Women in Nazi Germany
Independent Study Unit:
Women in Nazi Germany
What the man gives in courage on the battlefield, the woman gives in eternal self sacrifice, in eternal pain and suffering. Every child that a woman brings into the world is a battle, a battle waged for the existence of her people. -Adolph Hitler (Bendersky, 1986, p. 165) This message to the women of Germany by the Führer himself salutes their maternal sacrifices and clarifies one of the many roles that were expected of the women during the Nazi regime. Hitler had a loyal female following, in fact it is because of a woman named Helen Bechstein wife of Bechstein the piano maker, that Hitler was first introduced into exclusive Berlin society (Sigmund, 2000, p. 8). His ability to manipulate anyone who crossed his path and use them to further himself was another one of his traits. This trademark tool was used mainly in molding the German conscience, convincing them of their new purpose and the ideals of the National Socialists (NS). As soon as the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP) gained momentum in the polls and the peoples' hearts, the need to thwart the overtly liberal and feminist philosophies of the Weimar era became a priority on the NSDAP agenda. Beginning with the anti-feminism movements, restricting employment and educational opportunities, banning women from politics and by monitoring them through youth and women's groups, Hitler controlled women, and ultimately the German culture. After the Great War, 1918-1932, Germany was a democracy recognized as the Weimar Republic, whose democratic ambitions supported the "modern woman", creating work and educational opportunities as well as ensuring universal female suffrage (Seligmann, 2003, p. 117). Once the NSDAP was elected in 1933 the sexual liberation, emancipation of women, cabarets, bustling city centres and the hedonistic lifestyle was over. Henceforth women needed to reflect the conservative views of the Nazi party. The supposedly
Women in Nazi Germany
What the man gives in courage on the battlefield, the woman gives in eternal self sacrifice, in eternal pain and suffering. Every child that a woman brings into the world is a battle, a battle waged for the existence of her people. -Adolph Hitler (Bendersky, 1986, p. 165) This message to the women of Germany by the Führer himself salutes their maternal sacrifices and clarifies one of the many roles that were expected of the women during the Nazi regime. Hitler had a loyal female following, in fact it is because of a woman named Helen Bechstein wife of Bechstein the piano maker, that Hitler was first introduced into exclusive Berlin society (Sigmund, 2000, p. 8). His ability to manipulate anyone who crossed his path and use them to further himself was another one of his traits. This trademark tool was used mainly in molding the German conscience, convincing them of their new purpose and the ideals of the National Socialists (NS). As soon as the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP) gained momentum in the polls and the peoples' hearts, the need to thwart the overtly liberal and feminist philosophies of the Weimar era became a priority on the NSDAP agenda. Beginning with the anti-feminism movements, restricting employment and educational opportunities, banning women from politics and by monitoring them through youth and women's groups, Hitler controlled women, and ultimately the German culture. After the Great War, 1918-1932, Germany was a democracy recognized as the Weimar Republic, whose democratic ambitions supported the "modern woman", creating work and educational opportunities as well as ensuring universal female suffrage (Seligmann, 2003, p. 117). Once the NSDAP was elected in 1933 the sexual liberation, emancipation of women, cabarets, bustling city centres and the hedonistic lifestyle was over. Henceforth women needed to reflect the conservative views of the Nazi party. The supposedly