changing lives - nazi germany

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1
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Jewish people in Germany

  • according to the census of June 16th 1933, 505,000/67 million were Jewish

  • this demonstrated a reduction in the number of Jewish people living in Germany from the estimated 523,000 in January 1933

  • this decrease was partly due to the emigration of Jewish people following the Nazi takeover in January 1933

  • 80% of Jewish people (approx. 400,000 people) held German citizenship

  • 70% of Jewish people in Germany lived in urban areas

  • 50% of all German Jews lived in the 10 largest German cities

  • the largest population of Jews was in Berlin (approx. 160,000 people in 1925)

2
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describe the evolution of Nazi persecution against Jewish people

  • persecution culminated in the Kristallnacht, where Jewish synagogues and shops were destroyed

  • this is significant as it highlighted the change from legal persecution to physical

  • Kristallnact caused 91 Jewish people to die, 30,000 Jews to be arrested and detained in concentration camps and 267 synagogues were destroyed

  • the Nazis wanted to destroy Jewish culture and heritage through this event

  • Nazi mentality was to remove any trace of Jewish people from Germany on both a small and large scale

  • the Nazis begun with ‘trivial’ persecutions, such as the exclusion of Jews from chess clubs and choirs

  • ultimately ending with the social, economic and political persecution of Jews

  • using terror tactics and violence

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March 1933

  • Jewish lawyers are banned from conducting legal affairs in Berlin

  • Jewish judges are suspended from office

  • Department of Racial Hygiene is established

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April 1933

  • Aryan and non-Aryan children are forbidden from playing together

  • Jews are excluded from sport and gymnastics clubs

  • April 1st 1933 - nationwide one-day boycott of Jewish businesses is enacted

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August 1933

Jews are excluded from choirs

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September 1933

‘Race Studies’ become part of the school examination syllabus

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September 1935

  • Nuremburg Laws are passed

  • Jews are no longer ’citizens’; they are just ‘subjects’ with no rights

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October 1936

Jews who convert to Christianity are still to be viewed as Jewish

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April 1938

Jews must show how much they own to ensure that their wealth is being used in the interest of the German economy

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October 1938

  • Jewish passports have to be stamped with a ‘J’

  • passports belonging to Jews whose emigration is undesirable are were confiscated

  • Jews who emigrated from Germany were not allowed to return

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November 1938

  • time of Kristallnacht

  • all Jewish children were expelled from non-Jewish state schools

  • Jews are banned from owning and running businesses

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January 1939

Jewish emigrants are not allowed to take valuable with them

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March 1939

  • Jews have to remove the ruins of synagogues destroyed by rioters

  • reconstruction of synagogues is not allowed

14
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assess the nature of anti-Semitic persecutor in Germany 1933 - October 1938

  • Nazi persecution on Jewish people begins on a smaller scale in 1933, with less support from local Germans

  • such as the ineffective boycott of Jewish establishments.

  • However, the Nazis begin to utilise law the aid their marginalisation of Jewish people

  • with the passing of The Nuremburg Laws, which stripped German Jews of their citizenship and reduced them to mere subjects of the Nazi state

  • This was a turning point, as legal persecution only ramped up from here

  • to the point where Jewish people were entirely excluded from society, with no support or respect from the German public.

15
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November 9th-10th 1938

Kristallnacht occurred

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April 1939

Jews could be evicted from their homes without a reason

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why did the Nazis persecute Jewish people

  • because they were viewed as ‘untermensch’ to the Aryan, German race

  • the Nazis required scapegoat to blame for the humiliation of Germany’s defeat in WW1 in order to unite the German public

18
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describe the problem of German unemployment 1932

  • in 1932, around 5.9 million Germans were officially unemployed

  • this number was in reality closer to 8 million

19
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explain how Hitler benefitted from the economy

  • Hitler benefitted from the improvement of the economy in Autumn 1932 when he came into power

  • this is significant as Hitler could use this improvement in the economy as evidence of his reliability and strength

  • endearing him and the Nazis to lower-middle classes afraid of further economic instability

20
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why was saving the economy important to Hitler

  • because previous socialist governments, such as the Weimar government, were seen to have created/worsened issues of unemployment

  • it was also crucial to Germany’s economic stability that every viable German had a job in order to generate more disposable income

  • Hitler promised to solve unemployment through the concept: Arbeit und Brot

21
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volksgemeinschaft definition

the people’s community

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who was excluded from the volksgemeinschaft

  • anti-Nazis

  • ‘untermensch’ people

  • people with disabilities

  • people with mental health issues

  • homeless people

  • sex workers

  • LGBTQ+ members

23
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describe the changes in unemployment in Germany 1932-1939

  • 1933 - 6 million+ people were unemployed

  • 1939 - approx. 35,000 were unemployed

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what problems faced many German workers 1933-1939

