In 1958, a varied collection of everyday items was found at Alpirsbach Monastery, all of them nearly 500 years old. Included amongst the found items were articles of clothing showing what people wore in the late Middle Ages and Early Modern Age. One of a kind: a pair of men's pants, the only clothing specimen of its kind.
Period artwork also shows a similar clothing style.
The pants are constructed of coarse linen and are deeply worn by the hard physical labor of their wearer. The most noticeable feature is the codpiece, a type of fixed fly. The cut of the pants also helps date it: Similar tights are seen in illustrations between 1500 and 1520, worn by farmhands, hangmen, farmers and soldiers. This also fits with the wear pattern on the Alpirsbach pants.
Fit for farm work but suitable for students.
Farmers' work clothes usually included handmade tunics, pants, frocks and drawstring shoes. The monastery students, on the other hand, were outfitted with a doublet and a pair of linen pants every spring. In the fall, they were given pants and a doublet, a coat of dark wool and a hat, and every two years, a new pair of shoes. Because it was important that the boys, as future pastors, make a good impression, a tailor mended their clothing every two months.
Maids were dressed simply.
In the Middle Ages, clothing served as protection against cold and weather. Simultaneously, they were a visible demonstration of the social class of its wearer. Farmers' clothing was made of wool or linen, in muted tones, and without embellishments. The clothing of the higher social classes comprised more delicate, and in part very expensive, materials and was quite colorful. Thus, a person's social class could be determined based on the clothing they wore.
Found items shortly after being discovered.
In 1958, a varied collection of everyday items and clothing from the 15th and 16th centuries was discovered beneath the eves of the dormitory at Alpirsbach, including a pair of men's pants, several children's shirts as well as a total of 17 leather shoes. The find was an important milestone for historians, because until then, samples of medieval clothing were rare and information was generally based on period illustrations. Thanks to the Alpirsbach find, experts can now better understand what clothing of that period looked like.
Today, the found items, which span a long period of time, can be viewed in the Alpirsbach monastery museum.
