Social and cultural developments in Germany, 1924-28 Flashcards
Social welfare reforms between 1924-27 :
- 1924- the Public Assistance system ( which helps poor ) was modernised
- 1925- the state accident insurance system extended to those suffering occupational diseases
- 1927- a national unemployment insurance system was introduced to provide benefits for the unemployed
What were issues with the welfare system ?
- promised more than delivered
- very expensive
In 1926 how many disabled war veterans was the state supporting ?
800,000
In 1926 how many war orphans was the state supporting ?
900,000
What were Means tests ?
they checked people weren’t cheating the welfare system
however they made the deserving humiliated and insulted decreasing support for the republic
What did the Weimar constitution give women ?
- voting rights
- access to education
- equal opportunities in civil service appointments
- equal pay
What can be suggested to have prompted the change in policies towards women ?
- as over 2 million german men had been killed in war there were less opportunities for women to follow the conventional path
- the war also brought more women into payed employment
Why shouldn’t the rights for women in Weimar Germany be exaggerated ?
the traditional Civil Code of 1896 remained in force
among other things this stated the husband had the right to decide what his wife does, for example whether she go into paid employment.
What was a popular women’s group in the 1920s ?
the League of German Women ( BDF )
How many members did the BDF ( league of german women ) have in 1920s ?
900,000
What did the league of German women promote ?
traditional family values and maternal responsibilities
What can we suggest about the ‘new women’ ?
it was more of a myth than a reality
Reality of women in employment :
- ‘demobilisation’ laws required women to leave jobs so ex-soldiers could find employment
- many occupations required women to give up employment when married
- payed much less then men
- married women who had jobs attacked as ‘double earners’ and blamed for male unemployment.
Myth of women in employment that makes it seem progressive :
- by 1925 36% of workforce were women
-by 1933 there were 100,000 women teachers and 3000 women doctors
What promoted myth that women in Weimar had sexual freedom :
- birth control more widely avaliable
- divorce rates increased
- by 1930 there was an estimated one million abortions a year
Reality of the sexual freedom of women in Weimar :
- abortion was a criminal offence often being performed by unqualified individuals
- 1930 estimated 10-12,000 deaths each year from abortions
- decline in birth rates attacked by conservatives as a ‘birth strike’
- Catholic and Protestant Churches opposed birth control, divorce and abortion and many women were members of the Church
What the ‘new women’ presented about politics and public life for women in Weimar :
- equal voting rights and right to be reichstag deputy
- 1919 41 women elected to reichstag a higher proportion than house of commons
- women were very active at in local governments at state and city level
Reality for politics and public life for women in Weimar :
- no females in reichsrat
- no political party had a female leader
- only KPD made gender equality a key aspect of policy
In 1925-26 what % of unemployed were in the 14-21 age group ?
17%
What systems helped young people seeking employment ?
- benefits system
- day centres established to help youths acquire the skills needed to find work
Did systems to help the youth work ?
they couldn’t compensate for the lack of employment opportunities as a result many joined gangs
What did education reformers achieve in the Weimar republic ?
introduced elementary schools from the age of 0-4
What did education reformers fail to achieve in the Weimar republic ?
didn’t succeed in removing the influence of churches from schools
What were the three main types of youth groups ?
- Wandervogel - nationalist - went camping and hiking
- church youth groups
- political youth groups
