Explain two effects of Nazi rule on women in Germany.

Question 1

1 st

Answer 1

1) Women were expected to be mothers.

• The Mother’s Cross was awarded to women based on the number of children they had to encourage them to have more. Bronze=4/5, silver=6/7, and gold 8+.
• The Lebensborn program was another policy to encourage childbirth.
• Started in 1935 by Heinrich Himmler, it attempted to encourage the creation of ‘ideologically pure’ children for adoption.
• In one home alone, 540 mothers gave birth from 1938-41.

Question 2

2nd

Answer 2

2) Women were not allowed to be their own individual.

• Women were encouraged to leave work and concentrate on the 3Ks - kinder, kuche, kirche (children, kitchen and church)
• Nazis disagreed with the use of excessive makeup and instructed women of the Reich to dress plainly, and have a natural look.
• Women should be discouraged from joining the labour force. ‘A women in work was taking the place of a man.’