When a child starts school for the first time, it is a big step and “der Ernst des Lebens” (the serious side of life) begins. To sweeten the deal, German kids receive a “Schultüte” (school cone), sometimes called “Zuckertüte” (sugar cone), filled with candy, school supplies, and toys.
The beginnings in the 19th century
The Schultüte has been around since the 19th century, though mostly in Saxony and Thuringia where we find the earliest evidence of “Zuckertüten” in writing.
In 1837, Ludwig Bechstein published the autobiography “Fahrten eines Musikanten” by Johann Daniel Elster who recalls receiving a “Zuckertüte” from the cantor when he started school in 1801. “Im fünften Jahre führte man mich zur Schule und ich empfand die Süssigkeit des wichtigen Tages, als mir der Cantor nach altem Gebrauche eine grosse Zuckertüte verehrte.” (In my fifth year I was led to school and I felt the sweetness of this important day when the cantor gave me, following an old custom, a large sugar cone.) Here, the author mentions that receiving a sweet treat in a cone has had a long tradition. However, we don’t know if Elster wrote it exactly like that or if Bechstein as the editor and publisher played a role in the phrasing and/or writing.
Other references to Zuckertüten were found in Jena (1817), Dresden (1820), and Leipzig (1836), so it is entirely possible that Johann Daniel Elster who grew up in Thuringia did receive a sugar cone in 1801. These Zuckertüten were small bags filled with pastries and often the teacher or principal presented the children with such a sugar cone.
In some cases, stories of school cones growing on a so-called “Schultütenbaum” were told. Once the Schultüten were big enough, it was time for children to pick a cone from the tree and start school.
In other sources, we can read advice on how teachers should handle children receiving and taking with them sugar cones to school on their first day. In “Erfahrungen und Ratschläge aus dem Leben eines Schulfreundes” from 1845, Christian Weiss mentions that some (ignorant) parents might give the teacher a sugar cone to give to their children, and that the teacher shouldn’t draw attention to it.
From this little passage we can come to the conclusion that not every child had a sugar cone on their first school day but that it seems to have been the exception and probably the privilege of the wealthier families. Weiss advises to send the child home with the cone but not to make any special mention to the child or their classmates, and just have the children thank their father.
By 1885 however, it seems that Schultüten have become more prevalent on first days of school. In “Lehrproben und Lehrgänge für die Praxis der Schulen” (1885), authors Fricke and Richter say that it is still the custom that children receive a Zuckertüte to give the beginning sour work a sweet flavor.
In 1859, Moritz Heger published a book for kids starting school, that he appropriately called “Neues Zuckerdütenbuch für alle Knaben und Mädchen, die zum ersten Male in die Schule gehen” – New sugar cone book for all boys and girls who are going to school for the first time.
The 20th century
Photos from the late 19th and early 20th century show us that Schultüten were a typical accessory for first graders even though we don’t know if this was the case for children of all backgrounds. It is safe to assume that the parents who had pictures of their children taken on the first day of school also had the means to buy them a nicely filled Schultüte.
While the Schultüte had its beginning in the East of Germany, by the early 20th century the custom had spread to the South and West. But Schultüten really became the staple of first graders in the 1950s, when people were recovering economically from World War II. The school cones made their way all across Germany and parts of Austria.
In East Germany, the hexagonal shape of the Schultüte is dominant, while the children in West Germany had a slightly smaller round cone.
Other custom: The School Pretzel
In some areas of Germany, children starting school might not only receive a Schultüte but also a Schulbrezel, a school pretzel. From my reading, it seems that the pretzel on the first day of school seems to be a tradition in parts of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, and Swabia, sometimes dating back 80 years.
Pretzels are made and used on many different occasions, from decorating a Christmas to a traditional Lent food to a good luck gift on New Year’s Day. It is not surprising then that a pretzel would be given to 1st graders on their first day of school.
I would love to show a photo of a Schulbrezel, however, first there aren’t that many to be found because it is a regional custom, and second the ones I did find are protected by copyright. I can tell you though that the pretzels are sweet pretzels, usually made from yeast dough. They might be decorated with a ribbon or some writing. And they are big. The kids often need both hands to hold the large pretzels. Many people order them from their local bakery which often run specials for the Einschulung.
I did link some articles and archives in the Sources section, so you can see some there.
Who makes a Schultüte and what goes in it?
Godparents used to be the ones who gave their godchildren the school cones but nowadays it’s mostly the parents who make it or buy it and fill it with toys, candy, and school supplies.
In some preschools (that’s Kindergarten in Germany), children make their own Schultüten.
Looking at the infographic below, most people (61%) buy a school cone but fill it themselves. 15% buy a school cone that is already filled and 24% craft a school cone and also fill it.
The average Schultüte costs around €60 with parents in the East spending up to €80 possibly because they have a longer history of giving their children something sweet for the first day of school.
Mehr Infografiken finden Sie bei Statista
While school cones or sugar cones used to be predominately smaller bags with pastries and sweets, the Schultüten nowadays contain also other items. 88% of people do put sweets (Süßigkeiten) into the school cone, followed by school supplies like pens and a Brotdose (box for your sandwich). More than half of the parents also add toys like a stuffed animal while 45% and 42% fill the cone with symbolic gifts like a lucky charm, and reading material, respectively.
While the kids carry their school cones with them to school, they don’t open them until they get home after their first day of first grade. This is helpful for all the kids whose parents buy them a school cone but don’t have the means to fill it with many or expensive things.
How to make a school cone at home
When I was in Germany in the summer of 2021, I already saw many different school cones, either ready to be filled or just the cone ready to be decorated to your kid’s liking. There are also many sets that you can buy in craft stores or online.
But if live abroad you might not have the opportunity to just go to a store and buy a Schultüte. You will have to become creative. Luckily, there are many tutorials and websites that show you how to make your a school cone at home.
Most youtube videos that are in English show very simple techniques on how to make a cone just using poster board, tissue paper, ribbons, and embellishments. The German videos and websites are a little more complicated and elaborate, you can find a lot of ideas also on pinterest.
Below I have shared a video that shows a very simple way to make a simple cone for your first grader (or kindergartener if you live in the US).
And here is a website in English that shows you how to make a school cone that is a little bigger and resembles a typical school cone from Germany. How to make a school cone
First Days of School
I just love looking at photos from decades past, and photos of children on their first day of school are no exception. It shows us how important that day was back then and now. But I also like to look at the photos to see what people and children were wearing and what they took to school.
Sometimes, the older photos show children wearing rather heavy jackets, and upon some research we find out that school often started at Easter and not in August or September like it does now. We are reminded that kids used to learn how to write on a slate when we see a sponge hanging from their satchel.
From the look on the kids’ faces we can tell that they were excited and proud, and sometimes a little apprehensive to be going to school, just like kids are now.
So, take a look at the following photos I have found. Please be aware of the copy right.
All of the photos below are in the public domain unless otherwise noted.
Schultüten and Other Things for the First Day of School
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Sources and Resources
- Wiki – dt
- Wiki – Brauchtum
- MDR – dt
- YouTube Playlist
- Schulbrezel in school near Fulda
- Bildarchiv Westfalen – Schulbrezel
