theme 4 - aspects of German life

what was legal in weimar post WW1, but highly regulated?

prostitution

what were the morals police?

a police force which could force some convicted of prostitution to work in licensed brothels, obey curfews and live on gated streets

how did the number of registered sex workers vary per state? (Leipzig VS Hamburg)

Leipzig: 3000

Hamburg: 1,500

despite the morals police, why did many women choose to work as illegal prostitutes?

because submitting to the official system = significant limit to freedom

when were women enfranchised in weimar and what did this do for the prostitution in weimar? ( 2 things)

1919:

* led to a huge movement of women to end state-licensed prostitution
* to place female social workers, rather than male officers in charge of dealing with sex workers

what was created in 1920 to aid women?

care office - staffed by social workers

what was the care office designed to do?

provide education and financial support for women who were leaving sex work

what happened to the care office by 1924?

it had been established across Germany to help women working as sex workers and to ensure vulnerable women did not take up sex work

how did the Bremen morality scandal lead to a national legal change in 1927? and what was the outcome of this?

1927: sex work was decriminalised

* remaining legal brothers were abolished → morals police had a smaller role
* then working as a sex workers no longer punishable

what was the Bremen morality scandal of 1926?

* publication of killed by life, claimed to be the diary of a teenage sex worker led to a public outcry at police handling of sex work
* book described how male police intimidated, mocked and humiliated women suspected of sex work
* book led to public demands sex work should be handled by female social workers rather than male police officers

why was there conservative backlash against moves towards sexual equality in 1920?

RW groups viewed some of these changes to women’s rights as a form of cultural decay

which group received backlash for their policies of women?

KDK

what did the KDK campaign against?

* americanisation
* female emancipation
* birth control
* homosexuality

what 3 things did the KDk advocate for?

1. emphasis on traditional values
2. regular church attendance
3. dominance of RW politicians → further oppression of women

how did the DVP + DNVP support women? with an example?

supported women in politics

* eg: 1926: 32 female politicians in Reichstag

how did the DVP + DNVP not support women?

they rejected feminism, arguing women could not leave their current domestic roles

which left wing groups supported women? but what was also the problem?

SPD + KPD wanted to improve women rights

* assumed women would also want to play a domestic role

how did the KPD claim to ‘be in favour of women rights’?

supported extending legal protection to domestic servants + improving maternity benefits

why is the KPD especially known for their feminist activity?

number of known female communists: Rosa Luxemburg

Despite traditional beliefs, Weimar constitution included a significant degree of sexual equality,….what 4 things did this include?

1. equal political rights, women could vote + stand for office
2. equal education rights
3. equal opportunity In the civil service
4. equal pay in professions

how were conservative values still embedded into the German legal system?

abortion and contraception remained illegal

what was the name of the first influential feminist group and when did they occur?

BDF (bund Deutscher Frauenvereine

1918-1932

how many members did the BDF have by 1929?

900,000 members

why were the BDF not radical?

they campaigned for women to play a leading role in nurturing professions: teaching, nursing, social work

what were two radical women groups during Weimar that campaigned for ‘sexual reform’?

1. World League for Sexual Reform
2. League for protection of motherhood

‘sexual reform’ in Weimar was a broad term….what issues did this advocate for? (4 things)

1. sexual freedom - celebration of erotic love inside + outside of marriage
2. female sexual pleasure - some reformers wanted to teach men the ‘scientific principles’ of the female sexual orgasm
3. marriage reform - more accessible divorce
4. easy access to contraception

what was the ‘emergence of the new woman’ like in Weimar?

* lived exclusively in the city, bobbed hair, short skirt + make up
* some for trousers, smoked
* economically independent - worked in shops / offices
* portrayed as confident

who disliked this idea of the Weimar new woman and why?

conservatives: symbol of society in crisis

traditionalists: part of a trend destroying society

according to the Nazis what did men and women have?

different innate qualities and gifts

what were 4 roles Nazis thought all women were to fulfil?

1. nurturing role: should be skilled in preparing nutritious food and keeping homes safe and clean
2. racial role: had duty to bear next generation of Aryan race
3. important economic role → women did 80% domestic shopping had duty to be responsible shoppers, avoiding and boycotting jewish shops + not buy wasteful products (make up)
4. women had to be beautiful

what did the Nazis publish advice on to ensure women racial role was properly fulfilled?

advice on ‘assortative mating’ to help women choose the right partner

what role did the Nazis say women had no place having? and why?

a political role:

* a nazi said allowing women to vote + become members of the Reichstag was damaging

what did Nazis believe to be women most important role?

motherhood and baring children

what did the Nazis offer women in June 1933 as an incentive for women to have children?

interest free loans of RM600 made available to young married women

what are 4 examples of other policies introduced under the Nazis to encourage women to have children?

