Laurens Jan Brinkhorst

What people wore

Moral Standards and Everyday Attire

In the 1930s, some religious schools strictly enforced modesty, with teachers occasionally sending boys home for wearing sandals without socks because it was considered walking around half-naked. Meanwhile, the earlier introduction of flesh-colored stockings around 1920 sparked intense moral debates, though the sheer number of women wearing them eventually rendered the controversy pointless by 1929.

Daily life

Coin-operated electricity and gas meters

Families used coin-operated meters for electricity and gas; when the light went out, one had to insert a guilder coin into the meter to restore power.

What it cost

Everyday food prices in the 1930s

A sliced loaf of bread cost 11 cents, and a single egg cost 2 cents. A pound of butter was approximately 50 cents, while a full meal in a cafeteria could cost 25 cents.

Getting around

Train travel times between Utrecht and Groningen

By 1900, traveling from Utrecht to Groningen by train took four hours, a duration that decreased to three hours by 1932.

At the table

Staple diet of potatoes and fat in 1930s

During the 1930s, families frequently consumed meals centered on potatoes and fat, often spreading a thick layer of butter, margarine, or lard on bread. Vegetables were considered less important, and staples like meat were often boiled for an hour in stews like hotchpotch.

Work

Long working days in agriculture

Agricultural workers in stock-raising could face long days of up to 12 hours in summer, with work starting as early as 4 a.m. and continuing until 8 p.m. during peak seasons. Even in winter, these workers often began at 5 a.m. and finished at 5:30 p.m.