The Impact of Women in Nazi Germany
Throughout the first thirty-three years of the twentieth century, Germany saw a dramatic increase in female employment rates. However, after 1933, during the rise of Nazi power, new societal ideals were imposed that directly opposed these social trends. Out of fear of a decreasing population, women were often reduced to working within the home as caregivers. They were held responsible for having and raising more children and to encourage this, the Nazi party created the 3 German Ks, ‘children, kitchen and church’ (Layton 71). Other programs were promoted towards them to encourage the breeding of perfect, Aryan babies, to ultimately achieve Hitler’s ideal race (United States Holocaust Musem). However, not …show more content…
Each day, these women would go into the office, witnessing the proof mass-kiling and sometimes even covering it. Often young, because individuals raised in the Nazi regime were less likely to In 1942, there was a group of sixteen clerks stationed in Rivne, Ukraine, who witnessed first hand the murders of over 5 000 Jews in their town (Lower 87). These women realized the horror, but did not speak out against it, as they feared the consequences. These women had to work hard to overcome many obstacles to be in a high ranked working position; therefore they would not want to face the risk of losing it. Despite the large numbers of female office workers, majority were still confined to the house, so a secretary was considered to be of high status. One, Ilse Strwue, claimed that she did nothing because she felt that they did not try to fight against it. On a regular basis, she was exposed to evidence of the mass-killings on a regular basis, and grew accustomed to it. She, like many others, was forced to desensitize themselves toward the horrors, to ensure that their primary jobs were accomplished (Lower 87-92). Much like the nurses during these times, the secretaries took an oath swearing them to secrecy. After 66 years, Brunhilde Pomsel, the secretary to Hitler’s propaganda chief, Joseph Goebbels, spoke out about her service. Despite despising Goebbels, Pomsel still worked for him, facilitating his actions and keeping a record of all his actions throughout his practice. She claimed that being transferred to work for such an important man was an option she was not to refuse, as there would be consequences. Even as a highly respected secretary, she still claimed to be uninformed to the reality of the genocide, not realizing the magnitude of the killing (Nagorski). A similar
Throughout the first thirty-three years of the twentieth century, Germany saw a dramatic increase in female employment rates. However, after 1933, during the rise of Nazi power, new societal ideals were imposed that directly opposed these social trends. Out of fear of a decreasing population, women were often reduced to working within the home as caregivers. They were held responsible for having and raising more children and to encourage this, the Nazi party created the 3 German Ks, ‘children, kitchen and church’ (Layton 71). Other programs were promoted towards them to encourage the breeding of perfect, Aryan babies, to ultimately achieve Hitler’s ideal race (United States Holocaust Musem). However, not …show more content…
Each day, these women would go into the office, witnessing the proof mass-kiling and sometimes even covering it. Often young, because individuals raised in the Nazi regime were less likely to In 1942, there was a group of sixteen clerks stationed in Rivne, Ukraine, who witnessed first hand the murders of over 5 000 Jews in their town (Lower 87). These women realized the horror, but did not speak out against it, as they feared the consequences. These women had to work hard to overcome many obstacles to be in a high ranked working position; therefore they would not want to face the risk of losing it. Despite the large numbers of female office workers, majority were still confined to the house, so a secretary was considered to be of high status. One, Ilse Strwue, claimed that she did nothing because she felt that they did not try to fight against it. On a regular basis, she was exposed to evidence of the mass-killings on a regular basis, and grew accustomed to it. She, like many others, was forced to desensitize themselves toward the horrors, to ensure that their primary jobs were accomplished (Lower 87-92). Much like the nurses during these times, the secretaries took an oath swearing them to secrecy. After 66 years, Brunhilde Pomsel, the secretary to Hitler’s propaganda chief, Joseph Goebbels, spoke out about her service. Despite despising Goebbels, Pomsel still worked for him, facilitating his actions and keeping a record of all his actions throughout his practice. She claimed that being transferred to work for such an important man was an option she was not to refuse, as there would be consequences. Even as a highly respected secretary, she still claimed to be uninformed to the reality of the genocide, not realizing the magnitude of the killing (Nagorski). A similar