1. increasing family allowances
2. maternity benefits increased
3. rewards for women were introduced → Honour cross of German Mother award in bronze, silver and gold
4. Nazi propaganda glorified motherhood

why did the Nazis feel the need to encourage Aryan women to have more children?

they feared ‘racially inferior’ slavic and Jewish people were having more children than Aryans

did Nazi policies to encourage women to have children work?

yes, birth rates did increase in 1930s

what did the Nazis pass in 1933 to encourage marriage and what did it provide?

Law for Encouragement of Marriage passed:

provided RM1,000 loans to new weds

* 1/4 of loan written off after child birth - 4 children and the loan gone

what did the Nazis call the ideal Aryan woman?

Hitler maiden

what were 4 expectations of this Hitler maiden?

1. should look natural (avoiding artificial beauty aids)
2. natural in way she refused to drink / smoke - said it caused infertility
3. should dress in ‘German style’. hairstyles such as Gretchen braids
4. should have a body physically suited to child bearing - praised voluptuous bodies

why did Senior Nazis argue against make up?

said painted faces were unhealthy because they reflected a decadent oriental way of behaving

what did this natural nazi women look mean for the cosmetics industry?

it did not end it, to achieve this natural look a range of services were created

what are 3 examples of new services / products created to help women achieve the natural look in the Nazis?

1. tanning parlours - for natural tan look
2. deodorant: Sagrotan created for sporting women
3. Khasana cosmetics developed range of natural products and discrete make up for natural look

what did Senior nazis believe about pornography?

that some forms of female nudity were natural and healthy

what was the name of the SS porn magazine?

the Black corps

why did nazi porn magazines contain pictures of naked black American women as well as German Aryan porn?

to highlight the difference between healthy German nudity and unnatural US porongraphy

how were there divisions with senior nazis regarding women beauty?

who set up the Bureau for beauty and what was it?

they rejected the ideal of the Hitler maiden.

* notorious womaniser Robert Lay head of the DAF set up Bureau for beauty
* it published advice for women

what were 2 pieces of advice published through the bureau for beauty?

1. charts of ideal shapes for eyelashes, eyebrows and cheek bones → direct contradiction to Hitler Maiden where eyebrows were to remain untouched
2. advice how to achieve perfect features through cosmetics

What happened to women following the Reichstag Fire Decree?

immediate action was taken against women suspected of engaging in sex work

* morals police began arresting women suspected of sex work

in the first 2 months, how many women had been arrested for sex work under the Nazis? and where?

3,200 in Hamburg alone

in June 1934 what did the morals police do and how did the care officers respond?

morals police: reinstate official brothels and gated streets, banning sex workers from large sections of society

* CO: fought back by committing women to hospitals / other care institutions

in 1937 what did Nazis do to suspected prostitutes?

sent them to workhouses to be redeemed through labour → believed these women were ‘morally endangered’

how did the morals police, care officers and nazi officials unite in their view?

united win the view that women who rejected monogamy = danger to society → due to moral corruption + disease

what could care officers and moral police do to ‘sexually deviant’ women in the Nazis?

could be refused welfare on grounds they should be prevented from living and breeding for the good of the race

what did Nazis do to the women who they deemed unfit for breeding?

carried out a process of sterilisation = high immortality rates

how did Nazi policy radicalise toward sexual women?

sent to SS camps

how did the role of women change during WW2?

women took on responsibility of filling jobs after men left

how did the proportion of women in farm work change from 1939-1944 (wartime)?

1939: 55%

1944: 67%

how did the Nazis promote the traditional role of women even during war?

through propaganda, Nazis suggested they should keep their houses tidy and keep children safe.

* they could help Germany win the war if they remained home allowing the men to fight

how did war enhance the nurturing role of women in the Nazis?

* women enlisted as air raid wardens to protect their community
* Nazi women’s groups mobilised women in areas that had been bombed, setting up emergency field kitchen to feed survivors

how did industrial female workers suffer at the start of war?

many of them were sacked due to cutbacks in non essential services eg. textiles

what was the problem with families during war?

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what did Himmler recognise? and what was the consequence in 1940?

many women began having new relationships with men whilst their husbands were at war

* Himmler realise soldiers morale was dropping at thought of their wives being unfaithful → Himmler ordered women being unfaithful sent to concentration camps

what happened for women politically after war?

