Jacob von Saldern

Getting around

Shifting from bicycles to mass motorization

In the early postwar years, people primarily relied on bicycles, buses, and trains, with motorcycles becoming a popular initial step toward mass motorization. By the mid-1950s, affordable small cars like the BMW Isetta and the Volkswagen Beetle made individual car travel increasingly common for ordinary people.

Work

The Exhausting Sleep Sunday

Steel workers facing relentless cycles of night and Sunday shifts coined their limited time off as Schlafsonntag, or sleep Sunday, to describe the exhaustion following their rotating schedules.

What people wore

Sunday Best for Children

Sundays were special, and children wore their best clothes, including starched aprons and prized white patent leather shoes. Because these shoes were expensive, they were often reused even if they did not fit perfectly.

Music

Cassette players and home recording

By 1970, 2.7 million West Germans owned a cassette player or recorder, which allowed them to record their favorite songs directly from the radio. This new technology enabled young people to compile their own personal hit parades.

Daily life

Cramped and basic postwar living conditions

In the early postwar years, families often lived in severely cramped, makeshift conditions such as barracks or subdivided rooms, with many sharing a single bed among multiple people. Basic necessities like light, heating, and running water were frequently missing or unreliable, forcing households to use items like oil lamps and primitive stoves for warmth and cooking.