10.2 THE CHANGING ROLE OF WOMEN

• What was the birth rate in Germany in 1900?

  Over 2 million live births
• What was the birth rate in Germany in 1933?

  Under 1 million live births
• How many live births were recorded in 1939?

  1.4 million live births
• Who was allowed to have abortions under Nazi rule?

  Jewish people
• What was the purpose of the propaganda campaign launched by the Nazis regarding women?

  • Promote motherhood
  • Encourage large families
• What law was introduced in 1933 to encourage marriage?

  The Law for the Encouragement of Marriage
• What did the Law for the Encouragement of Marriage provide to young couples?

  Loans to help them marry
• What condition was placed on couples receiving marriage loans?

  The wife had to leave her job
• How much of the loan could couples keep for each child born?

  One quarter of the loan
• On what date were medals awarded to women with large families?

  12 August
• What was the purpose of family allowances introduced by the Nazis?

  Support low-income families
• What change was made to divorce law in 1938?

  Divorce possible if unable to have children
• How did the change in divorce law affect the divorce rate by 1939?

  It contributed to an increase
• What was the Lebensborn program?

  Women could donate babies to the Führer
• What was the role of the German Women's Enterprise?

  Organised classes on household topics
• How many people were sterilised under the Sterilisation Law?

  320,000
• What percentage of university enrolment was limited for women?

  10 percent
• What was the focus of the Marriage Health Law of 1935?

  Assessing racial purity of women
• What did the Sterilisation Law aim to prevent?

  Genetically diseased offspring
• What was the message of the cartoon in Source G?

  Celebrating women with many children
• What were the key Nazi organisations for women and girls?

  • Jungmädelbund (Young Girls League)
  • Bund Deutscher Mädel (League of German Maidens)
  • Glaube und Schönheit (Faith and Beauty Society)
  • Women's Front (Frauenfront)
  • Reich Mothers' Service
• What appearance standards were women encouraged to follow?

  Healthy, hair in a bun or plaits
• What were women discouraged from doing regarding their appearance?

  Wearing trousers, high heels, and make-up
• What was the duty of a German woman according to Source I?

  To bear children for the Führer
• What were the 'three Ks' promoted by the Nazis?

  Children, kitchen, church
• Why did the Nazis want women to leave their jobs?

  To provide jobs for men
• What happened to women doctors and teachers after 1936?

  They were forced to leave their jobs
• What change occurred in 1937 regarding women's employment?

  Nazis needed more women to work
• What was introduced for women entering employment after 1937?

  A compulsory 'duty year'
• How did the number of working women change from 1933 to 1939?

  Increased from 11.6 million to 14.6 million
• When was the first concentration camp for women opened?

  October 1933
• What types of women were sent to the Moringen concentration camp?

  Communists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Jews
• What was opened in 1939 to take Moringen prisoners?

  Ravensbrück camp
• How many prisoners were at Ravensbrück by the end of 1939?

  More than two thousand
• What groups were included among the prisoners at Ravensbrück?

  Sinti Roma and Sinni
• What can be learned from Source I about the role of women in Nazi Germany?

  • Women were expected to bear children
  • They were discouraged from using make-up
  • Health and fitness were emphasized
• Why might Source I have been censored by the Nazis?

  • To control the narrative about women
  • To suppress dissenting opinions
  • To maintain the image of the Führer
• How useful are Sources G and I for an enquiry into the life for women in Nazi Germany?

  • Source G celebrates motherhood
  • Source I emphasizes women's duties
  • Both reflect Nazi ideology on women