WomeninNaziGermany

Primarysources

SOURCEB

GermanWomenbyJosephGoebbels.DeutschesFrauentum,SignalederneuenZeit.25
ausgewhlteRedenvonDr.JosephGoebbels(Munich:ZentralverlagderNSDAP.,1934),pp.
118126.
(Retrievedfrom:

http://research.calvin.edu/germanpropagandaarchive/goeb55.htm)

Context:
Despitetheirnotexactlyprogressiveviewofwomen,Germanwomeningeneral
supportedtheNazis.Goebbelsgavethisspeechon18March1933,justsixweeksafterHitler
tookpower.TheoccasionwastheopeningofawomensexhibitioninBerlin.Goebbelslaysout
ratherclearlywhatNationalSocialismintendstodotochangetheroleofwomeninsociety.

Germanwomen,Germanmen!
ItisahappyaccidentthatmyfirstspeechsincetakingchargeoftheMinistryofPublic
EnlightenmentandPropagandaistoGermanwomen.AlthoughIagreewithTreitschkethat
menmakehistory,Idonotforgetthatwomenraiseboystomanhood.Youknowthatthe
NationalSocialistmovementistheonlypartythatkeepswomenoutofdailypolitics.This
arousesbittercriticismandhostility,allofitveryunjustified.Wehavekeptwomenoutofthe
parliamentarydemocraticintriguesofthepastfourteenyearsinGermanynotbecausewedo
notrespectthem,butbecausewerespectthemtoomuch.Wedonotseethewomanas
inferior,butratherashavingadifferentmission,adifferentvalue,thanthatoftheman.
ThereforewebelievedthattheGermanwoman,whomorethananyotherintheworldisa
womaninthebestsenseoftheword,shoulduseherstrengthandabilitiesinotherareasthan
theman.
Thewomanhasalwaysbeennotonlythemanssexualcompanion,butalsohisfellowworker.
Longago,shedidheavylaborwiththemaninthefield.Shemovedwithhimintothecities,
enteringtheofficesandfactories,doinghershareoftheworkforwhichshewasbestsuited.
Shedidthiswithallherabilities,herloyalty,herselflessdevotion,herreadinesstosacrifice.
Thewomaninpubliclifetodayisnodifferentthanthewomenofthepast.Noonewho
understandsthemodernagewouldhavethecrazyideaofdrivingwomenfrompubliclife,from
work,profession,andbreadwinning.Butitmustalsobesaidthatthosethingsthatbelongtothe
manmustremainhis.Thatincludespoliticsandthemilitary.Thatisnottodisparagewomen,
onlyarecognitionofhowshecanbestusehertalentsandabilities.
LookingbackoverthepastyearsofGermanysdecline,wecometothefrightening,nearly
terrifying,conclusionthatthelessGermanmenwerewillingtoactasmeninpubliclife,the
morewomensuccumbedtothetemptationtofilltheroleoftheman.Thefeminizationofmen
alwaysleadstothemasculinizationofwomen.Anageinwhichallgreatideaofvirtue,of

