bavarikon4UTimes of crisis in Bavarian Swabia: persevere and make do
Wars and economic crises led to indescribable hardship in the first half of the 20th century. Nationalism, initially an emancipatory idea of the middle classes, developed in the German Empire into an ideology that combined patriotism with images of the enemy. It permeated all strata of the population - even small children played with nationalistic and militaristic articles. The start of the First World War was cheered in some cities, but in the countryside there was little sign of the enthusiasm for war. Many already suspected that the promised quick victory would turn out to be an illusion.
An euphemistic picture instead of the horrors of war is conveyed by commemorative plates for the bride, porcelain mugs and jugs, as well as pictures of reservists, medals and awards. Especially during the First World War, articles of daily use or souvenirs were made from ammunition remnants and war rubbish. They were used for bartering, as war souvenirs or as souvenirs for relatives and soon found collectors who acquired them as so-called trench art objects. Despite this designation, they were rarely made in the trenches, but were sometimes systematically produced in workshops, also by women.
The bombings during the Second World War – Augsburg was hit particularly hard in February 1944 – brought terrible losses to the population. Gas masks were to help survive attacks with chemical warfare agents. Countless animals, especially horses, suffered unspeakably, which is why there were animal air-raid protection boxes to treat burns and other injuries.
Before and after the end of the war, endless lines of refugees and displaced persons trekked from East to West. By 1952, 1.9 million people had arrived in Bavaria, carrying just the bare necessities or what was most valuable to them, such as a Maria Lourdes figurine made of earthenware.
But necessity is the mother of invention! Many people tackled the material shortage after the war very pragmatically: steel parts from a crashed plane wreck and a piece of lightning conductor could be used to make kitchen utensils, old unravelled knitwear could be used to make new clothes, and toys could be made from scraps of wood. The homemade backpack was essential when out foraging by bike. It was only after monetary reform in 1948 that things finally started to look up.
>> This collection is part of the holdings of the Museum Oberschönenfeld.