Power politics

Around 1900, the appearance of traditional costume groups became a common feature in parades. They represented regional affiliation, professions or his­torical events. In the Thuringian states, these celebrations were an »immanent part of power politics« and were »increasingly directed against democratic and social trends« (Martina Moritz). In the Weimar Republic, its opponents staged traditional costume festivals as an expression of »Germanism« and solidarity with the former monarchies. The cultivation of traditional costumes as »applied folklore« was largely appropriated by National Socialism. The depiction of the spinning room became popular. It was propagated by the völkisch publicist Heinrich Sohnrey (1859-1948) as a central element of the preservation of folkloristic traditions in the countryside.