Wendish & Sorbian Traditional Costumes
For a long time, Wendish and Sorbian traditional costumes were an integral part of everyday fashion in the Spreewald. In the 17th century, the Sorbian-Wendish traditional costumes entered the everyday life of the Spreewald inhabitants. Until the 1920s, traditional costumes were an integral part of village traditions and reflected the family's origins and prosperity. The quality of the fabric, the colours, the cut and the ornaments were a sign of the village the wearer came from and the economic situation she was in.
Today, the old traditional costumes, together with the customs and traditional events of the Sorbs and Wends, are celebrating a renaissance. You can admire them everywhere in the Spreewald when you visit festivals and events. In addition, there are also some beautiful shops in the Spreewald that now make the Sorbian traditional costumes again in the traditional way. So if you ever feel like putting on one of these traditional costumes, it's best to stop by one of these shops.
Importance of the costumes
There were different costumes according to the occasion. A distinction is made between work costume, church costume, festive costume and bridal costume. The everyday costume is rarely seen nowadays. With the rediscovered sense of tradition of the Spreewalders, however, the festive costumes are increasingly worn again - especially at the numerous festivals and events in the Spreewald.
Structure of the Wendish costume
Each costume is made up of several individual parts: The skirt, also called a kosula, had a certain colour according to the occasion or the woman's marital status. A ribbon decorated with flowers is embroidered on the lower third. A lace apron is worn over the skirt, which ends at the waist with a silk ribbon. The waistcoat and shawl form the upper part of the costume. The distinctive bonnet (lapa) consists of a cardboard frame trimmed with cloth. In Burg (Spreewald) you will find the last traditional costume embroidery workshop that still makes these bonnets true to the original.
