Germany: North German cap/bonnet (Hats IV)

A particular style of cap/bonnet with a longitudinal peak can be found in five of my dolls whose traditional costumes all come from the north of Germany: Blankenese (Fig. 1), Hamburger Land (Fig. 2), Luneburg Heath (Fig. 3), North Hesse (Fig. 4) and the Upper Harz (Fig. 5). The first three come from adjacent regions in northern Lower Saxony, while the latter two are situated more south, in the State of Hesse and south-east Lower Saxony, respectively. I have been able to find pictures of a similar style the Luneburg Heath (Figs. 6 & 7). Sadly, I do not know the name of this style of headwear. The trimmings of these caps/bonnets vary greatly.

The cap worn by the doll from the village of Blankenese (Fig. 2) represents the Batiste caps worn by women either alone indoors or outdoors under beribboned brocade bonnets [Hörnerkappe (horned cap)]. The Batiste caps were edged with a gold or silver zig-zag edging [Silberzackenborte] and fine Brussels lace. Such caps were a sign of a woman’s attachment to her home.

References

Karen Ellwanger Andrea Hauser Jochen Meiners (eds.) (2015) Trachten in der Lüneburger Heide und im Wendland, Waxmann, Münster x New York

Figure 01: Blankenese — cap made of silk, with white lace and silver braid trimmings

Figure 02: Hamburger Land — bonnet made of black felt black trimmed with gold and black braid. It is tied tightly under her chin by a piece of black braid decorated with red flowers and green leaves. A folded piece of the same braid is attached to form a ribbon hanging down from the left-hand side of the bonnet to her wrist. It is held in place by a gold stud.

Figure 03: Luneburg Heath — bonnet made of silk, with white lace and green and gold braid trimmings. Black cotton ribbon has been used to make the ties and a bow at the back of the bonnet.

Figure 04: North Hesse — bonnet made of black felt. It is tied under her chin with a black ribbon in a big bow. The edge of the bonnet is adorned with a band of old gold braid decorated with purple flowers and green leaves.

Figure 05: Upper Harz — cap/hat made of black silk ribbon, but on the back is a triangular area made of gold lamé. A black ribbon is tied in a bow at the base of the back of the hat, with its tails reaching to just below her derriere.

Figure 06: Nineteenth century bonnet from the town of Uelzen, eastern Luneburg Heath
(Ellwanger et al. 2015).

Figure 07: Photograph of people from the village of Klein Eicklingen (Luneburg Heath) from between 1900 and 1914. The two women on the left have bonnets with a similar shape to the one found in my dolls. [Vaterländischen Museum in Celle (nowadays called the Bomann Museum); published in Ellwanger et al. 2015].

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