Standard Of Living And The Position Of Women

Question 1

How did wages change over 1924-29? What classes did this benefit/ not benefit ?

Answer 1

• workers benefited from real wages and an increase of 10% to wages meaning it’s worked where very well paid
• middle class did not benefit from this. Unemployment remained high in profession like Lawyers and Teachers and most of them couldn’t qualify for benefits from the state

Question 2

What did the Weimar government do to housing during these years ?1924-29.

Answer 2

• attempted to deal with a critical shortage in housing
• investments and taxes where used towards the building of housing
• between 1924-31 2 million new houses where built
• by 1928 homelessness had been reduced by 60+%

Question 3

What was unemployment insurance ?

Answer 3

• introduced in the 1880’s it helped the Ill and old with insurance schemes
  -in 1927 it was expanded so that workers and employees had to make contributions to the national scheme
• Other reforms included benefit is for war veterans and wives of those dead/very injured soldiers

Question 4

What was the position of women in politics during the period 1924-29?

Answer 4

• 20+ year old women allowed to vote
• Weimar constitution introduced equality in education for the sexes and equal opportunity
• by the end of this period German women had some of the most advanced legal rights in Europe
• by 1926 there where 32 women in the reichstag

Question 5

What was the position of women in enjoyment in the Weimar Republic in the years 1924-29?

Answer 5

• growing number of women in new areas of employment most notably civil service and teaching
• those who worked in civil service earned the same as men
• did raise the question of wether women should work and take a ‘man’s job’ such as heavy industry instead of working on the home

Question 6

Did women get to have more social freedoms ?

Answer 6

• women enjoyed much more freedom socially than before
• unescorted, drank and smoked in public and fashion conscious