NAZI Ideology: Social and Family Issues


Figure 1.--The main NAZI wlfare organization Nationalsozialistische Volkswohlfahrt/ (People's Welfare Organization, NSV). Until the NAZIs seized power, religious groups played a major in welfare and family issues. The NAZIs proceeded, however, to take away the find raising capability of the churches making the NSV the primary welfare organization of the Third Reich. Here is a demonstation with BDM girls and DJ boys emphassizing the family and children's issues the NSV was promoting. Many of the boys are muscians, chosen to draw attention to the demonstration. Their posters read as best we can make out: "Mutter and Kind sind das Unterpfand für die Unsterblichkeil des Volkes. 1. Schutz der werdenden Mutter. 2. Schutz dem Säugling. 3. Geistige körperliche und sittliche Ertüchtigung der heranwachsenden Jugend. 4. Bekämpfung der Erb Krankheiten 5. Kampf der Gefahr 6. Rentner-Fürsorge 7. Alters-Fürsorge 8. Erholungs Fürsorge. Das alles will die NS Volks-Wohlfahrt" German speakers are encouraged to correct our transcription. Some of thewords are difficult to make out. Click on image to see the rest of the group and an explanation of the meaning.

The NAZI Party had a great deal to say about the German fanily, including women, children, and the elderly who were at the tome mostly catred for by German families. The overiding concern with the family was population policy. Hitler to fight his wars needed soldiers, yet the birth rate had declined in Germany. How to increase the birth rate was a central policy objctive. How to asccomplish this was a not at all clear. The basic NAZI approach was to improve well being by supporting family stability. Also they wanted to redefine the role of German women by making their primary life goals that of wife, homemaker and mother. And in the NAZI state in was necessary to ensure that the children German mothers had were healthy Aryan children. Theys race policy became part of family policy. Not only were unions with non-Aryans prohibited, but eugenics became important to deal with handicapped children which the NAZIs tend to label as hereditary diseases. Thus the NAZI Party got involved in marriage, divorce, contraception, abortion and welfare measures. Here the Nationalsozialistische Volkswohlfahrt/ (People's Welfare Organization, NSV) played a major role in developing social/family policy and supporting families befor and during the War. Model families were publicized to illutrate the NAZI ideal kinderreich (child rich meaning large families). Undesirable families were also identified and ostracized from the national Volks community. In particular. Asocial and Jewish families were to be excluded meaning the socially and racially unfit. [Pine] The NAZIs also addressed child labor and elderly issues. Children were a major focus of NAZI policy. Strong families were needed to create children, but at the same time the NAZIs sought to weaken family control of their children. Hitler did not trust the school system he inherited until he couls refashion it to do this. The German school system was one of the finest in the world and in 1933 included many anti-NAZIs and luke-warm NAZIs. This task was awarded to the Hiler Youth to exert the NAZI state's control over youth and dilute the influence of the family. Here the NAZIs proved spectacularly sucessful. Young people were fervent NAZIs supporters that brought Hitler to power. And young people in the regimes death throws were many of the decling number of Germans who were still fervent supporters.

Sources

Pine, Lisa. Nazi Family Policy, 1933-45 (Bollmsbury: 1999), 256p.







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Created: 10:45 PM 11/24/2016
Last updated: 10:45 PM 11/24/2016