Women Flashcards
1
Q
Women before WW1
A
- German Civil Code of 1900
- women couldn’t vote + single women could study for a profession but not do exams
- married women had no legal status - a man had to do all legal business on their behalf
- a woman’s role was seen as Kinder, Küche, Kirche - children, kitchen, church
2
Q
Women during the war
A
women took the place of men in factories
- in 1913 the armament manufacturer Krupp had no female employees vs in 1918 it had 28k
- by 1918 75% of wome of working age were in work
- during the war 1.6 million men died - there were more women than men alive - called surplus women
3
Q
Women in the first post-war election
A
- on November 12 1918 the emergency gov gave women the right to vote
- all political parties in the first election wanted women’s votes + campaigned to educate women on issues
- turnout of women at the first election was 90%
- 112 women elected to the Reichstag between 1919 and 1932
4
Q
Concerns about women post-war
A
- in principle women had equal rights in the constitution - Article 109
- mostly SPD members supported women’s rights
- falling birth rate - 128 births per 1k in 1911 — 80* in 1925 — 59 by 1933
- campaign of women’s associations for free contraception + abortion was a concern
5
Q
Women and work
A
- Weimar gov policy was that women should give up jobs for returning soldiers
- in the 1925 census it was found that the female working percentage decreased from 36% to 34% - pre-war level
- more *white-blouse** jobs for women - clerical + assistant
- women paid 33% less than male counterparts
- idea of a single working women more accepted than a working married woman
6
Q
Opposition to women in work
A
- professions required long-term training - marriage deterred that
- women could pursue further education and take exams to qualify - by 1933 there were 36 female lawyers
- in 1925 there were approx 2.5k female doctors - doubled by 1933
- faced hostility + discrimination
7
Q
Practical hurdles faced by married women
A
- school day structured to end at lunch - mothers had to find childcare or work from home
- in 1925 approx 250k women doing poorly paid work from home - doubled by 1935
- half of the 36% of women working in 1925 were in poorly paid manual jobs
- trade unions were male-dominated - opposed female workers
- married women - Doppelverdiender - double earner disliked by union
8
Q
New women
A
- young + educated + unmarried women were changing
- wanted independence - worked mostly in white-blouse jobs - faced wage + sexual discrimination
- abandoned traditional female behaviour
- revealing clothes + short hair + smoked + drank + male behaviour - like US flappers
- took advantage of contraception to enjoy sexual freedom
- mostly city based - criticised by politicians + media - glorified in film + advertising
- many eventually settled down and married
9
Q
Effect of depression on women
A
- increased hostility towards working women due to rising unemployment
- desperation in women who were the breadwinners - women suffered less than men as they were cheaper labour
- in 1932 only 44% of men were unemployed versus only 33% of women were unemployed
- women were willing to do part-time
- 30 May 1932 Chancellor Brüning passed a decree allowing for the dismissal of married women in gov services if their husbands were unemployed
- same happening in the private industry - last to be hired but first to be fired
10
Q
Nazi attitude to Women
A
- adopted the slogan Kinder, Küche, Kirche - children, kitchen, church
- THOUGH Nazis discouraged church membership - rival for influence
11
Q
Lebensborn Programme
A
- started in 1936 - run by a special branch of the SS - aimed to produce healthy Aryan kids
- selected men - usually SS - encouraged to mate with as many racially pure young women - many from the BDM youth group
- programme had hospitals + clinics + homes for the children born - adopted by fit German couples struggling to conceive
- ALSO took suitable children from foreign families and put them in homes
12
Q
Women as mothers + organisations
A
- women removed from the Reichstag - place of woman was home
- women’s Nazi organisation was the Nationalist Socialist Womanhood - NSF
- ## wonder movement called German Women’s Enterprise organised activities for non-Party members
13
Q
Eugenics
A
- belief that controlling reproduction can produce a healthier population - 1916 Society for Population Policy set up
- encouraged pure Germans to reproduce + couples given marriage loans to help marry ONLY IF they had a license proving they were fit + racially pure
- help with school fees for families if suitable - poor families granted upto RM 100 per child
14
Q
Nazi Policies regarding Women Timeline
A
- 31 Dec 1931 - SS Marriage Order - SS memebers can only marry Aryan women
- 1 June 1933 - Law to Reduce Unemployment - interest-free marriage loan to Aryan couples if woman gives up job + is fit to have kids
- 30 June 1933 - married women in civil service with earning husbands dismissed + wages lowered for others
- 1936 - women excluded from working in law APART FROM admin posts
- 1939 - Mother’s Cross introduced for mothers with 4 + 6 + 8 kids - given on Mother’s Day
15
Q
negative impact of Nazi policies on Women
A
- large number so women lost their jobs - surtout married women
- single women had lower-skilled jobs - domestic work + shop work + secretaries
- even highly-skilled doctors made to work in maternity + GP - teachers only taught primary level
- civil servants had to work in the female section of their office
