Analyse the Role and Status of Women in Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, refers to Germany from 1933 to 1945 when it was governed by Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NASDAP) or Nazi party. During the time when Germany was governed under the Weimar Republic, women had become more modern. They were given the vote and enjoyed more employment opportunities (especially in professional jobs). But When the Nazis took control over Germany The Nazis felt that ‘modern woman’ was a degenerate threat to racial purity and the idea of Volksgemeinschaft (peoples community).Wanted women to return to their traditional role e.g not wearing trousers, makeup etc.
Already we can see that Nazi Germany was a very patriarchal world. The roles and duties of a woman were confined to their own private sphere (household). Hitler once said that “the world of women is a smaller world. For her world is her husband, her family, her children, and her house”. The greater world was known as the man’s world but it was built on the foundation of the smaller world. That is why there was so much emphasis on the three Ks (Kinder, Kirche, Kuche) ‘Children’ for motherhood, ‘Church’ for morality and ‘Kitchen’ for wife and domestic provider. It was thought that a house without a solid foundation was a weak house.
The role of women was celebrated in Nazi Germany, women were encouraged to have as many children as possible. And for this they were rewarded with Financial incentives, grants, tax-free loans and tax relief, better seats in Nazi meetings and Medals (Mothers who had more than eight children were given a gold medal).
Women were basically seen as breeding machines, Goebbels said: "The mission of women is to be beautiful and to bring children into the world.” . Unmarried women could even volunteer to have a baby for an Aryan member of the SS. From this it is quite difficult not to see women as being the lesser counterparts to men. Since they were expected to give up their jobs and young girls were taught
Already we can see that Nazi Germany was a very patriarchal world. The roles and duties of a woman were confined to their own private sphere (household). Hitler once said that “the world of women is a smaller world. For her world is her husband, her family, her children, and her house”. The greater world was known as the man’s world but it was built on the foundation of the smaller world. That is why there was so much emphasis on the three Ks (Kinder, Kirche, Kuche) ‘Children’ for motherhood, ‘Church’ for morality and ‘Kitchen’ for wife and domestic provider. It was thought that a house without a solid foundation was a weak house.
The role of women was celebrated in Nazi Germany, women were encouraged to have as many children as possible. And for this they were rewarded with Financial incentives, grants, tax-free loans and tax relief, better seats in Nazi meetings and Medals (Mothers who had more than eight children were given a gold medal).
Women were basically seen as breeding machines, Goebbels said: "The mission of women is to be beautiful and to bring children into the world.” . Unmarried women could even volunteer to have a baby for an Aryan member of the SS. From this it is quite difficult not to see women as being the lesser counterparts to men. Since they were expected to give up their jobs and young girls were taught