steadfastness,ofhardness,anddeterminationhavebeenforgottenshouldnotbesurprisedthat
themangraduallyloseshisleadingroleinlifeandpoliticsandgovernmenttothewoman.
Itmaybeunpopulartosaythistoanaudienceofwomen,butitmustbesaid,becauseitistrue
andbecauseitwillhelpmakeclearourattitudetowardwomen.
Themodernage,withallitsvastrevolutionarytransformationsingovernment,politics,
economics,andsocialrelationshasnotleftwomenandtheirroleinpubliclifeuntouched.
Thingswethoughtimpossibleseveralyearsordecadesagoarenoweverydayreality.Some
good,noble,andcommendablethingshavehappened.Butalsothingsthatarecontemptible
andhumiliating.Theserevolutionarytransformationshavelargelytakenfromwomentheir
propertasks.Theireyesweresetindirectionsthatwerenotappropriateforthem.Theresult
wasadistortedpublicviewofGermanwomanhoodthathadnothingtodowithformerideals.
Afundamentalchangeisnecessary.Attheriskofsoundingreactionaryandoutdated,letme
saythisclearly:Thefirst,best,andmostsuitableplaceforthewomenisinthefamily,andher
mostgloriousdutyistogivechildrentoherpeopleandnation,childrenwhocancontinuethe
lineofgenerationsandwhoguaranteetheimmortalityofthenation.Thewomanistheteacher
oftheyouth,andthereforethebuilderofthefoundationofthefuture.Ifthefamilyisthenations
sourceofstrength,thewomanisitscoreandcenter.Thebestplaceforthewomantoserveher
peopleisinhermarriage,inthefamily,inmotherhood.Thisisherhighestmission.Thatdoes
notmeanthatthosewomenwhoareemployedorwhohavenochildrenhavenoroleinthe
motherhoodoftheGermanpeople.Theyusetheirstrength,theirabilities,theirsenseof
responsibilityforthenation,inotherways.Weareconvinced,however,thatthefirsttaskofa
sociallyreformednationmustbetoagaingivethewomanthepossibilitytofulfillherrealtask,
hermissioninthefamilyandasamother.
Thenationalrevolutionarygovernmentiseverythingbutreactionary.Itdoesnotwanttostopthe
paceofourrapidlymovingage.Ithasnointentionoflaggingbehindthetimes.Itwantstobethe
flagbearerandpathfinderofthefuture.Weknowthedemandsofthemodernage.Butthat
doesnotstopusfromseeingthateveryagehasitsrootsinmotherhood,thatthereisnothingof
greaterimportancethanthelivingmotherofafamilywhogivesthestatechildren.
Germanwomenhavebeentransformedinrecentyears.Theyarebeginningtoseethattheyare
nothappierasaresultofbeinggivenmorerightsbutfewerduties.Theynowrealizethatthe
righttobeelectedtopublicofficeattheexpenseoftherighttolife,motherhood,andherdaily
breadisnotagoodtrade.
Acharacteristicofthemoderneraisarapidlydecliningbirthrateinourbigcities.In1900,two
millionbabieswereborninGermany.Nowthenumberhasfallentoonemillion.Thisdrastic
declineismostevidentinthenationscapital.Inthelastfourteenyears,Berlinsbirthratehas
becomethelowestofanyEuropeancity.By1955,withoutemigration,itwillhaveonlyabout
threemillioninhabitants.Thegovernmentisdeterminedtohaltthisdeclineofthefamilyandthe
resultingimpoverishmentofourblood.Theremustbeafundamentalchange.Theliberal
attitudetowardthefamilyandthechildisresponsibleforGermanysrapiddecline.Wetoday
mustbeginworryingaboutanagingpopulation.In1900thereweresevenchildrenforeach
elderlyperson,todayitisonlyfour.Ifcurrenttrendscontinue,by1988theratiowillbe1:1.
Thesestatisticssayitall.TheyarethebestproofthatifGermanycontinuesalongitscurrent

