Weimar Society Flashcards
structure of pre-war education in Germany?
- compulsory 6-14
- some lander provided kindergarten for an hour in the morning for children 3-5
- upper class children went to fee paying schools
- working class went to volkesschule = large classes (over 50), tauvh basic reading, writing, numeracy, to respect place in society
- most schools confessional (religious)
- most working class children had to work after 14, school became expensive after 14
structure of post-war education in Germany?
- compulsory Grundschule, ages 6-10
- education after 10 years of age paid for; Hauptschule (led to trade, apprenticeship), Realschule (led to business, technical training), Gymnasium (led to university)
- universities had exclusive corporations which formed nationwide associations (often excluded students by race or social class, settled differences by duels with swords)
Statistics about social status of university students
1928, 2.3% of university students were from working class families 45% had fathers who were civil servants
What did the SPD governments initially want in terms of education?
- fairer education system
- mixed, secular intake (no confessional schools)
Were the SPD’s hopes for the school system achieved?
-Conservative states (like Bavaria) were against the idea of secular schools
—> reached compromise = parents could opt out of religious education and restrictions were placed upon the church’s interference with schools (eg. clerical inspections of schools stopped)
-attempts made by gov to set up uniform school system across country was repeatedly defeated as schools were set up by the local lander
What laws were passed in terms of education?
1922 Reich Youth Welfare Law, 1923 Reich Juvenile Court Law
Why did the Weimar republic fail to reform Germany’s education system?
The regional structure of the republic and disagreements over religion
What was Kampfbund fur Deutsche Kultur?
a campaign (endorsed by the Nazis) against nudism, homosexuality, birth control, Americanisation, the emancipation of women in favour of traditional activities (eg church going, family prayers)
1926 What law did the Reichstag pass?
to “protect the youth from pulp fiction and pornography”
—> state goes drew up lists of publications not to be sold to under 18s (true crime, erotic magazines, sex education books etc.)
How did societal attitudes towards women change?
- traditions like the subordinate position of women. were being challenged
- 1919, Article 109 of the Weimar Constitution stated that men and women have the same fundamental rights and duties as citizens, including the right to vote and to hold office
- BUT maintained criminal laws against contraception and abortion
How did some women challenge societal norms?
smoking, wearing modern American dresses, campaigning for sexual liberation, makeup, Bubikoepfe = short masculine haircut for women, androgynous
—> ‘Sylvia Von Harden’ by Otto Dix = picture of journalist, smoking + drinking by herself, short hair, masculine stance etc.
Name for women who continued to work after marriage?
Doppelverdiener
—> women expected to give up work after marriage
How did the employment of women increase before —> after war?
-women employed increasingly during war
(-all dates 1907-1925)
-women employed as domestic servants decreased (poverty due to war?)
-women employed as form workers decreased (mechanisation?)
-industrial workers increased
-white collar office work almost doubled
-1933, 36 female lawyers across Germany
What did Article113 of the Weimar Constitiution state?
groups of people living in Germany ho used a different language couldn’t be stopped from doing so and their ethnic culture should be preserved
—> often overlooked by local authorities
What percentage of the German population was Jewish?
1918; 1% of the population was Jewish
1993; 0.76% of the population as Jewish
—> Jewish population concentrated in large cities like Berlin
some significant Jews in government like Walther Rathenau who was assassinated
