Social Booklet - Artisans

Question 1

How did industrialisation impact the mittelstand in Bismarck’s Germany?

Answer 1

• Industrialisation impacted the Mittelstand (lower middle class), small, family-owned businesses, some of which were over 100 years old and who prided themselves on skilled labour and hand-crafted goods
• From 1871, rapid industrialisation severely affected the Mittelstand since factories could mass-produce goods far more cheaply. Some artisan industries, particularly dyeing and weaving, closed completely

Question 2

From 1882-85, what % of one-man artisan businesses dropped?

Answer 2

13.5%

Question 3

Which years did the mittelstand suffer even more?

Answer 3

1897-1907

Question 4

How was the mittelstand able to survive Bismarck’s Germany?

Answer 4

Because new methods and machinery meant that they were able to adapt to the new circumstances

Question 5

When did the government try to win over the mittelstand with protectionist craft laws?

Answer 5

1897 - this failed to have the desired effect

Question 6

Which group did the mittelstand throw their support behind in the 1920s? Why is this?

Answer 6

• The Nazis, efforts to protect their crafts
• The Mittelstand were also concerned about the growth of large shopping centres (often Jewish-owned) during the Weimer period and were attracted to the Nazis who wanted to continue the artisanal tradition

Question 7

How did the Nazis support the Mittelstand?

Answer 7

• In their original manifesto (25 Point Programme) there were a number of policies aimed at supporting small traders
• The 25 Point Programme also said that larger businesses could be shut down and their premises given to small traders at a reduced rate

Question 8

Skilled workers made up what % of the Nazi party membership in the 1920s?

Answer 8

33%

Question 9

How many (%) of the German population were mittelstand?

Answer 9

27%

Question 10

Who supported the mittelstand from 1933 as a way of thanks?

Answer 10

Hitler

Question 11

What happened to trade unions and department stores during Nazi Germany?

Answer 11

Trade unions were banned and large department stores were restricted with all chain stores being barred from expanding and unable to offer services such as shoe repairing, baking, barbering or food catering

Question 12

What did the mittelstand have to pass from 1935 onwards?

Answer 12

The Master’s Examination, which tested the mittelstand to ensure a high level of craft was maintained

Question 13

Why did the Nazi party rely on the mittelstand?

Answer 13

Nazi party formations had to order boots and uniforms from artisans and from 1931-36

Question 14

Due to attention from the Nazi party, how much did the % of artisan businesses rise by?

Answer 14

20%

Question 15

Why might the mittelstand have been ignored in Nazi Germany?

Answer 15

Heavy industry remained more important than artisans due to preparations for war and artisan suggestions for de-mechanisation of industry were completely rejected

Question 16

How many Germans were employed in department stores from 1936-39? How did this negatively affect the mittelstand?

Answer 16

Department stores employed 90,000 Germans, which contrasted with the numbers in artisanal crafts, leading artisan businesses to decline by 11% and department stores’ turnover to increase by 10%

Question 17

By the end of the 1930s, why did the Nazis start restricting the mittelstand?

Answer 17

They claimed there was too many artisanal businesses

Question 18

What gave the mittelstand special status during the West Germany period?

Answer 18

Following the Marshall Plan (1947), the German economy began to recover - artisans were given special status, which meant that they could oversee the organisation and training of skilled workers

Question 19

By 1955, how many Germans were being employed in artisan trades?

Answer 19

3.5 million

Question 20

How did the cooperatives that were created during the war aid the mittelstand?

Answer 20

The cooperatives that had been created during the war expanded meaning that even small artisans could prosper in West Germany’s advanced, industrialised economy

Question 21

How did cooperation between the mittelstand and big industry aid the mittelstand?

Answer 21

The cooporation of big industry with the artisan, which combined mass production with skilled craftsmanship helped to build a strong reputation for West Germany exports