Women in Nazi Germany Handout

Women in Nazi Germany

Prior to Nazi Regime

-Weimar Constitution in 1919

• Gave women the right to vote as well as stated that “men and women have the same rights and obligations”
• 11.5 million women working in 1925 (35% of workforce)
• However, there were still traces of Imperial values such as the criminalization of abortion and limited birth control

-The “New Woman”

• Woman who rejected the conventions and remained independent
• This “Golden Age” subject was used in a lot of art
• Otto Dix’s Portrait of the Journalist Sylvia von Har den in 1926
• Historian Ute Frevert

Societal Role

-Anti-feminist

-Believed women had a specific role within society (have and raise children)

• Went with the “traditional” ideology of the party

-Ultimate goal was to get women to produce as many children for Lebensraum

• Used the slogan “Kinder, Küche, Kirche” (children, kitchen, church)

• Nazi 10 Commandments (set criteria for choosing a spouse)

In the Workplace

-Education

• Because of girl’s “natural roles” they received a different education than boys
• Topics of practical use such as handiwork and cooking were taught
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• -Attempts to reduce number of working women
• Many factors necessitated their help
• Rebuild after WWI and mass production techniques
• Hitler wanted women in the home
• 1933-6: Law for the Reduction of Unemployment
• Brides, or engaged people must quit job
• Depression
• Women should not be taking men’s jobs
• Goebbels speech in 1933

Policies/Organizations

-Women excluded from Nazi machinery of government

• Only able to find employment opportunities through women’s organizations
• NSF (National Socialist Womanhood)
• DFW (German Women’s Enterprise)
• 1933: German Women’s Bureau

-Population Policies

• Combat falling birthrate
• Financial incentives June 1933 (marriage loans)
• Included incentives for each child born
• Material relief for mothers
• Mother and Child auxiliary service of the National Socialist Public Welfare Organization
• Domestic Service Year
• Lebensborn
• Goal of increasing population and promoting racial purity
• Eliminate “inferior races”
• Law for the Prevention of Offspring with Hereditary Diseases (1933)
• Law for the protection of German Blood and Honour (1935)

World War II

-Starting in 1937, Nazi attitude towards women began to change

• Needed to increase the workforce
• Had to accept more dangerous work, longer work hours
• Number working in heavy industry doubled from 760,000 to 1.5 million from 1939 to 1943
• Over 17 million working by 1944
• On eve of war women made up 37% of workforce, 51% by the end
• This was too little, too late
• Did not fully exploit women as a resource
• 1943: Speer tried to argue for the conscription of women worker, but he faced opposition from many (including Hitler)
• Women also seemed to resist entering the workforce (many did not necessarily mind their domestic responsibilities and subsequent benefits)

Hitler Vs. Stalin

• Women began with more political and social freedom in Germany than the Soviet Union
• prevalence of “modern” style

• Both Hitler and Stalin introduced incentives designed to increase birth rate
• Lebensborn and Law for the Encouragement of Marriage
• Soviet tax breaks for large families and Tax on Childlessness
• Stalin placed more emphasis on the family, but both encouraged marriage
• Hitler made divorce due to infertility legal, and encouraged SS members to have children out of wedlock
• Stalin made Divorce more difficult (initially)

Analysis

-Successes

• Many women did not actually mind their domestic role
• Offered many benefits and welfare programs made life easier
• Protected from double burden that women faced under Stalin

-Failures

• Sexist/racist

• Highly contradictory

• Led to major lack of workforce during WWII