Helgoland bonnet

• linen
• Hiddensee
• around 1900
• width (unfolded): 70 cm

Headdress is an important part of clothing in the 19th century. Men tend to wear fishermen's caps with pom-poms, while women would put on a Helgoland bonnet to match their ankle-length attire. Rods inserted in the stitching give the headpiece its form. Around this frame the material would fall loosely to the shoulders. A protection against the sun and the wind in one, the bonnets is popular headdress for work. This bonnet is donated to the museum by Meta Gau.

Numerous paintings and sketches by the Stralsund artist confirm that young girls also wore the bonnets in many situations.

The inhabitants of Hiddensee spin the fabric needed to make their own clothing in the 19th century. Dark colours and simple, usually coarse material are typical.