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Lederhosen

The leather shorts known as "Lederhosen" are traditionally worn in many Alpine regions, but they are also the apparel of choice for many Oktoberfest fans.

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All Content on this topic

People ride a giant swing during the Oktoberfest parade in Munich

Munich celebrates Oktoberfest with beer and lederhosen

Munich is running wild with visitors happily celebrating Oktoberfest.
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Women wearing different dirndls, many with pink.

Dirndl or no? How 'Barbie' impacts Germany's Oktoberfest

Germany is famous for its beer-guzzling fest. It's highly traditional, but Louisa Schaefer has seen new fashion trends.
CultureSeptember 15, 2023
Young people reach out for free beer in one of the beer tents on the opening day of the 187th Oktoberfest beer festival in Munich

Oktoberfest returns with a mix of old and new

After a two-year break due to COVID-19, Munich's famous Oktoberfest is back! Festivities kick off on September 17.
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The Germans and fashion

DW reporter Rachel Stewart gets to the bottom of the German taste in fashion.
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Markus Soeder holding a pair of lederhosen for the new Baby Sussex

Bavaria's Söder presents new British Royal with lederhosen

Bavarian State Premier Söder presented the newborn child of Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex with a teddy bear.
LifestyleMay 8, 2019
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Bavaria in fact and fable

Lederhosen, beer and oompah music: take a look at Bavarian clichés.
TravelJanuary 15, 201904:48 min
DW Euromaxx - Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest – Dirndls, lederhosen and beer

DW reporters from three nations at their first Oktoberfest. Culture shock or just one big party?
LifestyleSeptember 30, 201806:52 min
A Bavarian man in lederhosen stands on a mountain

Lederhosen: everyone's favorite leather shorts

DW takes a look at some surprising facts behind Lederhosen's history, production and trends.
LifestyleSeptember 19, 201811 images
Bayerische Lederhose

11 facts about lederhosen for Oktoberfest

Here's everything you need to know about Oktoberfest's favorite leather shorts.
CultureSeptember 19, 2018
Damien McGuinness (l) und Ben Knight (r), Stammtisch

Stammtisch - political chat from Berlin

Is German politics in crisis? Or is it just the parties? Stammtisch dons the Lederhosen and heads to Munich to find out.
PoliticsFebruary 16, 201825:47 min
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Tourist magnet Bavaria

Why 32 million tourists a year flock to Bavaria.
CultureJanuary 8, 201603:41 min
Deutschland Oktoberfest in München 2015

Traditional dress at the Oktoberfest

The best dirndls and lederhosen from the first Oktoberfest weekend
September 22, 20159 images
Oktoberfest 2014

Oktoberfest goes green

Two weeks of drunken debauchery at the world's biggest people's party - an environmental disaster, right? Think again!
September 21, 2015
BdT Deutschland Tracht des Jahres 2014

Germany's traditional threads

Forget lederhosen. Germany has a rich history of traditional costume, which varies by region.
CultureApril 24, 201512 images
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Traditional outfits

Here's why dirndl and lederhosen are so crucial to Oktoberfest.
CultureSeptember 28, 201405:10 min
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Bavaria's lederhosen tradition

With Bavaria's legendary Oktoberfest about to get underway, DW pays a visit to a family-owned business that's been making the pants for over a century.
BusinessSeptember 19, 201402:31 min
Lederhosen for Laptops

Lederhosen for laptops

You can wear them to Oktoberfest - or your can put your laptop in them.
CultureDecember 19, 201303:07 min

Rent-a-Pair of Lederhosen

Frank Rummer rents Lederhosen to international visitors to Munich's Oktoberfest. No self-respecting reveller would appear without proper dress. For many foreigners the rental service is a lifesaver -- they're far too expensive to buy for just a few days of fun.
September 24, 201302:25 min
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Munich's Oktoberfest brings in masses of visitors and cash

Munich is gearing up for this year's Oktoberfest held in the Bavarian capital. The even is hugely popular with visitors from around the world and a big booster for Munich's economy.
August 28, 201300:57 min
various cuckoo clocks © PRILL Mediendesign

