standard of living in nazi Germany

• German labour front

  • DAF replaced trade unions
  • workers had to be members
  • it ran several schemes
• strength through joy

  • this aimed to increase productivity by making workers happy
  • it provided low cost or free activities for hard workers
• beauty of labour

  • SDA
  • this aimed to improve conditions by reducing noise in workplaces, providing canteens and even building swimming pools
  • however, workers had to help construct these in their spare time
  • so it wasn't very popular
• the Volkswagen

  • one of the kdfs schemeswas to promote car ownership
  • hitler asked Porsche to design a family car and the VW beetle was the result
  • workers paid 5 marks a week towards buying a car
  • by 1939, no one had paid in enough so the money went towards rearmament
• jobs with most men in work
• average wages rose by 20% compared to 1933
• KDF provided leisure activities and holidays and SDA improved working conditions
• car ownership increased three fold
• invisible unemployment meant many were still unemployed
• the cost of food rose by an equivalent amount so this cancelled out the wage rise
• with the banning of trade unions, workers had few rights and worked longer hours: 43 hours a week in 1933 up to 49 hours in 1939
• only high earners could afford cars. low earners had to spend more on essentials