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The Impact of Nazi Policies on the Position and Role of Women in Germany, 1933-39

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The Impact of Nazi Policies on the Position and Role of Women in Germany, 1933-39

The Nazi regime aimed to utilize the family for its own needs. Women were obligated to marry and have children, instead of having their own personal decisions. The functions of the family were reduced to the single task of reproduction. They aimed to break the family, and to place it as a breeding and rearing institution completely in the service of the totalitarian state.

The main objective of Hitler and the Nazis was to increase population to help with 'Volksgemeinschaft'. Germany had a declining birth rate, so they wanted to promote higher birth rates among the Aryan race. This was another key element of the …show more content…

Those women who had been sterilised were not allowed to marry.

Another aspect of the Nazi ideology on women was that they wanted women to stay at the home. The effect that this had on the position and role of women was that it limited their opportunities and categorised them to a specific responsibility. However although this seemed to be a degrading policy towards woman, which it was, Hitler did aim to make a point that women were just as important as men, there was equality, the only difference being the roles which they played, which were equally important. This did mean that some women felt more valued and appreciated in their roles, especially as they could have stability and moderate prosperity. However the ideals set by Hitler did include encouragement of birth outside marriage, which conflicted with the role of women staying at home. The effects of the growth in female employment and the encouragement of divorce to 'undesirables' meant that the position and role of women diverged and was conflicted.

The role and position of a woman in Germany was to support her family as well, to nurture and care for their children. The Nazi theory and policy was clear; Kinder, Kirche und Kuche (Children, Church and Cooking)

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