Women in Nazi Germany

Women in Nazi Germany

Aims:

• Identify the role of women in Nazi Germany.

• Examine how women were encouraged to have large families

Nazi Policy

It was official Nazi policy to encourage more births and prevent racial mixing. Why?

a) The Nazis were scared that the German population was growing too slowly and other countries such as Poland and Russia were growing faster.

b) The German people were becoming racially impure due to intermarriage with ‘inferior groups’ like the Jews.

‘The female bird preens herself for her mate and hatches her eggs for him. Women have the same task.’

Joseph Goebbels

‘Equal rights for women means they are valued for the job nature has given them.’

Adolf Hitler

‘German women wish in the main

to be wives and mothers, They do not wish to be comrades. They have no longing for the office. A cosy home, a loved husband and a multitude of happy children are closer to their hearts.’

Nazi Party Leaflet

How Did the Nazis Encourage More Births?

• Women were forced out of jobs, encouraged to get married and have large families.

• Interest free loans were given to couples to encourage marriage.

• It was difficult to get access to birth control and there were strict laws against abortions.

• The most productive mothers were awarded special medals each year at a ceremony on the birthday of Hitler’s mother.

• Lebensborn homes were set up – unmarried women could stay there and get pregnant by a ‘racially pure’ SS soldier.

• The three Ks – Kinder, Kirche and Kuche or Children, Church and Cooking summed up a women’s role.

Opposition in Nazi Germany

Aims:

• Identify different groups who had the potential to oppose Hitler.

• Examine why it was difficult to oppose Nazi rule