1.3 Changes in society, 1924–29 Flashcards
What is the time period for the Golden Age?
1924-29
What improvements helped ordinary working Germans during the Golden Age?
-Hourly wages rose in real terms (ie above inflation) every year from 1924 to 1930, with a rise of 10 %
in 1928 alone.
-Pensions and sickness benefits schemes were introduced.
-Compulsory unemployment insurance was introduced in 1927, which covered 17 million workers.
-Government subsidies were provided for the building of local parks, schools and sports facilities, and there was a massive programme of council house construction.
What were some negatines in th economy in the golden age
large increase in the working age population during the mid-20s led to increasing unemployment, and farmers in particular suffered from declining incomes.
What were the changes in the position of women in work?
German women contributed massively to the war effort during World War One. government ordered women to return to their pre-war roles, either in low-skilled jobs or in the home, to allow returning soldiers to take up work:
->Women experienced pressure to return to their ‘traditional’ role as wives and mothers.
-However, attitudes towards women and work changed according to how well the economy did.
->During times of economic crisis, such as the hyperinflation of 1923 and during the
Great Depression, women returning home were seen as a solution to the problem of unemployment.
->However, during the recovery of the mid-1920s women were welcomed into the workforce. The number of women in work was 1.7 million higher in 1925 than it had been in 1907.
->Women were increasingly taking on
white collar jobs, though these were mainly done by single women under 25.
=.Overall, the percentage of women in work only rose by less than 1% between 1907 and 1925.
Changes in the position of women
What progress was made for women in politics?
Women achieved the vote on an equal basis with men when the new German
constitution was announced in August 1919, along with the right to be elected to the Reichstag and all other governmental bodies:
->Women participated in democracy-
Women’s voting turnout in the elections for the National Assembly in January 1919 was the same as men’s at 82%.
->Politicians recognised women-
Political parties quickly realised the need to appeal to the women’s vote and much propaganda was directed towards them.
->Women became politicians
Women were elected to local and regional assemblies all over Germany, and typically made up around eight per cent of the representatives in the Prussian Landtag, the most powerful regional parliament.
Changes in the position of women
What stayed the same for women in politics?
->Not all women participated-During the rest of the Weimar period women’s voting turnout was typically 5-10% lower than that of men.
->Politicians stereotyped women-Propaganda usually appealed to women as wives and mothers, rather than asking for their vote on the basis of** improving their own lives**.
->Women didn’t become very influential
By **1933 **women made up just 4.6% of the representatives in parliament.
No women held cabinet posts during the Weimar Republic’s 14 year existence and no women sat in the upper house of parliament, the Reichsrat.
How did women tend to vote
Women and men tended to vote for similar parties, although women were more likely to vote for religious parties, which tended to be more conservative. Historians disagree on how decisive women’s votes were in bringing the Nazis to power in 1933, but the party’s propaganda targeted women heavily.
How did leasure stay the same for women?
->Most women continued to enjoy reading as their main leisure activity, with romantic fiction being their preferred genre
->Both working and middle class women enjoyed attending tea dances, where they could meet young men
->Women enjoyed needlework in the home
->Gymnastics was a popular sport amongst women. In **1914 88,000 **German women were members of gymnastics associations and by 1930 this number had risen to 200,946
How did leisure Change for women?
->Increas in the female amined publications following the abolition of censorship e.g.newspapers and magazines
->urban areas young middle class women began to go out to dance alone, with the American dance known as the Charleston becoming particularly popular in Berlin
->estimated to have made up around 75 % of cinema audiences during the 1920s. Films were cheap to watch, but only 2% of small towns had a cinema so it was mainly urban women who benefitted from this
->greater range of sports, in particular athletics. In 1928 Hilde Krahwinkel won an Olympic gold medal in the 800m and in 1931 Cilly Aussem became the first German woman to win Wimbledon
What was the ‘Flapper’?
The classic image of German women in the 1920s is that of the so-called ‘New Woman’, similar to the ‘Flapper’ in 1920s USA: short haired, liberated, having fun. However, not all women’s lives changed as drastically and the leisure activities women took part in showed elements of both continuity and change.
What had insired the developments in architecture, art and the cinema?
ending of
censorship
in the new
republic
What was the most influential visual arts school ? Who was it founded by?
Bauhaus School
Walter Gropius
Who was Walter Gropius?
->Regarded as a pioneer in modern architecture and founder of the Bauhaus movement.
->Bauhaus theory was that all architecture and design was an opportunity to introduce beauty and quality to all, through well-designed and industrially produced items.
->He became famous for iconic door handles, and several public buildings across Weimar.
Whya Bauhaus’ impact on German architecture was limited?
Movement only focused on architecture after 1927 and it was then suppressed by the Nazis in 1933. After this most of its followers fled abroad, where they developed their work further. However, Gropius did design several apartment blocks that are still in use today.
Whta were the two main movements that influenced German art?
1.Dada
2. Objectivity
