What were the uniforms of German soldiers in the First World War sewn from? Detailed answer

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What were the uniforms of German soldiers in the First World War sewn from? Detailed answer

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What were the uniforms of German soldiers in the First World War sewn from?

From nettle.

During the First World War, both in Germany and in Austria, cotton stocks practically dried up.

In search of a suitable substitute, scientists accidentally came up with the most original solution: to mix tiny amounts of cotton with nettles - more precisely, with strong, frost-resistant fibers of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica).

Without any systematic method of production, the Germans managed to cultivate 1,3 million kg of this material in 1915 and another 2,7 million kg the following year.

After one of the short skirmishes in 1917, the British took possession of two German uniforms and analyzed the composition of the cloth - there was no limit to their surprise.

In terms of agricultural production, nettles have many advantages over cotton: cotton necessarily needs abundant watering, grows only in warm climates, and, if grown properly, requires significant pesticide treatment.

Also, there is absolutely no reason to be afraid of burns of the "whole nettle sheath", since burning hairs - tiny quartz syringes filled with poison - are not used in the production of cloth. Only the long fibers of the stems are used.

The Germans were by no means the first to discover the numerous beneficial properties of this plant. Archaeological sites across Europe show that nettles were used tens of thousands of years ago to make clothes, twine and fishing nets.

In the British county of Dorset, in the beer "Bottle Inn", located in the town of Marsh Wood, a very exotic competition is held annually - the world championship in eating nettles. The rules are extremely strict: no gloves, no oral painkillers (except beer) and no spitting up.

The trick, it seems, is to properly roll up the nettle leaf, push it into your mouth without touching your lips, and wash it down with a good sip of ale as quickly as possible. A dry mouth, as the participants of the championship like to say, means a sick mouth. The winner is the one who at the end of the hour will have the largest number of eaten stems along the length.

The current world record is 14,6 m for men and about 8 m for women.

Author: John Lloyd, John Mitchinson

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