Gymnasium (Germany) - Dress Code

Dress Code

Generally, gymnasien have no school uniforms or official dress codes. However, students may be expected to dress modestly and tastefully. Some gymnasien offer branded shirts, but students are allowed to choose whether or not to wear them. For specific school events (like the Abitur ball) students may be expected to wear formal dress, usually consisting of dresses for women and blazer and tie for men, but even this is no longer the case for every gymnasium.

In the past, Gymnasiasten wore a traditional cap, marking them as a gymnasium student. The colour of the cap differed by gymnasium and grade. In case of the Ludwig Meyn Gymnasium in Uetersen, for example, in 1920:

• Untertertia-students wore green cap with a blue, red and white cord
• Obertertia-students wore a green cap, with a black-and-white cord
• Untersekunda-students wore a violet cap with a blue, white and red cord
• Obersekunda-students wore a violet cap with a black-and-white cord
• Unterprima-students wore a red cap with, a blue white and red cord
• Oberprima-students wwore a red cap with a black and white cord

After the Machtergreifung of the Nazis, the gymnasium cap was banned for political reasons. Literature describing student caps was burned. Students received new clothing from the League of German Girls and the Hitler Youth. gymnasium students were forbidden to wear clothing that identified them as members of their school. Now, it is no longer illegal and these caps are again being sold however, few ever wear one.

At some schools, when graduating, students receive an Abitur t-shirt, which is printed with the name of the school, the year of graduation and a slogan.