Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

What Hat Are You Wearing Today ?

VoodooSan

VoodooSan

Practically Family
Messages
535
Location
Caldwell, ID
The Lost Cowboy

The Lost Cowboy

One Too Many
Messages
1,137
Location
Northern Alabama
Mean Eyed Matt said:
Here you go (sorry, just in German, too):
https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berliner_Postbezirke_zwischen_1862_und_1920#:~:text=Die Buchstaben in der ersten,=Südwesten, W=Westen.
Click to expand...
Danke Matt! Den Wikiartikel habe ich auchmal gesehen aber der enthaelt keine Geschichte spezifisch fuer Berlin W oder W.8, oder? (Der is aber totzdem sehr informativ).

My question is this: if these are simply postal designations, then why did the Borchert hat company print it on their hats and hat boxes? To me, displaying it prominently seems similar to a hatmaker in the US displaying “Fifth Avenue” prominently (like Knox).

My hypothesis is that “Berlin W.8” must have been a very well known postal district or it would not have been displayed so prominently.

For example, apparently, on Friedrichstrasse very close to the original Borchert address, was one of the centers of the German Stummfilm (silent film) industry. This would be the kind of notoriety I am envisioning for Berlin W.8, and then the hatmaker just kept the “Berlin W” after the move because of tradition maybe.

But I can’t find proof to support the hypothesis, so I suspect it is wrong.

Aber danke sehr - ich dachte das ich der Einzige war, der ueber “die Frage von Berlin W” sich interessiert!
 
Last edited:
steur

steur

Messages
17,955
Location
Nederland
Pellie said:
The Panizza Ediston today.
View attachment 609396 View attachment 609397 View attachment 609398
Click to expand...
That is a beauty, Marcel.

Steve1857 said:
Early 60s, newly arrived Borsalino Homburg on my way to collect a 1930s English Bowler. View attachment 609432


View attachment 609428
Click to expand...
Fantastic classic homburg, Steve.

Blare said:
Whippet

View attachment 609493 View attachment 609494 View attachment 609495 View attachment 609496 View attachment 609497
Click to expand...
Yeah, that will make you happy alright.
 
The Lost Cowboy

The Lost Cowboy

One Too Many
Messages
1,137
Location
Northern Alabama
Two hat day for me.

Friday morning found me back in the 7XCB for a run to the library. I picked up some Dashiell Hammett stories recommended by @VoodooSan.

IMG_1404.jpeg

IMG_1405.jpeg

IMG_1414.jpeg

IMG_1413.jpeg



The afternoon hasn’t gotten sunny so I took advantage and wore the Borsa homburg for a trip to the post office.
IMG_1409.jpeg

IMG_1411.jpeg

IMG_1412.jpeg



Happy Friday folks!
 
Mighty44

Mighty44

One Too Many
Messages
1,756
The Lost Cowboy said:
Two hat day for me.

Friday morning found me back in the 7XCB for a run to the library. I picked up some Dashiell Hammett stories recommended by @VoodooSan.

View attachment 609624
View attachment 609625
View attachment 609626
View attachment 609627


The afternoon hasn’t gotten sunny so I took advantage and wore the Borsa homburg for a trip to the post office.
View attachment 609628
View attachment 609629
View attachment 609630


Happy Friday folks!
Click to expand...
Hammett is a pleasure. If you haven’t already, I would highly recommend reading Raymond Chandler as well.
 
D

DonR

One of the Regulars
Messages
287
Steve1857

Steve1857

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,451
Location
Denmark
The Lost Cowboy said:
Danke Matt! Den Wikiartikel habe ich auchmal gesehen aber der enthaelt keine Geschichte oder? (Der is aber totzdem sehr interresant und ich werde ihn weiter lesen!)

My question is this: if these are simply postal designations, then why did the Borchert hat company print it on their hats and hat boxes? To me, displaying it prominently seems similar to a hatmaker in the US displaying “Fifth Avenue” prominently (like Knox).

My hypothesis is that “Berlin W.8” must have been a very well known postal district or it would not have been displayed so prominently.

For example, apparently, on Friedrichstrasse very close to the original Borchert address, was one of the centers of the German Stummfilm (silent film) industry. This would be the kind of notoriety I am envisioning for Berlin W.8, and then the hatmaker just kept the “Berlin W” after the move because of tradition maybe.

But I can’t find proof to support the hypothesis, so I suspect it is wrong.

