It’s Oktoberfest in Munchen, Germany. You walk through the sardine-packed people who crowd around stand-up tables. Around you – Bratwurste sizzle on the grill, beer is handed out at lightning speeds, and a funny German dialect floats through the air. The floors are sticky from spilled beer and a hearty laughter is seemingly in every corner. Then… you see it. An old German man in a pair of funky leather pants. That, my dear reader, is Lederhosen.
If you haven’t heard of Lederhosen and that last paragraph made absolutely no sense, here’s a picture to get you on the right track:
They have a dense history, let’s get right into it:
It all starts with the good old state of Bavaria. This southern part of Germany has its roots in the year 15 BC with the Roman city of Augsburg, but the first Bavarian Duke didn’t come around until 550 AD. Skipping through hundreds of years and large Roman and French influences, we arrive in 1806, when the kingdom of Bavaria was founded by Maximilian 1. Joseph von Bayern. Having united the Schwäbische, Fränkische, Pfälzer, and Bayerischer people, Max. 1 found himself in a predicament. With so many different people speaking practically different languages, Max. 1 had to figure out how to make his freshly created kingdom truly come together. He had to create a sense of belonging – a sense of unity. Now, Max. 1 went about this in multiple ways, but the one pertinent to this article is Lederhosen.
That’s right, Lederhosen were created to unify the new Bavarian people under one Bavarian culture. That certainly worked down the road, as today Lederhosen are almost inseparable from Bavaria.
Furthermore, they were modeled after traditional working clothes (durable leather pants) but actually only worn by Bavarian royalty. It makes sense really – there has always been a divide between royalty and workers. Having just created a kingdom, king Max. 1 had to bridge that gap as much as possible to please his new subjects. Dressing like them, even if it was a rich and pompous impression (the Bavarian farmers could not fathom affording the decorative, deer-leather Lederhosen,) made a good impression.
- Quick detour -
Do you wonder why Lederhosen are short pants, sometimes even coming up past the knee? I just said they were modeled after traditional working clothes, right? Short pants would make no sense when working in the fields.
The reason they’re not full length is because of royal French influence. French “culottes” were fashionable at the time, and made their way to Bavaria. Think of it as the Bavarian royalty trying to stay relevant and fashionable.
Just that reason though, Lederhosen being extremely expensive, led to a downfall in Lederhosen’s popularity. The rich elite became bored with Lederhosen and eventually switched their style up. With no “ordinary” people to keep the tradition, Lederhosen slowly started to disappear.
Luckily, the first Bavarian Trachtenverein (traditional clothing club) was founded August 25, 1883 in Bayrischzell. The idea was to keep traditional clothing alive. Unfortunately, the club members were faced with serious pushback – even from the church! If you can believe it, the catholic church found the short pants promiscuous and immoral. Lederhosen were banned in official processions and officially considered immoral by the archiepiscopal ordinariate in Munchen until 1913.
Confronted with Lederhosen haters, the club members reached out to at the moment Bavarian king, Ludwig the second. Ludwig the second was a Lederhosen sympathizer, and greatly helped the Lederhosen cause by aiding the creation of many traditional clothing clubs throughout Bavaria. Slowly but surely Lederhosen saw a rise in popularity, eventually beating out the church’s reproach.
The Lederhosen wave never seemed to stop though, as today Lederhosen are a pride of Bavaria. They are used in traditional fests (including the sensational Oktoberfest,) weddings, and even at political settings. I had the pleasure of studying abroad in Germany for a year where I was gifted a pair of Lederhosen. They are one of the favorite parts of my exchange and an amazing keepsake. I went to Kirwas (a traditional fest,) the acclaimed largest political meet-up, and even the German parliament in Lederhosen!
I hope you enjoyed my quick recap on Lederhosen history and I hope you get the chance to attend a Kirwa (a traditional fest) and be surrounded by such beautiful cultural attire! (I highly recommend it.)
Thank you for your narratives and for showing us another region of Germany. I can almost smell the beer and brats.
I am so happy you had this journey and congrats on the quintessential souvenir! Maybe one day, I can see them. Of course, now I want to attend a Kirwa and grab a pair of cool Lederhose; for vertically challenged like myself, I’m betting they’ll fall below the knees, but I would still wear them!! Sharing your ventures and exploration has been so educational and perfectly delightful! I raise my hat to you for the outstanding chronicles and for enriching and broadening our knowledge base. Lucas Du bist fantastisch!! 🇩🇪