  • by 1939, wages were still frozen at the 1933 rates

  • however prices were still rising

  • standards of employers and jobs were not up to standard

  • with many Germans working for over 50 hours per week

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what was the Winterhilfe (winter relief fund)

  • voluntary tax

  • to provide soup stations for the poor

  • the SA pressured families to pay 3% of their earnings into this fund

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mittelstand definition

  • medium-sized companies in Germany

  • that were viewed as an economic unit

27
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‘Blood and Soil’ definition

  • idea of a racially-defined nation (blood)

  • united with the Motherland (soil)

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DAF (German Labour Front) definition

  • the DAF replaced trade unions

  • this benefitted the Nazi state, not workers

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KDF (Strength through Joy)

  • 1939 - 29 million were signed up to KDF

  • KDF provided members with leisure activities such as cinema, sports, concerts and holidays

  • however, many workers were too tired from their gruelling work to indulge in these activities

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Beauty of Labour

  • scheme designed to improve the lot of the workers on the factory floor

  • provided extra sanitary facilities such as showers, toilets and canteens

  • this scheme only tended to work for big companies and factories

  • there was, however, a major improvement in the quality of life for workers from big firms

31
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Reich Labour Service

  • major paramilitary organisation

  • established to help mitigate the effects of unemployment on the economy

  • and to help militarise the population

  • whilst indoctrinating them with Nazi ideologies

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Volkswagen scheme

  • programme set up to produce affordable cars for workers

  • Nazis utilised labour camps for unpaid labour to create these cars

33
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women in Weimar

  • women had the vote (political freedom)

  • women served as deputies in the Reichstag - 112 in total

  • a very limited number of women held highly-coveted professional jobs

34
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Scholtz-Klink on role of women, 1938

“the German woman must work […] physically and mentally; she must renounce luxury and pleasure”

35
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Nazi rhyme about women

“take hold of kettle, broom and pan, then you’'ll surely get a man! […] your true life work lies at home”

36
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Joseph Goebbels on the role of women

“mission of women is to be beautiful and bring children into the world … the female bird pretties herself for her mate”

37
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characteristics of the ideal Nazi woman

  • conservative

  • racially pure (Brunnhilde)

  • desire to have children

  • domesticated

  • submissive

  • serious

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what was the Honour Cross of the German Mother

  • award for women who had 6+ children

  • incentivised women to have more children

39
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symbolism of the Honour Cross the German Mother

  • incentivised women to have children

  • directly portrayed the role of men (as demonstrated by war medals) as to serve on the battle field

  • and the role of women (as demonstrated by the Honour Cross) as to serve the home

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explain how the Nazis encouraged motherhood

  • early marriages were encouraged

  • loans of 1000 RM were given in the woman gave up work

  • loan payments were reduced by 25% for each child the woman had

  • the Nazis gave out 250,000 of these loans

  • divorce was made easier, meaning people were able to leave infertile partners, but also leaving women financially vulnerable

  • Nazis reduced opportunities for women in professions and higher education

  • Honour Cross of the German Mother

  • Lebensborn (Spring of Life) centres allowed women to give up their children for adoption, as abortion was illegal

41
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numerical changes in women in agriculture 1933-1939

  • 1933 - 4.6 million

  • 1939 - 4.9 million

42
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numerical changes in women in industry 1933-1939

  • 1933 - 2.7 million

  • 1939 - 3.3 million

43
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sterilisation

  • Nazi state tried to sterilise many women with ‘unfavourable characteristics’

  • more than 10,000 women died from The Hitler Cut

44
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Irma Grese

  • concentration camp guard

  • hung for her war crimes in 1945

  • Grese was famous for her brutality against female detainees in concentration camps

45
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Stella Kubler

  • Kubler was nicknamed ‘Jew catcher’

  • Kubler originated from a Jewish family

  • in the late 1930s, Kubler aided the Nazi party in ‘catching’ Jewish people by ingratiating herself witht hem

  • approximately 400 Jewish people were found due to her, the majority of them were executed

  • Kubler did this largely to protect her own Jewish family

  • however her family ended up being deported to Auschwitz, where they were killed

46
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Adolf Hitler’s views on the youth 1939

  • “we older ones are […] bearing the burden of a humiliating past”

  • “young men and boys! What material!”

