Women in Nazi Germany

Nazi Views About Women and the Family

The Nazis had a policy of 'Gleichschaltung' (meaning bringing into line or creating control and conformity). They used social policies to make sure that all parts of society supported the Third Reich.

Nazi views on women

The ideal woman was Aryan, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She would look traditional, with no make-up, hair in plaits, flat shoes, and plain clothes.

Nazi views on women and the family

The Nazis believed women had a very clear role in German society.
Women were expected to look after the home and bear children for the Third Reich.
- Women were encouraged to be sturdy in their build because this was believed to help childbirth.
Attitudes to women were shaped by the three ‘K’s: Kinder (children), Küche (Kitchen), Kirche (Church).

Nazi views on marriage

The Nazis wanted all women to marry.
To do this, they passed the Law for the Encouragement of Marriage.
- This gave married couples a loan of 1,000 marks.
While the number of marriages did increase, we cannot automatically assume it was because of these marriage loans. Wider improvements to the economy could have also affected this.

Nazi Views About Women and the Family

Childbirth

The Nazis had a ‘pro-natalist’ policy.
- This meant they wanted women to have lots of children to increase the Aryan race.
For every child a family had, they were allowed to keep 250 marks of their marriage loan. If you had 4 children, you would not have to pay any money back.

The Motherhood Cross

The Motherhood Cross was another incentive to have children.
- A bronze medal was for 4 children.
- A silver medal was for 6 children.
- A gold medal was for 8 children.
The birth rate did increase from 15 babies per 1,000 in 1932 to 19 babies per 1,000 in 1938.
- But it is difficult to tell how much of this was down to the Nazis.

Women in the home

To keep women in the home, they were discouraged from working.
- From 1933, women were banned from having professional jobs.
- Propaganda (information designed to influence people) stressed that women were not to steal jobs from men.
But this policy was not as successful as the Nazis hoped.
- Women were cheap labourers and female employment rose by 2.4 million between 1933 and 1939.

Female education

The Nazis wanted to educate women on how to look after their family and home.
The German Women’s Enterprise (DFW) ran classes and radio shows to teach women how to run their home.
Schools began to teach girls domestic skills.
From 1937, girls in grammar schools were forbidden to prepare for university.

Volunteers programme

There was also a volunteer programme where Aryan women could have a baby with a member of the SS.
These children were believed to be the purest Aryans.

1The Weimar Republic 1918-1929

1.1World War One

1.1.1WW1

1.1.2The Weimar Republic

1.1.3Early Challenges to Weimar

1.1.4Reparations & the Ruhr

1.1.5Weimar Recovery

1.1.6Weimar Living Standards

1.1.7Weimar Culture

1.1.8End of Topic Test - WW1 & Weimar

1.1.9Grade 9 - The Weimar Republic

2Hitler's Rise to Power 1919-1933

2.1Early Development of the Nazi Party

2.1.1Hitler & the Beginnings of the Nazi Party

2.1.2End of Topic Test - Start of the Nazi Party

2.2The Munich Putsch & the Lean Years

2.2.1The Munich Putsch

2.2.2The Lean Years, 1923-1929

2.2.3End of Topic Test - Putsch & Lean Years

2.2.4Grade 9 - Hitler's Rise to Power

2.3The Growth of Support for the Nazis

2.3.1The Impact of the Great Depression

2.3.2End of Topic Test - Great Depression

2.4How Hitler Became Chancellor

2.4.1Article 48 & Political Turmoil

2.4.2von Papen & Hindenburg's Pact

2.4.3End of Topic Test - Chancellory

2.4.4Grade 9 - How Hitler Became Chancellor

3Nazi Control & Dictatorship 1933-1939

3.1Creating a Dictatorship, 1933-1934

3.1.1The Rise of Hitler

3.1.2End of Topic Test - Dictatorship

3.2The Police State

3.2.1The Police State

3.2.2Repression & Concentration Camps

3.2.3The Nazis & Religion

3.2.4End of Topic Test - Police State

3.2.5Grade 9 - Dictatorship and Police State

3.3Controlling & Influencing Attitudes

3.3.1Propaganda & Censorship

3.3.2Nazi Art & Culture

3.3.3Church Opposition & Social Conformity

3.3.4Youth Opposition & the July Plot

3.3.5End of Topic Test - Controlling Attitudes

3.3.6Grade 9 - Controlling Attitudes

4Life in Nazi Germany 1933-1939

4.1Life in Nazi Germany

4.1.1Women in Nazi Germany

4.1.2Youths in Nazi Germany

4.1.3Employment & Living Standards

4.1.4End of Topic Test - Life in Nazi Germany

4.2The Persecution of Minorities

4.2.1Nazi Racial Beliefs

4.2.2The Persecution of the Jews

4.2.3The Death Camps

4.2.4End of Topic Test - Persecution

4.2.5Grade 9 - Life in Nazi Germany

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