Imperial student's cap

[ObKrieger]

Hi guys! I've been posting like a fiend tonight...

I thought this was an interesting oddball. I'm sure these are common, but it's the first one I've seen. It reminds me of 'All Quiet on the Western Front', which is my favorite book. It certainly looks like it belonged to a regular Paul Bäumer.

What do you gentlemen think of it?

Thanks,
Mo

[stuka f]

Nice periode student's cap!
It makes me remember mine!! That kind of cap's are still in wear by Flemish students at thise momment. Newly made of course.
cheers
|<ris

[stuka f]

Here is my personal student cap that I used in the late '70 ties!
Amazing similarity's!!
The Schwarz-Weiß-Rot club colors a pure coincidence! ;-)
If I would remove the tag saying it can be machine washed (wich never happened...) it might look like a pre-war one!!

[HPL2008]

I thought this was an interesting oddball. I'm sure these are common, but it's the first one I've seen. It reminds me of 'All Quiet on the Western Front', which is my favorite book. It certainly looks like it belonged to a regular Paul Bäumer. What do you gentlemen think of it?

Naturally, I have read Remarque's book, but when I hear Paul Bäumer, I always see the face of Richard "John-Boy Walton" Thomas. You see, it's a bit heretical, but I actually prefer the 1979 Hallmark TV movie version to the classic one from 1930. It's simply got such a great cast, with Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, Ian Holm (one of my favorite actors anyway)... But I digress.

Not much to say about the cap; a nice item and you already know what it is. Such caps are still worn in Germany, too. For more (German language) information see:

Insignien
Couleur

PS: Such student regalia always reminds me of Mark Twain's "A Tramp in Europe" and his vivid descriptions of student life at Heidelberg:

"A rule which forbids social intercourse between members of different corps is strict. In the dueling-house, in the parks, on the street, and anywhere and everywhere that the students go, caps of a color group themselves together. If all the tables in a public garden were crowded but one, and that one had two red-cap students at it and ten vacant places, the yellow-caps, the blue-caps, the white caps, and the green caps, seeking seats, would go by that table and not seem to see it, nor seem to be aware that there was such a table in the grounds."

PPS: Just to round things off, here's a period image of a corps student:

[Scout]

Nice cap.
I like your taste in books.
I recommend Ernst Jüngers 'In Stahlgewittern.'
A both fascinating and horrific tale of war.
Jünger is also interesting, both because he clearly enjoyed (!)* certain aspect of WWI and because of his view on Hitler and the Nazis later.

*That some soldiers clearly enjoyed their experience during WWI is of course not limited to German soldiers (the nauseating stereotype of the Germans being frothing war machines has been repeated ad nauseam). Some soldiers on both/all sides were how ever exceptions to the norm.
I have always likened the Jünger book to that of another soldier/author who fought for the opposite side.
Thomas Dinesen (VC) was a Dane who fought in British unifom. Interestingly, Dinesens 'No Mans Land' reads almost like Jüngers book. They could easily have swopped places and no one would have noticed the difference. One gets happy at the sound of cannon thunder and the eminent attack. The other reluctantly leaves the trenches for a breather only to borrow a rifle and go kill enemies for sport. With todays eyes, they both seem like loons ready to be committed

[HPL2008]

I recommend Ernst Jüngers 'In Stahlgewittern.' A both fascinating and horrific tale of war.

Indeed. It makes a good companion piece to "All Quiet on the Western Front", not least because it is so different in many ways.

It's quite fascinating how Jünger portraits war as a test of one's strength and a character-building experience, constantly invoking images of chivalry and noble dauntlessness... yet, at the same time, does not simply glorify it or gloss over anything.

Instead he quite graphically describes all the hardships, sorrows and horrors found in those wet, cold, muddy, rat-infested trenches and corpse-ridden battlegrounds.

[Scout]

Here is my personal student cap that I used in the late '70 ties!
Amazing similarity's!!
The Schwarz-Weiß-Rot club colors a pure coincidence! ;-)
If I would remove the tag saying it can be machine washed (wich never happened...) it might look like a pre-war one!!

Very nice and well worn cap - dare I say 'salty!'
I suspect not all student were required to have as many jumps as you

[Scout]

Indeed. It makes a good companion piece to "All Quiet on the Western Front", not least because it is so different in many ways.

It's quite fascinating how Jünger portraits war as a test of one's strength and a character-building experience, constantly invoking images of chivalry and noble dauntlessness... yet, at the same time, does not simply glorify it or gloss over anything.

Instead he quite graphically describes all the hardships, sorrows and horrors found in those wet, cold, muddy, rat-infested trenches and corpse-ridden battlegrounds.

I could not agree more.
'All quiet' on one end of the scale and Jüngers book on the other.
Yes, Jünger describes exactly how raw and bloody the fighting was ... and still he revels in it.

[ObKrieger]

So, I am little confused on the farbe. The red is an indicator of some sort of student club membership? If so then that's fascinating. Even schoolkids were organized by their caps and farben.

I will have to get my hands on a copy of 'In Stahlgewittern'. Have any of you ever read Remarque's 'Der Weg zurück'? How is it?

[ObKrieger]

By the way, thanks for the links and photo Andreas.