Schulstart in Deutschland

1953 2007

A Schultüte (or School Cone, often also called Zuckertüte  ("sugar

bag") is a paper (and later card board or plastic) bag in form of a big cone.

When children in Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria set off for their

first day in primary school, their parents and/or grandparents present

them with a big cardboard cone, prettily decorated and filled

with Spielzeug, Schokolade, Bonbons, Stiften, Radiergummis

and various other goodies.

It is given to children to make this anxiously awaited first day of school

a little bit sweeter.

The tradition of the "Schultüte" leads back to

approximately 1810. At first the practice of the

school cone was to not give the bag to the kids directly. Marked with the students' names, they were taken to the school by parents or

godparents and in a ritual, hung on a real or metal

“Zuckertüten-Baum" (sugar cone tree) from which each child had to pick their cone.

The only custom that has changed in the later half of

the 20th century is that fewer sweets seem to

appear in the Schultüte, with more practical gifts

such as Stifte und Bleistifte, Lineale, Zirkel, Bücher , Taschenrechner, CDs, and even articles of

clothing replacing the traditional chocolates and

candies.

Do you remember/ can you recognize some of them?

ZuckertüteZuckertütenbaum

SpielzeugSchokolade

BonbonsStifte

BleistifteRadiergummis

LinealeZirkel

BücherTaschenrechner

• ‘sugar cone’• ‘sugar cone tree’• toys• chocolate• sweets• pens• pencils• erasers• rulers• compass• books• pocket calculator