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Lederhosen for Laptops

Lederhosen are not just for wearing. They can be used to create chic handbags - or protective covers for mobile phones, tablets and laptops. Sebastian Dürbeck from Bavaria had the idea. His handmade items cost around 100 euros a piece.
December 20, 201203:01 min
Zwei glückliche Paare sitzen im Biergarten (Fotolia: #40707747); © Fotolia/Kzenon

German stereotypes

Lederhosen, beer and punctuality - these are a few of the things DW fans associate with Germany.
November 22, 2012
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Oktoberfest Fashions – Dirndls and Lederhosen

Bavaria’s traditional costumes are much in evidence at this year’s Oktoberfest in Munich. We mingled with the revellers to check out the variety of dirndls and lederhosen on show and met up with Munich photographer Andreas Neubauer whose latest book documents people and fashions at the famous beer festival.
LifestyleOctober 2, 201103:55 min

Handmade in Germany - Lederhosen from Berchtesgaden

Franz Stangassinger from Berchtesgaden makes Lederhosen, the traditional leather pants from Bavaria. His family-run business has a history going back some 120 years. Stangassinger’s customers appreciate his hand-made products, even if it comes at a price - up to €2,500 a pair.
BusinessSeptember 28, 201103:36 min
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Oktoberfest Trend – Dirndls and Lederhosen

Bavaria’s traditional costumes abound at this year’s Oktoberfest in Munich. We mingled with the revellers to check out the variety of dirndls and lederhosen on show and met up with Munich photographer Andreas Neubauer whose new coffee table book features portraits of the famous beer festival’s visitors.
LifestyleSeptember 27, 201103:55 min
Five women holding up big beer glasses into the deep blue sky

Beer prices

Bavarians might be known as fun-lovers, but when it comes to the price of beer, they are serious.
June 8, 2011
People in traditional Bavarian dress drinking beer from giant mugs

Laptops and Lederhosen

Lederhosen, sausage, Neuschwanstein Castle, snow-covered Alps; the classic images all apply.
November 18, 2009
Illustration of a Bavarian dancing on a laptop

Bavarian style

Bavaria's motto, 'laptops and lederhosen,' sums up the state's winning combination of old and new.
November 18, 2009
Ben Donald in Lederhosen

Springtime for Germany

A new travelogue published in Britain tells you how to stop worrying and learn to love Germany.
July 23, 2007
Mark van Bommel

Losers in Lederhosen

Most of Germany is viewing Bayern Munich's failings this season with unconcealed schadenfreude.
April 26, 2007

Postcard From Germany: Raising a Stein to Oktoberfest

The world's biggest party hit Munich this year with 18 days of gingerbread hearts, gargantuan pretzels and beer-soaked revelry. A visiting American journalist checked it out for DW-WORLD.DE.
September 19, 2006

Berlin Fan Mile Beats Oktoberfest in Popularity Contest

With its World Cup fan mile, Berlin gave Munich's Oktoberfest a run for its money in the stakes as the ultimate party draw -- and won, say officials from the German Tourism Office.
July 12, 2006

Reinventing the Bavarian Myth

Once a rural kingdom, Bavaria has turned into one of Germany's high-tech centers. But Germany's largest state is still trying to find the right balance between laptops and lederhosen.
December 4, 2004

Bavarian Haute Couture Goes to the Dogs

The owner of a shop selling traditional German clothing has put her talents in the service of man's best friend, designing Lederhosen and other typically Bavarian garb for canines. No word yet on what the dogs think.
August 10, 2004

A Lederhosen Boycott for Oktoberfest?

Admittedly, the most important thing for Munich's annual beer festival Oktoberfest is the thousands of liters of amber brew. But what would all that beer guzzling be without a bunch of portly men sporting leather shorts?
August 10, 2004

Blame It on the Lederhosen?

It may have been more than half a century since Germany invading anyone, but the country still isn't very loved by its neighbors. A recent survey named Germans the most disliked Europeans.
June 22, 2004

Bavaria Says "Grüß Gott" in Chinese

Bavaria is pulling out all the stops to woo Chinese tourists: A TV series, a Chinese Web site and a picture book are initiating the Chinese in the state's blend of castles, photo-op Lederhosen and the Oktoberfest.
May 26, 2004

Bavaria Pays Off Angry Lederhosen Fans

March 19, 2004