Equipment Purchase
March 02, 2010

Posted by BDMHistorian

Members of the League of German Girls and the Jungmaedel League had to purchase their own uniforms and equipment - nothing was "issued" or given to them. This is a fact that was lamented by many girls whose parents did not have the money to buy them the uniforms, especially if they kept outgrowing it. Gisela Borgwald, a former member of the Jungmaedel, remembers -

"Because my family couldn't afford to purchase it for me, it took awhile until I owned the correct uniform. My mother bought the white blouse for me at the store, but the dark blue skirt that it was supposed to button into was homemade and it wasn't nearly as nice as the ones they had at the department store."
(You can read the rest of Gisela's narrative here.)

My colleague in Germany, Stephan Hansen, recently came across a store's price list for Hitler Youth and League of German Girls uniforms and equipment that dates back to summer 1937, which you can see below.





Translation

I am not planning on translating the entire list of uniforms and equipment, but for those of you who are interested in the items specifically listed for the League of German Girls and the Jungmaedel League, those items are listed below in translation. If there are any questions, please don't hesitate to either comment on this blog post or email me at the address provided in the top left corner.

BDM/JM

BDM blouse, white with short sleeves
     panama fabric / poplin 
          size 34 .... RM 2.75
          size 36/42 .... RM 3
          size 44/46 .... RM 3.25
     faille fabric
          size 34 ... RM 3.50
          size 36/42 ....RM 3.75
          size 44/46 ... RM 4

JM blouse, white with short sleeves
     panama fabric / poplin 
          size 34 .... RM 3.50
          size 36/42 .... RM 3.75
          size 44/46 .... RM 4
     faille fabric
          size 34 ... RM 4.25
          size 36/42 ....RM 4.50
          size 44/46 ... RM 4.75

BDM traveling blouse, silver-grey 
          size 34 .... RM 3.50
          size 36/42 .... RM 3.75
          size 44/46 .... RM 4

JM traveling blouse, silver-grey 
          size 34 .... RM 4.25
          size 36/42 .... RM 4.50
          size 44/46 .... RM 4 .75

BDM skirt, wool
          size 36 .... RM 8.50
          each second size up RM .50 more

JM skirt, wool
          size 50 .... RM 7
          each second size up RM .50 more

Berchtesgaden jacket, wool
          size 34 .... RM 6
          each second size up RM .50 more

Climbing jackets, lined
          sizes 8-12 .... RM 11.75
          sizes 38-46 .... RM 12.75

BDM and JM cap .... RM 2.50
BDM belt .... RM 1.50
Scarf with leather knot .... RM .85

Lace-up shoes
          sizes 33/35 .... RM 9.75
          sizes 36/39 .... RM 10.75
          sizes 40/42 .... RM 11.75

Socks, white .... RM .75


Price Comparison

How these prices would relate to modern-day prices is difficult and inaccurate to calculate, but in 1938, one US dollar ($1) was worth 2.49 Reichsmark (RM 2.49), so you can get somewhat of an idea how these prices would translate to American prices at the time. If anyone has any suggestions on how to calculate these prices into "modern" prices, taking into account inflation, please do pass them on!


Fabric Terms

I thought it would be interesting for some of our readers to learn what the different fabrics are, as different types of fabric are commonly mentioned in listings of Hitler Youth uniforms. Below, you will find a list of the terms used in the price list above and their meaning.

Panama -  A worsted fabric with a clear finish weighing about 200 g/m² and used for tropical suitings. The fabric is of a plain-weave and square construction. Fibres other than wool may be used.

Poplin -  A plain weave cloth with fine weft-way ribs. There are twice as many ends as picks. It is frequently made from cotton or blends, preferably with 2-fold yarns. Poplin is available in various weights, making it suitable for shirts or rainwear, depending on the finish applied. Sometimes it is printed or woven with decorative stripes. An Irish poplin used to be made with a silk warp and a worsted weft.

Faille - A fine, soft fabric woven from filament yarn made in a plain weave with weft-way ribs formed by the intersection of a fine close-set warp with a coarser weft. Faille belongs to a group of fabrics having ribs in the weft direction. Examples of this group arranged in ascending order of prominence of the rib are taffeta, faille, poult and grosgrain.


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