Download Germany 1918-1939 Impact of Nazism on Family Life

Germany 1918-1939:
Impact of Nazism on family
life
Birth rates
The Nazi regime directed much of its attention towards the family and its declining birth rate.
Hitler saw a high birth rate as a prerequisite for a victory on the battlefront. The fear the Nazis
had can be shown by this comparison. In 1900 the annual average of births per thousand was 3.3;
by the 1930s it was 14.7.
The Nazi catch cry was "Restoring the family to its rightful place". Ironically in this the Nazis
"proved to be better protectors of family life by imposing harsh curbs on equality for women,
abortion, homesexuality and (conspicuous) prostitution" (Grunberger). The baby boom reflected
"a biological vote of confidence in the regime", according to Grunberger. In 1934 the birth rate
climbed to 18 per 1000 and by 1939 it had reached 20.4.
There were financial incentives to have a large family, marriage loans, child subsidies and family
allowances. The term family was officially reserved for parents with four children and over.
Role of the mother
A motherhood cult was put in place. On the 12 August (the birthday of Hitler's mother) fertile
mothers were awarded the Honour Cross of the German Mother (bronze for more than four
children, silver for more than six, gold for more than eight). Prolific mothers were honoured the
same as front line troops. A wartime slogan says it all, "I have donated a child to the Führer "
The Schwarzes Korps (the SS newspaper) advocated nappy services, equality in marriage in
domestic duties and backed this up with propaganda photographs of non-typical German
husbands pushing prams and carrying shopping bags. This was largely in the fantasy world at
this time, but more down to earth help came from "duty-year for girls" and wartime conscription
of "maids" from occupied Europe.
The advertisement and display of contraceptives was banned and all birth control clinics were
closed down. Abortions were termed "acts of sabotage against Germany's racial future"
(Grunberger).
The family unit
The young were more conformist and fanatical than their elders as a result of Nazi policy.
Parents became fearful of innocent family talk being raised in public ( see The Informer). Mother
and son relationships were particularly affected after a stint in the Hitler Youth
Political widowhood occurred for those women whose men were actively involved in the Nazi
Party. Their husbands were often away from home almost every night. On the other hand a
woman was granted a divorce because her husband said that her membership of the National
Socialist Association of Women was like belonging to a ladies' coffee circle.
Additional pressures on families came from the following:




the removal of young people for long periods for military and labour service, Hitler Youth camps
and the girls' duty year
the widespread industrial employment of women (female labour force increased by nearly 50%
between 1937 and 1939)
the increasing incidence of overtime and shift work
the creation of work places from which employees could only come home at weekends.
Juvenile crime increased from 16000 in 1933 to over 21000 in 1940.
Degradation of family life is illustrated by the following terms that were used:



Rekrutenmachen (producing recruits) for sexual intercourse
Gebärmaschinen (childbearing machines) for procreative women
Bevuölkerungspolitische Blindgänger (ethnic duds) for barren women.
Children could be taken away from their parents if they did not provide a "politically reliable"
home. Both marriage and divorce increased dramatically during the Third Reich . Divorce was
made easier to allow dissolution of mixed marriages (i.e. between Aryans and non-Aryans) and
those between couples who held different views of the Nazis.
The single parent
Unmarried mothers received a new level of support from the Nazis. This was in line with their
desire to increase the pure Aryan race. Himmler started a program called Lebensborn (Spring of
Life). It provided assistance in the last weeks of pregnancy to unwed mothers who had children
by Schutzstaffel men, and helped with legitimisations and acted as an adoption agency to
interested party members. Himmler said, "We only recommended genuinely valuable, racially
pure men as Zeugungshelfer (procreation helpers)".
Himmler also issued a notorious procreation order to the entire Schutzstaffel during the war
"...Only he who leaves a child behind can die with equanimity".
Before coming to power the Nazis had gained wide support from German women by promising
every German woman a husband. By the war they were virtually promising every girl a baby. In
1944 a report to the Ministry of Justice quoted leaders of the German Girls' League saying that
"not every girl could expect to get a husband in the future, and that the girls should at least fulfil
their task as German women and donate a child to the Führer".
Effects of the Nazi policy
Two results of the drive to increase births by the Nazis were that by 1945 23% of all young
Germans were infected with venereal disease and that the peacetime incidence of prostitution
had quadrupled. These facts are a sad commentary on the erosion of family life in the Third
Reich.
In 1932 there were 42000 divorces.
In 1939 there were 61000 divorces.
Questions to consider
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Why were the Nazis so concerned about families?
What incentives were used to encourage large families?
How were mothers particularly encouraged to produce large families?
Why did divorce rates increase in the years of the Third Reich?
What were two of the more tragic results on family life over the twelve years Hitler was in
power?
6. Write a paragraph of about eight lines describing the effects of the totalitarian policies of the
Third Reich on family life.