Class photos became a common way of remembering school days beginning in the 1880s. This photo from 1888 shows the forty-seven 5th grade students at a middle school (later called Realschule) in Wittenberge with their teacher in front of an artificial backdrop. The middle school was a secondary school and was intended to prepare boys for mid-level civil service careers or technical professions. The boys are wearing the typical clothing of the time for schoolboys: shorts (which were also worn in winter) and jackets. Class photos were usually taken shortly after enrollment at the new school and could be purchased as prints.