life in Germany Flashcards
what were attitudes towards female employment and education?
〰 women helped to rebuild the economy due to loss of able bodied men.
〰 Adenauer spoke on importance of more jobs and better working conditions for women but gov did not make this happen
〰 paid 1/3 lower than men for full time work
〰 70% of women belived they should stay at home
〰 guest workers given work instead
〰 1900 Germna civil code revised so women didnt need husbands permission to work
〰 female students increased
What were attitides towards women’s role in family life?
〰 traditional marriage was once again societies ideal
〰 financial benefits for wives and mothers
〰motherhood was a high status
〰 not until 1977 marriage and family law did women get equal rights in marriage
what women’s organisations existed?
〰 women’s liberation movements in 60s and 70s seeking to overturn societies established role as wife
〰1968 organisation set up day care centres for children
〰no groups campaigning for equality in the workplace and laws against sexual discrimination
what were women’s roles in politics?
few women were involved in politics. Only 4 were on the council that drew up the basic law
How were attitudes towards / role of women defined by the law?
〰 article 3 ‘equality under the law’ for all
〰 basic law clause on celibacy for female public officials
〰 widespread KKK ideology
〰 widespread opposition to pro-abortion campaigns
〰 German Civil Code revised to give more employment opportunities
What was a guest worker?
from 1955 the FRG looked overseas to recruit people
signed agreements with Italy, Spain, Greece, Tunisia
why did the FRG governments recruit foreign workers?
the rapid growth of the West German economy needed a constantly expanding workforce
How many foreign workers were recruited?
1973 - 2.6 million guiest workers in FRG
What evidence is there that people were tolerant towards minorities in the 50s/60s?
〰 non German workers got same wages
〰 labour recruitment treaties with other countries
〰 Theodor Blank’s speech declaring guest workers were the foundation of Germany’s success
〰unions and church organisations helped guest workers to adjust to work (but not to assimilate)
What evidence is there that people were intolerant towards minorities in the 50s/60s?
〰in 1950s, unions felt guest workers would drive wages down. Gov agreed to give German workers preference when hiring
〰 basic accommodation provided by employers cut them off from local community
〰 Name ‘guest’ workers
〰 took on manual labour and unwanted jobs
〰year-by-year contracts
〰1966 recession brought out hostility to foreign workers
What evidence is there that people were tolerant towards minorities in the 70s/80s?
〰 children got same benefits
〰 ban on foregin workers lifted 1977
〰 1978 first Federal Commissioner for Foreigners’ affairs appointed to promote rights and integration
〰Basic law gave equality and eduction.
What evidence is there that people were intolerant towards minorities in the 70s/80s?
〰1973 banned permits for families of workers
〰60% of foreign children in schools in 1983 were Muslim, but preschool eductaion was run by christian schools
〰minorities set up own national schools that faced hostility
〰’Ethnic associations’ made assimilation harder
Why did treatment of minorities vary during the years of the FRG?
varied depending on
〰 unemployment levels
〰 opportunities for assimilation provided by gov
〰attitudes of West German population
How did the process of de-Nazification under the allies affect education in the FRG?
〰temporarily shut all schools
〰allies pressed for a reform of education system but failed
〰 banned schoolbooks that taught Nazi racial theories
〰 Teachers were vetted
Was the de-nazification of the education system successful?
division in to 4 zones and year zero approach meant early years de-nazification was limited
By 1947 more than 85% of teachers who had lost their job due to de-nazification were back in work
