~ What is Tracht? ~

Tracht comes from the word "Tragen" meaning "to wear." Thus, Tracht means that which one wears. In the more narrow context of a Gauverband, it means the garments that we wear to represent and preserve a particular time period in Bavarian/Tirolean history and a particular community standing. That time period is generally the mid- to late 1800s; Tracht has, however, undergone minor changes since that time. The community standing is that of the rural folk in the mountainous regions.

At one time, the Tracht, or clothing worn, was an individual's choice of colors, fabrics, metals, etc. As the regional Tracht began to fade in the late 1800s in rural Bayern, Vereine formed for the specific purpose of preserving the Tracht and other parts of the heritage (song, dance, dialect). The Vereine have made the Tracht more uniform, i.e., all the members wear the same color ties, skirts, Spenser, socks, etc., but the details of the Tracht, such as jewelry or lace patterns, are left to the individual's choosing.

Regions in Bayern

Each region within Bayern and Tirol has its own distinctive Tracht. The regions are loosely defined within natural boundaries of mountains, valleys, and rivers. Transportation during the mid- to late 1800s was difficult, so the people stayed within these borders.

The clothing also reflects the general economic standing of an area. For instance, the Allgäu region was mainly a farm area and the people were quite poor -- the simplicity of the Tracht reflects this fact. In general, each regional Tracht may be broken down into somewhat of a hierarchy:

1. Regional Tracht
   1. Occasion-Dependent Tracht
      1. Holiday or High Fest days
      2. Sunday
      3. Dance
         1. Formal
         2. Informal
      4. Mourning
      5. Everyday
      6. Work Tracht, such as worn by tradesmen
   2. Variations within the region
      1. Details: color, number of rows of ribbon on skirt/Spenser
      2. Vereine specialties such as Stickerei

While the Trachten of the different regions may appear similar to the untrained eye, care must be taken that elements of one Tracht are not "mixed" with elements of another Tracht simply because we like them. Just as an individual should not mix the elements of two or more Trachten, neither should a Verein adopt the Tracht of one region for its men and the Tracht of another region for its women. These Guidelines concentrate on the most widely worn Bavarian Trachten of the mountainous areas, namely:

• Miesbacher Tracht
• Werdenfelser Tracht
• Chiemgauer Tracht
• Allgäuer Tracht

Mention is made of certain parts of the Tracht of some regions because these are worn in our Gauverband in Vereine that wear "mixed" regional Trachten. Those areas include:

• Berchtesgadener Tracht - because the Gauverband Nordamerika has little experience with this complete Tracht, it is not covered extensively in this Article but may be added in the future.
• Oberer Lechtal - heavily influenced by Werdenfelser Tracht
• Lechtaler Tracht - heavily influenced by Miesbacher Tracht and, in some areas, by the Allgäuer Tracht
• Tiroler Trachten - because the Gauverband Nordamerika has little experience with the numerous Trachten worn in Tirol, they are not covered extensively in these Guidelines but may be added in the future.

In writing these Guidelines, thought was also given to what is currently accepted in the Gauverband Nordamerika. We recognize that the commitment to Tracht and what it stands for takes time to learn about and develop. Some items of Tracht are expensive or not as readily available in North America as they are in Bayern.

Where possible, an attempt has been made to mention acceptable alternatives or interim solutions. For those who have the opportunity to travel to Bayern and to wear Tracht there, it is imperative to know how to wear the Tracht properly so as not to embarrass yourselves, your hosts, and your own Gauverband.

For additions and corrections please contact: gaulibrary@yahoo.com