Franconia’s traditional Folk clothing or Tracht

Franconia Tracht, traditional clothing

When growing up in Franconia, my parents took me to nearby villages for their Folk Parades. Franconia is in northern Bavaria, many of their costumes or Tracht have their roots from the Baroque period.

The “Splendor of the Tracht” is celebrated in Ochsenfurter Gau. The richly decorated Tracht of Lower Franconia is not without reason one of the most famous folk clothing in Bavaria. And to the most changeable, depending on processing and color of individual components, it can be an expression of joy or sadness.
Fabrics such as cashmere, satin or silk
Ochsenfurt Tracht Lower Franconia

Fabrics such as cashmere, satin or silk and the magnificent garnet cross-garlands speak to the prosperity of the farmer’s wife. Components of the men’s costume are usually the Frankenhut tricorne and/ or with a drawstring and the knotted scarf.

Ochsenfurt 1960, Family with Franconia Tracht
Ochsenfurt 1960, Franconia Tracht

There is more diversity in women’s clothing. Consistent is the wearing of bodice skirt and apron.

Forchheim Tracht or Folk clothing
Heimat- und Trachtenverein „D’Kreebauern“ Forchheim

In the summer, a colorful shawl is usually used. In the winter, the Mützen and a long-sleeved jacket is worn. There are various hoods in the headgear, but also colorful headscarves.

The traditional clothing in Franconia are characterized by small-scale diversity. This is also because the population is confessionally mixed due to the political conditions in the Franconian Reichskreis until the end of the Holy Roman Empire

Neundorf Tracht or Folk clothing
Volkstrachtenverein Neundorf

The Tracht differs in their character, the clothing of the Catholics are usually more colorful and conspicuous than those in the Protestant areas. While there is a greater agreement in the cut, the colors are usually more muted and the jewelry kept simpler.

 Traditional Franconian braided Hair
Flechtschleifenfrisur, or traditional Franconian braided Hair

An old center of the Franconia Tracht is the former imperial village Sennfeld near Schweinfurt. Franconian costumes have always been worn on the Sennfelder and Gochsheimer festivals. Since elsewhere in Franconia the costume-preserving associations often only cultivated the Upper Bavarian mountain costume, in recent decades, as in many areas of Bavaria, local costumes and peculiarities of the old are kept alive, or newer ones revived to the historical traditions.

Franconia Tracht, traditional folk clothing, Ochsenfurter Gau

The Trachten museum in the Greisinghaus from 1717 shows the costume in all variations, accompanied by accessories such as pearl gloves, prayer books, embroidered shoes and stockings with elaborate knit patterns. Located im Greisinghaus, Spitalgasse 13, 97199 Ochsenfurt. Open Saturday and Sunday from 2 pm to 5 pm.


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