path,itwillendinanabysswithbreathtakingspeed.Wecanalmostdeterminethedecade
whenGermanycollapsesbecauseofdepopulation.
Wearenotwillingtostandasideandwatchthecollapseofournationallifeandthedestruction
ofthebloodwehaveinherited.Thenationalrevolutionarygovernmenthasthedutytorebuiltthe
nationonitsoriginalfoundations,totransformthelifeandworkofthewomansothatitonce
againbestservesthenationalgood.Itintendstoeliminatethesocialinequalitiessothatonce
againthelifeofourpeopleandthefutureofourpeopleandtheimmortalityofourbloodis
assured.
Iwelcomethisexhibition,whosegoalistoexplainandteach,andtoreduceoreliminateharmto
theindividualandthewholepeople.Thisservesthenationandpopularenlightenment,andto
supportitisoneofthehappiestdutiesofthenewgovernment.
PerhapsthisexhibitiontitledTheWomanwillrepresentaturningpoint.Ifthegoalofthe
exhibitionistogiveanimpressionofwomenincontemporarysociety,itdoessoatatimewhen
Germansocietyisundergoingthegreatestchangesingenerations.Iamawareofhowdifficult
thisis.Iknowtheobstaclesthathadtobeovercometogivethisexhibitionaclearthemeanda
firmstructure.Itshouldshowthesignificanceofthewomanforthefamily,thepeople,andthe
wholenation.Displayswillgiveanimpressionoftheactuallifeofwomentoday,andwillprovide
theknowledgenecessarytoresolvetodaysconflictingopinions,whichwerenotprimarilythe
resultofthecontemporarywomensmovement.
Butthatisnotall.ThemainpurposeoftheexhibitionTheWomanisnotonlytoshowtheway
thingsare,buttomakeproposalsforimprovement.Itaimstoshownewwaysandnew
opportunities.ClearandoftendrasticexampleswillgivethousandsofGermanwomenreasonto
thinkandconsider.Itisparticularlypleasingtousmeninthenewgovernmentthatfamilieswith
manychildrenaregivenparticularattention,sincewewanttorescuethenationfromdecline.
Theimportanceofthefamilycannotbeoverestimated,especiallyinfamilieswithoutfathersthat
dependentirelyuponthemother.Inthesefamiliesthewomanhassoleresponsibilityforthe
children,andshemustrealizetheresponsibilityshehastoherpeopleandnation.
WedonotbelievethattheGermanpeopleisdestinedbyfatetodecline.Wehaveblind
confidencethatGermanystillhasagreatmissionintheworld.Wehavefaiththatwearenotat
theendofourhistory,butratherthatanew,greatandhonorableperiodofourhistoryisnow
beginning.Thisfaithgiveusthestrengthtoworkandnotdespair.Itenabledustomakegreat
sacrificesoverthepastfourteenyears.ItgavemillionsofGermanwomenthestrengthtohope
inGermanyanditsfuture,andtolettheirsonsjoininthereawakeningofthenation.Thisfaith
waswiththebravewomenwholosttheirhusbandsandbreadwinnersinthewar,withthose
whogavetheirsonsinthebattletorenewtheirpeople.Thisfaithkeptusstandingduringthe
needanddesperationofthepastfourteenyears.Andthisfaithtodayfillsuswithnewhopethat
Germanywillagainfinditsplaceinthesun.
Nothingmakesoneharderandmoredeterminedthanstruggle.Nothinggivesmorecourage
thantofaceresistance.DuringtheyearswhenGermanyseemeddestinedtodecline,anew
kindofwomanhooddevelopedundertheconfusedveneerofmoderncivilization.Itishard,
determined,courageous,willingtosacrifice.Duringthefouryearsofthegreatwarandthe
fourteenyearsofGermancollapsethatfollowed,Germanwomenandmothersproved
themselvesworthycompanionsoftheirmen.Theyhaveborneallthebitterness,alltheprivation

anddanger,anddidnotfailwhenhitbymisfortune,worryandtrouble.Aslongasanationhas
suchaproudandnoblewomanhood,itcannotperish.Thesewomenarethefoundationofour
race,ofitsbloodandofitsfuture.
ThisisthebeginningofanewGermanwomanhood.Ifthenationonceagainhasmotherswho
proudlyandfreelychoosemotherhood,itcannotperish.Ifthewomanishealthy,thepeoplewill
behealthy.Woetothenationthatneglectsitswomenandmothers.Itcondemnsitself.
WehopethattheconceptoftheGermanwomanwillagainearnthehonorandrespectofthe
entireworld.TheGermanwomanwillthentakeherprideinherlandandherpeople,inthinking
GermanandfeelingGerman.Thehonorofhernationandherracewillbemostimportantto
her.Onlyanationthatdoesnotforgetitshonorwillbeabletoguaranteeitsdailybread.
TheGermanwomanshouldneverforgetthat.
Ideclarethisexhibitionopen.Mayitrevealalltheformererrorsandshowthewaytothefuture.
Thentheworldwillonceagainrespectus,andwewillbeabletoaffirmthewordsofWalther
vonderVogelweide,whohadthistosayabouttheGermanwomaninhisfamouspoem:
Hewhoseeks
Virtueandproperlove,
Shouldcometoourland.
Thereismuchjoy.
LongmayIlivethere.