Despite being the larger proportion of the electorate → not result in representation in the government

in 1972 what % of the Bundestag was female?

5\.8%

how did women lack political outputs in the FRG - examples of CDU/CSU + SPD?

CDU/CSU: favoured male dominated business interests

SPD: gained support from male dominated trade unions

what happened to women politically in 1980 with the emergence of what?

1980: emerged the Green Party - able to get women more involved

* feminists pressurised the GP to include abortion reform

what was employment like for women after ww2? and how was this heightened?

poor - emphasis on male employment:

* particularly post war when the government sought to ease return of soldiers into a social structure they knew - with women at home

what were women encouraged to do post WW2 and who did this cause tension with?

encouraged to relinquish jobs when men returned

* tension with Trummelfrauen who kept families together whilst rebuilding Germany

how did the economic miracle in the 70s change the number of women in work?

1950: 44% of women employed

1970: 50% of women employed

in 1963 a poll of 59% stated what about mothers?

both men and women stated they would support a law banning mothers with children under 10 working

evidence to suggest women took on caring professions in the 1970s?

75% of workforce in hospitals women

what percentage of women were uni professors / school principals in the FRG (to show women didn’t take on managerial roles)

20% school principals

5% uni professors

in 1970s how much less were women paid for the same job as men on average?

65%-78%

how did divorce rates change from 1960 - 1990?

1960: 49,000

1990: 123,000

what was passed in 1977 to ease divorce?

no guilt divorce law: granted divorces on grounds they broke down inevitably (not just abuse, infidelity)

what article in the basic law criminalised abortion?

article 218

despite the basic law how many illegal abortions were occurring as of 1971?

1 million illegal abortions in unsanitary conditions

why did the CDU/CSU oppose legalising abortion?

on religious grounds

no abortion law was attempted until SPD gov of Brandt….what did It state? and did it happen?

* legalised abortion in the 1st 3 months of pregnancy if doctor allowed
* but the federal constitution court declared It illegal

what was the 1976 indication law?

allowed abortion in the 1st 12 weeks of pregnancy based on social indicators

when did the feminist movement develop in the FRG? and why?

during the 60s:

* women resonated with feminist Betty Freida - spoke of lack of opportunities for women

what were key issues for feminists in the FRG?

sexism of male radicals who advocated for social change but expected women to remain home

why did feminists in the FRG criticise the Basic Law and what did they call for?

Demanded full equality, since the basic law stated men and women were equal and yet the reality was so different: stereotyping women as wives, unequal employment

how did the FRG feminists reach a wider base of women?

the had a magazine called Emma

when was Emma founded?

1977

The Weimar constitution set out goals for education…they felt schools should contribute to a young persons..what?

1. moral education
2. civil responsibility
3. personal development
4. vocational training
5. desire to see reconciliation with other nations

what was the school law of 1920?

created a single type of elementary school

* aim to ensure all German’s received a standard education for first 4 years
* existing selective schools phased out

what were the 3 different types of secondary schools In Weimar?

1. The Gymnasium
2. The Realgymnasium
3. Oberrealschule

what was the Gymnasium school in Weimar? and why did they benefit?

most prestigious, often private + so required fees, taught latin & greek

* German universities preferred these students

what was the Realgymnasium like?

taught a curriculum like Gymnasium (latin) with subjects reflecting modern world: science and maths

what did the division between the 3 types of secondary schools in Weimar mean

meant the Weimar Republic never achieved their goal of creating an integrated educational system that provided the same educational opportunities

What did the Weimar government introduce to aid the poorer children?

Aufbuschule

what was the Aufbuschule?

designed to offer a Gymnasium style of education to poor children who were gifted but could not afford a fee paying school,

what did Weimar introduce to try and maintain the same standards through all types of schools?

an inspection scheme

what ddi Weimar attempt to get rid of for schools?

church influence

in 1927 what did the ZP try to do? but what happened?

pass laws allowing churches to have greater role in education → defeated by SPD

why did reforms want greater change in education in weimar?

argued existing educational techniques reflected the class structure of society / traditions of church

who was Rudolf Steiner?

a famous educational reformer in Weimar

what did Rudolf Steiner call for?

argued school should be independent of government =, church and business

what did Rudolf Steiner reject?

believed schools should serve interests of students & so developed new school:

* rejected hierarchy, teacher & students
* emphasised whole body learning not just the mind