Aber danke sehr - ich dachte das ich der Einzige war, der ueber “die Frage von Berlin W” sich interessiert!
Click to expand...

Nathan, it's my understanding that the pre WWII address with the W.8. designation was a postal address.

The post WWII address on Kurfürstendamm with its "Berlin W" designation was to show the establishment was now in West Berlin as opposed to its former address on Friedrichstrasse was now a part of East Berlin.
 
The Lost Cowboy

The Lost Cowboy

One Too Many
Messages
1,137
Location
Northern Alabama
Steve1857 said:
Nathan, it's my understanding that the pre WWII address with the W.8. designation was a postal address.

The post WWII address on Kurfürstendamm with its "Berlin W" designation was to show the establishment was now in West Berlin as opposed to its former address on Friedrichstrasse was now a part of East Berlin.
Click to expand...
The former address in Friedrichstrasse was not part of East Berlin. I am 99% sure of that. Here is my argument:

Berlin Mitte was not “flattened” during the war as I said in one of my comments. That is hyperbole and it is important that even though the structures were in a catastrophic state they were still discernible and about 1/3 of them were still usable. That greatly aided the rebuilding efforts and also assured that most addresses remained the same before and after the war.

So yes, the building for address Friedrichstrasse 157 might have been ruined and rebuilt, but the address “Friedrichstrasse 157” remained in the same location as it is today.

With that in mind, you can look at Google Maps and clearly see that 157 lies south of Checkpoint Charlie on Friedrichstrasse - and that was definitely within the American zone (Friedrichstrasse was cut in two by the wall - I guess about 2/3 of it was in the Soviet zone).
 
Last edited:
Steve1857

Steve1857

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,451
Location
Denmark
The Lost Cowboy said:
The former address in Friedrichstrasse was not part of East Berlin. I am 99.999% sure of that. Here is my argument:

Berlin Mitte was not “flattened” during the war as I said in one of my comments. That is hyperbole and it is important that even though the structures were in a catastrophic state they were still discernible and about 1/3 of them were still usable. That greatly aided the rebuilding efforts and also assured that most addresses remained the same before and after the war.

So yes, the building for address Friedrichstrasse 157 might have been ruined and rebuilt, but the address “Friedrichstrasse 157” remained in the same location as it is today.

With that in mind, you can look at Google Maps and clearly see that 157 lies south of Checkpoint Charlie on Friedrichstrasse - and that was definitely within the American zone (Friedrichstrasse was cut in two by the wall - I guess about 2/3 of it was in the Soviet zone).
Click to expand...
Good point, my bad. But Borchert still had to move. So their new address was no longer pre war W.8., but Berlin W as in West Berlin. Or maybe again the W just being a postal designation without a number.
 
The Lost Cowboy

The Lost Cowboy

One Too Many
Messages
1,137
Location
Northern Alabama
Steve1857 said:
Good point, my bad. But Borchert still had to move. So their new address was no longer pre war W.8., but Berlin W as in West Berlin. Or maybe again the W just being a postal designation without a number.
Click to expand...
Yeah i’m thinking it was another postal designation, but this time just the broader one. I mean, I’ve never heard of “West Berlin” as “Berlin West” (maybe an Italian would say that!). The old address and the new address were only a few kilometers apart - so they both could have easily been in the postal zone “Berlin W”.

Also, I am not 100% certain that the 157 address did not move. What does seem to be certain is that due to its immediate proximity to the border/wall, the area where that address is now was no longer commercially viable. Apparently it was slums during the entire Cold War and I believe that’s why they moved.

But this is all hypothetical and I can’t find any smoking gun online.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

H
What Hat Are You Working On Today?
5 6 7
Replies
123
Views
14K
RickP
RickP
S
Vintage Grail? What are you looking for? My Langlitz Story.
Replies
18
Views
7K
ObiJuanValdez
ObiJuanValdez
leo
Straw Hat Day 2010: What hat are you wearing?
Replies
17
Views
4K
donnc
D
D
What are you wearing on Felt Hat Day?
2 3
Replies
55
Views
9K
Carlisle Blues
Carlisle Blues
daizawaguy
What Hat Are You Wearing TOMORROW?
Replies
15
Views
4K
Blare
Blare

Members online

... and 11 more.
Total: 5,563 (members: 61, guests: 5,502)

Forum statistics

Threads
107,371
Messages
3,035,395
Members
52,797
Latest member
direfulzealot
Top