Changes in the standard of living



Key question 6: How did the lives of people change under the Weimar Republic 1924 - 1929? Was it a “Golden Age”?Changes in the standard of livingThere is doubt from some historians as to whether the ‘Golden Age’ actually existed. However, there were improvements that helped ordinary working Germans during this time:Hourly wages rose in real terms (ie above inflation) every year from 1924 to 1930, with a rise of 10 per cent in 1928 alone.Pensions and sickness benefits schemes were pulsory unemployment insurance was introduced in 1927, which covered 17 million ernment subsidies were provided for the building of local parks, schools and sports facilities, and there was a massive programme of council house construction.Despite all of this, a large increase in the working age population during the mid-20s led to increasing unemployment, and farmers in particular suffered from declining incomes.Changes in the position of womenWorkGerman women contributed massively to the war effort during World War One. However, after the war the government ordered women to return to their pre-war roles, either in low-skilled jobs or in the home, to allow returning soldiers to take up work:Women experienced pressure to return to their ‘traditional’ role as wives and mothers. However, attitudes towards women and work changed according to how well the economy did.During times of economic crisis, such as the hyperinflation of 1923 and during the Great Depression, women returning home were seen as a solution to the problem of unemployment. However, during the recovery of the mid-1920s women were welcomed into the workforce. The number of women in work was 1.7 million higher in 1925 than it had been in 1907. Women were increasingly taking on white collar jobs, though these were mainly done by single women under 25.Overall, the percentage of women in work only rose by less than 1 per cent between 1907 and 1925.PoliticsGerman women achieved the vote on an equal basis with men when the new German constitution was announced in August 1919, along with the right to be elected to the Reichstag and all other governmental bodies. There is evidence that women’s roles in politics grew during the Weimar Republic, but there were also limitations to the progress they made:ProgressWomen participated in democracyWomen’s voting turnout in the elections for the National Assembly in January 1919 was the same as men’s at 82 per cent.Politicians recognised womenPolitical parties quickly realised the need to appeal to the women’s vote and much propaganda was directed towards them.Women became politiciansWomen were elected to local and regional assemblies all over Germany, and typically made up around eight per cent of the representatives in the Prussian Landtag, the most powerful regional parliament.Stayed the sameNot all women participatedDuring the rest of the Weimar period women’s voting turnout was typically 5-10 per cent lower than that of men.Politicians stereotyped womenPropaganda usually appealed to women as wives and mothers, rather than asking for their vote on the basis of improving their own lives.Women didn't become very influentialBy 1933 women made up just 4.6 per cent of the representatives in parliament.No women held cabinet posts during the Weimar Republic’s 14 year existence and no women sat in the upper house of parliament, the Reichsrat.Women and men tended to vote for similar parties, although women were more likely to vote for religious parties, which tended to be more conservative. Historians disagree on how decisive women’s votes were in bringing the Nazis to power in 1933, but the party’s propaganda targeted women heavily.LeisureThe classic image of German women in the 1920s is that of the so-called ‘New Woman’, similar to the ‘Flapper’ in 1920s USA: short haired, liberated, having fun. However, not all women’s lives changed as drastically and the leisure activities women took part in showed elements of both continuity and change.Stayed the sameChangedMost women continued to enjoy reading as their main leisure activity, with romantic fiction being their preferred genreThere was a huge increase in the number of newspapers and magazines following the abolition of censorship, and many of these new publications were aimed specifically at womenBoth working and middle class women enjoyed attending tea dances, where they could meet young menIn urban areas young middle class women began to go out to dance alone, with the American dance known as the Charleston becoming particularly popular in BerlinWomen enjoyed needlework in the homeWomen were estimated to have made up around 75 per cent of cinema audiences during the 1920s. Films were cheap to watch, but only 2 per cent of small towns had a cinema so it was mainly urban women who benefitted from thisGymnastics was a popular sport amongst women. In 1914 88,000 German women were members of gymnastics associations and by 1930 this number had risen to 200,946Women began to take part in a greater range of sports, in particular athletics. In 1928 Hilde Krahwinkel won an Olympic gold medal in the 800m and in 1931 Cilly Aussem became the first German woman to win WimbledonCultural changes: developments in architecture, art and the cinemaDespite the trauma of its early years, during its so-called 'Golden Age' Weimar experienced a flourishing of culture, in Berlin especially, that saw developments in architecture, art and the cinema. This expression of culture was greatly helped by the ending of censorship in the new republic.Architecture and artThe most influential visual arts movement in Weimar was the Bauhaus School, founded by Walter Gropius in the town of Weimar in 1919.Walter Gropius, 1883-1969:Regarded as a pioneer in modern architecture and founder of the Bauhaus movement.Bauhaus theory was that all architecture and design was an opportunity to introduce beauty and quality to all, through well-designed and industrially produced items.He became famous for iconic door handles, and several public buildings across Weimar.Bauhaus’ impact on German architecture was limited. This was because the movement only focused on architecture after 1927 and it was then suppressed by the Nazis in 1933. After this most of its followers fled abroad, where they developed their work further. However, Gropius did design several apartment blocks that are still in use today.In fine art, there were two main movements that influenced German art:Dada. The Dada movement started in Zurich during World War One. It was a protest against the traditional conventions of art and western culture, in which the war had begun. Its output included photography, sculpture, poetry, painting and collage. Artists included Marcel Duchamp and Hans Arp.New Objectivity. The New Objectivity movement started in Germany in the aftermath of World War One. It challenged its predecessor, Expressionism, which was a more idealistic and romantic movement. Artists returned to a more realistic way of painting, reflecting the harsh reality of war. Artists included Otto Dix and George Grosz.Experimentation in German art came to an end when the Nazis came to power in 1933. Hitler rejected modern art as morally corrupt and many of the best German artists such as Max Beckmann, Max Ernst and Paul Klee fled abroad.CinemaThe German film and cinema industry boomed during the 1920s.An ‘expressionist’ style became common in films. They often had unrealistic sets and exaggerated acting techniques.Economic instability meant less money for the arts. The shortage of funding gave rise to the Kammerspielfilm movement, with atmospheric films made on small sets with low budgets.Expressionist film-makers favoured darker storylines and themes, including horror and crime.The most prominent film directors of the time were Fritz Lang and F.W. Murnau.The most famous films of the period were The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari (1920), Nosferatu (1922 – based on the Dracula story), Phantom (1922), The Last Laugh (1924) and Metropolis (1927).Explain the meaning of the following key words and terms.Key termMeaningUse it in a sentenceCultureBenefitsReichstagArchitectureLiteratureGolden AgeTask 2. What evidence is there that workers did well 1924 - 1929?………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Task 3. Which groups of workers did not do so well? Why not?………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Task 4. What else did the Government do to try and help ordinary Germans?………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Task 5. Which groups objected to these changes?………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Task 6. Explain the ways in which the lives of women changed 1924 - 1933.………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………7. What did not change for women during this time?………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………8. Explain how Art, Architecture, Cinema, Literature and the Theatre changed under the Weimar Republic after 1924.………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………9. “The period 1924 - 1929 was a Golden Age for the Weimar Republic”. Put forward an argument that a historian with this view would make to support his idea.………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………b) Put forward an argument another historian might make opposing this view.………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………c) What do you think? What is your opinion about the statement based on the work you have done? Explain your reasons clearly.……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ................
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