  • “with them I can make a new world”

47
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state the aim of the Nazi education

to win the hearts and minds of the German youth

48
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explain Hitler’s aims for Nazi education

  • Hitler recognised that a successful youth policy would strengthen both his personal position as leader and facilitate the long-term security of the Nazis

  • Hitler knew indoctrinating the youth with Nazi ideologies from young would be critical in his re-shaping of German society to build his “new world”

  • control of education was vital to the Nazis in eliminating alternative philosophies which challenge the regime

49
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describe how the Nazis achieved their aims for Nazi education

  • youth-centred propaganda

  • Nazi youth groups

  • Nazi state education

  • coercion

50
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describe the links between Nazi education and loyalty to Hitler

  • school children began day with the “Hail Hitler” greeting, initiated by teachers

  • Nazi prescribed curriculum emphasises Hitler’s greatness and how he saved Germany from economic collapse

  • in youth groups such as Hitler Youth and League of German maidens, Hitler was portrayed as a messiah, with the youth in these groups having a personal relationship with the Fuhrer

  • millions of copies of Mein Kampf were distribute din German schools (oral history projects indicate only a small minority actually read it)

51
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explain how Nazi education would have affected history lessons

  • Nazi curriculum would be eager to emphasise the humiliation of Germany’s defeat in WW1

  • choosing to highlight how the socialist government led Germany to ruin through the Treaty of Versailles

  • the course would emphasise Hitler’s greatness and how Germany is thriving under his lead

  • creating natural distrust towards socialism, utilising negative cohesion

  • this would be done to justify Hitler’s foreign policy ideas and persecution of his political opponents

52
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explain how Nazi education would have affected geography lessons

  • Hitler’s curriculum would present Germany as the centre of the world

  • justifying the expansion of Germany as an empire

  • and would make clear Germany’s opposing countries

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explain how Nazi education would have affected physics and maths lessons

  • the curriculum would place an emphasis on applying maths and physics in extremely practical ways

  • such as learning how artillery is made

  • so Hitler could prepare the youth cohort for war

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explain how Nazi education would have affected physical education lessons

  • physical education would focus on keeping both young men and women healthy

  • men so that they were prepared to be soldiers

  • and women so they would be able to have more children for Germany

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explain how Nazi education would have affected German lessons

  • the curriculum would instil an intrinsic sense of national pride and patriotism

  • keeping the nationalistic ideals Nazi ideologies relied on alive

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explain how the Nazis aimed to control education

  • outlawed denominational schools, making it impossible to present alternative ideologies to German youth

  • centralised control of education, increasing control over curriculum and teachers

  • during the 1930s, more teachers became prepared to promote Nazi ideology to strengthen the Nazi state

  • Jewish people were removed from the teaching profession in 1933

  • Nazi assured teacher loyalty by coercing teachers to join the NSLB (Nationalist Socialist German Teachers’ League), by 1937, 97% of teachers belonged to the NSLB

  • education of girls emphasised the rejection of modernity under the Weimar government and the reassertion of ‘traditional’ values such as domestication and child-rearing

  • single sex education was compulsory from 1939, emphasising the specific role of young women as future wives and mothers

  • academic routes of young women were limited

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did the Nazi education policies create a more obedient but less academic youth

  • yes

  • German youth were taught exactly what to think and do, removing their autonomy

  • creating physical and mental obedience

  • which would have ruined their critical thinking skills

  • that could be helpful in war scenarios

  • during peace times, this obedience was useful to the Nazis to reduce opposition

  • but during war times, Germany required intelligent and initiative youth

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how far do you think a Nazi education promoted commitment rather conformity to the regime

  • Nazi education placed a firm emphasis on commitment

  • as they knew that many of the older generations simply conformed to the party

  • instead of commitment

  • leading to higher rates of low-level opposition and resistance

59
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Nazi youth groups for boys aged 10-14

Young German Folk

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Nazi youth groups for girls aged 10-14

German Young Girls

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Nazi youth groups for boys aged 14-18

Hitler Youth

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Nazi youth groups for girls aged 14-18

League of German Maidens

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explain the changes in Nazi attitudes towards their youth groups

  • in the early 1930s, membership of the Hitler Youth was voluntary

  • 1936 - all other youth groups were banned

  • 1939 - became compulsory to attend meetings

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describe what Hitler’s boy youth groups focused on

  • fitness and sports

  • practical applications of education for warfare

  • military trainings

  • buildings things

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describe what Hitler’s girl youth groups focused on

  • domestic chores

  • fitness to remain healthy

  • child-rearing

  • day trips

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describe German youth attitudes towards youth groups

  • German youth enjoyed both socialising within their own gender and other genders

  • many would have enjoyed the activities held in early 1930s more than in the late 1930s

  • due to new emphasis on war strategy and preparation for the future

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explain how did Hitler’s youth groups indoctrinate young people

  • group provided its members with a separate identity

  • through the use of a uniform, community and an atmosphere of discipline and respect

  • the group brought members together through their production of social and leisure activities

  • they also provided inexpensive holidays - a novelty that many members couldn’t previously afford

  • this emphasised the economic prosperity of Germany under Hitler

  • throughout this, the Nazis were indoctrinating the members with propaganda pertaining to politics and eugenics

  • making the youth groups a hub for Nazi-centred conversations

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explain why many young people enjoyed being part of Hitler’s youth groups

  • provided the members with leisure activities, holidays and comradery

  • it also allowed members to meet people from different social backgrounds that may not have met otherwise

  • these groups provided a sanctuary for youth away from parents and societal expectations