To what extent did the role of women and attitudes towards them change and develop in Germany in the years 1918-89? Flashcards
before WW1 what was the govs attitude towards women summed up by? what were women’s rights like before WW1?`
it was summed up by the German Civil Code of 1900
-women could not vote; single women could study for a profession, such as law, but could not take the exams to qualify and practice. Married women had no legal status at all; a man had to do any legal business on their behalf
what were the 3 words used to describe what a woman’s role was seen like?
Kinder, Kuche, Kirche
during WW1 what changed for women?
during ww1 women took the place of men in factories, on farms, and in almost every other sphere of life.
-in 1913, for example, the armament manufacturer Krupp had no women employees. In 1918, it had over 28,000.
by the end of WW1, what percentage of women of working age were in work?
by the end of WW1, 75% of women of working age were in work.
Was the Weimar govs attitude to women the same in theory and practice?
no, the Weimar govs attitude to women was liberal in theory but far more traditional in practice.
when were women given the right to vote after WW1?
on 12 November 1918, even before the new constitution was established, the emergency gov gave women the right to vote. This was unexpected, even after women’s work during the war.
what was the percentage of the turnout of women at the first elections after WW1?
it was 90%
between 1919 and 1932 how many women were elected to the Reichstag?
112
in principle, what did the Weimar constitution say about women’s rights?
it said that ‘in principle’ women had equal rights (Article 109), marriage should be an equal union and women should be able to enter the professions. This seemed a huge step.
-however, this was what should be; it did not change the legal status of women under the Civil Code. The Reichstag was split on the matter. Some people, mostly SPD members, supported equality and women’s rights. However, others though women should return to being wives and mothers.
what was a concern that led to some people wanting women to go back to being wives and mothers?
the falling birth rate was a concern.
-it fell from 128 live births per 1,000 women in 1911 to 80 in 1925 and 59 in 1933.
-the divorce rate was a concern too.
-it had been 27 per 100,000 inhabitants in 1913, but it rose and stayed high to the end of the Weimar period. (59 per 100,000 in 1920 and 65 per 100,000 in 1932)
-of concern, too, was the campaign of some women’s associations for free contraception and the right to abortion under certain circumstances, such as rape
What was Weimar government policy towards women in work?
Weimar government policy was that women should give up jobs to returning soldiers
were men and women paid the same for doing the same job in Weimar Germany?
in areas such as office work where men and women sometimes had the same level of job, women were, on average, paid about 33% less than their male counterparts.
was the idea of single women working more acceptable than married women working in Weimar Republic?
yes.
-and single women working was seen as a temporary activity until they marries; they were not expected to pursue a career.
-this was one of the reasons that there was opposition to women entering the professions - professions required long-term training and provided a career
of the 36% of women working in 1925, over half were working in what?
over half were working in poorly paid manual jobs
in industry, trade unions were dominated by what?
they were male dominated.
