them was still in use by Austrian mountain troops relatively recently, and perhaps still is. And I think that farmers and others once wore them as well. Do they still receive any civilian use?

For those who might not be familiar with these, they resemble the hat called an "Engineer's Cap", or a "Stormy Cromer", in the US, but the ear flaps are external (sort of like the Filson cap). They have a brim like a baseball cap, with the ear flaps for cold weather folding up, externally, along the side of the cap and buttoning on the front. They look to have been a fairly practical hat for cool or cold weather.

Hallo Pat,

this style of hat was still in use after wwII within army and police forces. They almost entirely disapeared in the 80ies. I think, mountain troopers still weare the gray cap with their formal uniform. There is also a current field cap of the form in camo design.

For those who are not familiar with the bergmutze, I found these images:

I agree it would be a practical cold-weather field cap. Repros are still being made for the WWII re-enacter trade.

 

[BellyTank]

Bergmütze, Feldmütze, etc-

Just a quick, unresearched one...

The Bergmutze style cap was in use with Austro-Hungarian forces during WW1 and was the famous headgear of the mountain troops and other specialist units. It was taller than we know the WW2 version, often seen with a leather bill. Used by many of the Austro-Hungarian "nations"(in WW2 also)

A modified version was adopted by the German Army as Gebirgjäger headwear in the '30s, I believe, then standardised, then eventually modified further into the "Einheitsfeldmutze" (for all branches of the forces)of the mid WW2 era. It continued in military use after the war and was also adopted by Police units, Postal service, and other civil units, on a regional basis. As has been mentioned, it does seem to have disappeared as the traditional "woollen" cap, with functioning fold-down ear and face protection, although still used, if only in silhouette as a combat and fatigue cap. Versions of the cap with buttons, or without but minus the functioning ear flaps were in use into the '80s*.

You can still purchase the civilian version of the traditional style, as used by hunters/forsters/farmers, etc.

If you looked on ebay.de, or do a Google image search for "Jagdmütze", "landmann mütze", you'll find where you can buy one.

See also "Forsthut" and "Jagdhut" for some other nice style of traditional hunting-style headwear. Ignore the ugly ones- the taller, Fedora-esque, uniform style ones, with proper ribbons are the ones I'm talking about. Available from German and Austrian uniform and hunting outfitters.

I have various Bergmütze/Feldmütze style caps. I like them a lot.
I also purchase a (newly manufactured)black Bergmütze cap from Germany, which is more of the earlier, civilian ski style, (also HJ, unfortunately)with a buckle fastening at the front but I can't find one on line just now.


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[Bob Smalser]

Among foresters, this German painting titled The Forester's Home circa 1890 is an old favorite. The origins of North American forestry science and practices beginning around the same time are largely German.

His bergmutz is on the wall hook his drilling rifle-shotgun hangs from, and his felt hat is on the writing table. His boots are tossed beneath the schrank with a bootjack visible in the foreground. A drahthaar and two dachshunds watch his frau tend the kachelofen tile stove.

His life largely consisted of planting and managing trees in spring and summer and managing the hunting leases and guiding hunters in fall and winter. When they went after flying game they took the drahthaar and ground game the dachshunds.

Traditional German loden clothing is of exceptional quality, but very expensive, and the condition of his clothing in this painting nicely illustrates why. This old forester probably only owned two sets of clothes, but they have lasted him the better part of a lifetime.

 

[Dreispitz]

Impressed!!!

Wow, I am really impressed about this knowledge that came together on our almost forgotten Bergmütze! The unique syle is hardly found on hats thesse days. Maybe, I should get one

Thewre are in fact hundreds, if not thousends of german, austrian, swiss alpine styles of hats and decoration that came about over the last two centuries.

Maybe one should continue this thread and list up hats and their histories.

What do you think?

 

[BellyTank]

Yes.


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[Pat_H]

Wow, I am really impressed about this knowledge that came together on our almost forgotten Bergmütze! The unique syle is hardly found on hats thesse days. Maybe, I should get one

Thewre are in fact hundreds, if not thousends of german, austrian, swiss alpine styles of hats and decoration that came about over the last two centuries.

Maybe one should continue this thread and list up hats and their histories.

What do you think?

I wonder if this list might not expand out to Italy, and perhaps France, as well. I know that at least Italian Alpini wear a traditional hat for dress use, and it appears to be closely related to one of the German styles mentioned above. Perhaps there's a group of Alpine hats to consider here.

 

[Dreispitz]

I wonder if this list might not expand out to Italy, and perhaps France, as well. I know that at least Italian Alpini wear a traditional hat for dress use, and it appears to be closely related to one of the German styles mentioned above. Perhaps there's a group of Alpine hats to consider here.

Youp, that is a point. Something like European alpine, traditional and beyond.

I went to the present Frans Hals and other dutch 17c painters exhibition. In many paintings there were men depicted wearing all kinds of period top hats and large brim fedora predecessors.

There is quiet a lot, one could post here!

 

[BellyTank]

Yes-
Of course there is a family of Alpine hats.

The family members are from the countries and regions of "The Alps".

Germany, Austria, France, Switzerland, Italy...

All of these countries have Alpine culture and specialised Alpine forces.


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[Bob Smalser]

Decades ago as a draftee, I served as an infantryman in the 87th US Mountain Infantry in the Rhoen Mountains and Thueringerwald of the Inter-German border. The outfit is still around and when not in Afghanistan, is based at Ft Drum NY.

What I envied about our German and NATO mountain troop partners wasn't their hats, it was their wool knickers. I can think of no more practical garment for everyday walking and climbing. The difference with the OG wool trousers we wore in freedom of movement and comfort was remarkable.

 

[Lt GUSTL]

Servus from Vienna,

one of Vienna's famous Hutmacher is NAGY (since 1924) .

Look at http://www.nagy-hut.at/ .

kindest regards

 

[Dreispitz]

Here is an Austrian Zapf, very nice for stable work and hiking: