Nazi policies towards women

• What traditional roles did the Nazis believe women should take on?

  Housewife and mother
• What was the purpose of the 'natural' style of clothing and hair promoted by the Nazis for women?

  To reinforce traditional gender roles
• Who was appointed Reich Women's Leader in 1934?

  Gertrude Scholz-Klink
• What was the German Women's Enterprise (DFW)?

  A Nazi organization that united existing women's organizations
• How many members did the German Women's Enterprise (DFW) eventually have?

  6 million
• What was the main goal of the Nazis' measures to encourage women to marry and have children?

  To address Germany's falling birth rate
• What did the Law for the Encouragement of Marriage (1933) provide?

  Loans of up to 1,000 marks for couples to marry
• How much of the loan could couples keep for each child they had under the Law for the Encouragement of Marriage?

  250 marks
• What change was made in 1938 regarding divorce for men whose wives did not want to have children?

  It was made easier for men to get a divorce
• What was the Mother's Cross medal awarded for?

  The number of children a woman had
• What were the different levels of the Mother's Cross medal?

  Bronze for 4 children, silver for 6, gold for 8
• What was the Lebensborn programme started by Himmler in 1935?

  A program to encourage women to have children
• What initial support did the Lebensborn programme provide to mothers?

  Financial aid
• What later aspect of the Lebensborn programme was introduced?

  Encouraging single women to breed with SS men
• What propaganda message did the Nazis emphasize regarding women's roles?

  Kinder, Küche, Kirche ('children, kitchen, church')
• What professional posts were women banned from in 1933?

  Teachers and doctors
• How many women had given up work by 1934 due to Nazi policies?

  360,000
• What roles were women prohibited from taking on in the legal system from 1936?

  Judges, lawyers, and jury service
• What subjects were schoolgirls taught to prepare them for motherhood?

  Housework such as ironing
• What happened to schools preparing girls for university in 1937?

  They were banned
• How many female students started at university in 1932 compared to 1939?

  17,000 in 1932 and 6,000 in 1939
• What was the overall success of Nazi policies towards women?

  They had mixed success, with some women feeling demeaned
• What change occurred in the late 1930s regarding women in the workforce?

  The Nazis reversed some policies as industry grew
• How many women were in work in 1939 compared to 1937?

  7 million in 1939 compared to 5 million in 1937