Social

• Social Redress in West Germany:

  • relief to 4.5 million
  • equalisation of Burdens
  • law of 1952 -> property levy on capital and real estate that had not been affected by the war to give something to those effected
  • DM 43 billion was gradually redistributed in the next three decades
  • Law 131 -> Nazis re-employed to stop crashes in key services
  • atone with the Jews
  • German - Israeli compensation
• Integration of the Trade Unions:

  • 16 workers unions - one per industry, mostly affiliated to one umbrella organisation German Federation of Trade Unions => co-ordinated in the individual companies so they worked together rather than in conflict
  • Co-determination law of 1951 => workers were given their own representation on managerial boards
  • Constitution Law of 1952 => work councils with 500 workers
  • very successful => very few strikes compared with Britain and France
  • but trade unions became partners to employers
• Insurance:

  • unemployment benefit: based 1927 legislation until 1969
  • accident insurance
  • sickness insurance: much improved law of 1957, which is increased sick pay
  • pensions: one of the most important achievement, 60% of the final years earnings
  • public assistance: for desperate cases
  • family welfare: families were particularly supported by a whole range of measures, child benefit
• The welfare state:

  • house buildings increased
  • 6 million new flats from 1949-1961
• education:

  • reshape the German education system
  • western powers couldn't agree on common educational policy
  • usa pushed us-style comprehensive school system, Britain were more pragmatic
  • universities were still 'ivory towers'
• problems with education:

  • lack of school buildings
  • shortage of appropriate teaching materials
  • large classes
  • new teachers not properly qualified
  • nor clear consensus on how to proceed with educational developments
  • school chaos
• limitations of education:

  • economic prosperity disguising nature of Germany's educational weaknesses
  • conservative perspective of the FRG
  • anti-communist suspicion of West German
  • lander couldn't overcome differences
• Women in the GDR:

  • large contribution during the war
  • the CDU was pre-occupied with the idea of a full family
  • exclusion
  • Article 3 of the 1949 Basic Law meant that women had equal rights
  • Law of Equality of Sexes 1957 =>women could work without the permission of their husband
  • only 4 women on the council that drew up basic law
  • Adenauer didn't provide solutions in helping women go to work
• Patriarchal view towards women were spread:

  • couldn't have equal pay for equal work
  • average wage was 40% lower than the average male wage
  • only 30% were in higher education
  • women's liberation movements began in the 1960s/1970s
  • abortion laws weren't changed till the 70s
• Consumers' Society? early part

  • income grew slowly, as people gained money they saved money due to the war
  • 20% of households still lived on subsistence level
  • over half the population didn't live in a house bigger than one bedroom
  • 11% owned a fridge
  • over 1/3 had never been on holiday
• Consumers' Society? Later part

  • rise in living standards
  • 45 hour working weeks instead of 49 hours
  • 63% owned a fridge
  • 42% owned a TV
  • 38% owned a car
  • 36% owned a washing machine
  • increase in privately owned houses
  • social envy wasn't a major issue, smug consumer society
• Home sweet home:

  At the beginning, west Germans were happy to live in stability due to the 'lost years' of chaos. Most of western Germany was fed up with the nazi ideology and militarism. They were happy with this new found freedom. Growth of the "without me" mentality. This mentality went against the remilitarisation of the West.
• Coca-Cola Society:

  Class divisions were gradually declined. New US culture were spread through cinema and music. Strong influence on young people as seen with rock and roll, coca cola and chewing gum. Older generations didn't like this change.

  1956-58 => Teddy Boy riots by teenagers against the old system
• Modern industrial society?

  Was turning into an industrial society during the 1950s. Population grew from 47.5 million in 1951 to 58.6 million in 1965. Social mobility grew. Agriculture sector shrunk. 12.1 million cars in 1965. The rich still stayed rich. Ideological gaps shrunk