Cutural changes to Weimar Repbulic (1924-29) Flashcards
What were the changes within society in terms of work and wages? (1924-29)
Length of working week shortened from 50 hours (1925) to 46 hours (1927)
Wages rose by 25% from 1925-28
Growing industry/employment in companies such as Mercedes-Benz
What were the changes within society in terms of housing? (1924-29)
1925 15% rent tax introduced to fund building associations (following a housing shortage in 1923 of 1 million). From 1925-29 private companies built 37,000 new homes. New building associations built 24,000 new homes, e.g GEHAG building 10,000 in Berlin.
What were the changes within society in terms of unemployment? (1924-29)
1926-28 unemployment dropped from 2m to 1.3m
Unemployment insurance act (1927) charged workers 3% of wages in return for 60 marks per week in unemployment/sickness benefit if they fell out of work.
What were the general improvements within society from 1924-29?
Under 1920 Reich pension law, pensions paid throughout 1920s to 750,000 war veterans, 400,000 war widows and 200,000 parents of dead servicemen.
What were the changes for leisure for women in Weimar Republic?
‘New women’: short hair, liberated, revealing clothes, sexualised culture. Women behaved freely, smoke, drank, went to bars and clubs unaccompanied. Women made up around 75% of cinema audiences during 1920s (urban women- cinemas not always accessible rurally). Women began to take part in a larger range of sports, athletics. Increase in number of newspapers/magazines following abolition of censorship: aimed at women.
What were the changes in domesticity for women during Weimar Germany?
Birth rate fell by 1/3, divorce rate doubled. Weimar constitution gave women equal rights to men in marriage (1919). Elderly women criticised these changes as they threatened norms/values. However women still typically gave up work when married.
What were the changes in employment for women in Weimar Germany?
Number of female doctors doubled between 1925/32, by 1925 percentage of women in work returned to its prewar level of around 35%. However there was an increase in women working in white-collar jobs, however they were usually under 25 and unmarried. 1920s retail boom created a surge of jobs for women, and within education sector. Weimar constitution have women equal pay/rights to men at work (however still typically paid less).
Trade unions opposed equal pay and even campaigned against female workers.
What was the opposition to the cultural changes with the Golden Years from 1924-28?
KPD argued money spent funding these changes should be prioritised for needy working class.
Opposed typically by middle class, right wing, who wanted to maintain traditional values.
Golden Years (1924-28)
Changes to design
Erich Mendelssohn influenced by Bauhaus, school of design, futuristic design e.g tower that looked like a rocket. Differentiated from traditional design, increase in experimentation. Limited change, suppressed by Nazis in 1933. Many of the followers/curators of the architectural movement fled when Nazis rose to power to maintain freedom.
Golden Age (1924-28)
Night life
Increase in new plays, opera and theatre, which were critical of German government/society, made fun of politicians in songs. Standards of living fell. More open sexuality, increased freedom especially for gay people.
Golden Years (1924-28)
Metropolis (1927) most advanced film of the decade, a Sci-Fi/thriller. Increase in strong willed female roles within films. 3800 German cinemas showing films with sound by 1932. Rise in expressionist style- surge in creativity, filmed were unrealistic/exaggerated. Most prominent director Fritz Lang.
Golden Years (1924-28)
Art
Increase in art which included a more realistic painting of society e.g bad treatment of war veterans. Critical of german gov/society. Otto Dix/George Grosz ~ 1926. Experimental artwork, less traditional - ended when Hitler came into power as he claimed it was ‘morally corrupt’. Most artists fled post 1933.
