How far did German society change between 1870 and 1929?
With the apparent shifts of power within classes, growing equality of women and reformation of the
education system, the society of 1929 could be seen as a utopia as compared to the earlier years. However
the extent to which the foundation of society is challenged due to the consistent domination of the Junker
class, idea of ‘Doppelverdiener’ and growing resistance to educational reforms. Whilst society had
somewhat changed from how it previously was, this change was relatively artificial as the foundations of
society remained intact.
The elite class had experienced a somewhat turbulent period of time as the changes in economy during
the Weimar Republic had significantly weakened them. The Republic introduced compulsory wage
arbitration and higher employer contributions for social insurance. This increased costs of production for
landowners and meant that they had less money to put back into their businesses and make their desired
profit. Wages also began to rise disproportionately to productivity so as well as having an increase in
costs, landowners were also not receiving a large enough amount of product to sell which crippled them
even further. The ‘Mittelstand’ (middle class) grew significantly larger with them comprising of ⅓ of the
population in the 1920s and now beginning to appear in fields that were once Junker dominated. These
include medicine, law and the lower ranks of the civil service. This shows that social mobility was
somewhat improving as the middle class was being given more opportunities than previously when the
presence of the elites was more pronounced. As the working class grew, the popularity of the SPD also
grew which was reflected in the 1914 election in which they became the largest party. The increasing
organisation and growth of socialism within the working class proved a threat to the elite classes
particularly in the 1870s as it led Bismarck to pursue a policy of persecution, attempting to pass an Anti-
Socialist Bill in 1878. The shift in dynamic within the classes shows that German society had
considerably changed as the elites were beginning to decline, the middle class to grow and the working
class to become mobilised.
The largest symbol for the changing role of the German woman can be symbolised by the ‘Weimar new
woman’ that was prominent in the media of the 1920s. It symbolised the growing sexual independence
that women in Germany were beginning to gain as there was an increased access to contraception and the
developing culture of leisure and nightlife in Germany (Berlin was renowned for its cabaret
performances) allowed them more freedom. Under the Weimar Republic, women were granted the right
to vote in 1919 under Article 109 of the Weimar Constitution and therefore gained a degree of
emancipation and equality as compared to women in Britain who would have to wait much longer to gain
the vote. There was a movement towards women becoming somewhat financially independent as they
began to enter areas of employment in the public service, e.g teaching and social work. The amount of
women in the workforce in 1907 was 31.2% which although is a minority, would have been a great deal
higher than in Bismarck’s era. The growth of the rights for women in Germany affirms the idea that
society changed greatly from 1870 to 1929.
Changes within the education were first shown during the late 19th century in which the amount of
middle class children began to increase as industry became more profitable and their parents could afford
for them to be schooled. This portrayed a noteable change because prior to this education would have
With the apparent shifts of power within classes, growing equality of women and reformation of the
education system, the society of 1929 could be seen as a utopia as compared to the earlier years. However
the extent to which the foundation of society is challenged due to the consistent domination of the Junker
class, idea of ‘Doppelverdiener’ and growing resistance to educational reforms. Whilst society had
somewhat changed from how it previously was, this change was relatively artificial as the foundations of
society remained intact.
The elite class had experienced a somewhat turbulent period of time as the changes in economy during
the Weimar Republic had significantly weakened them. The Republic introduced compulsory wage
arbitration and higher employer contributions for social insurance. This increased costs of production for
landowners and meant that they had less money to put back into their businesses and make their desired
profit. Wages also began to rise disproportionately to productivity so as well as having an increase in
costs, landowners were also not receiving a large enough amount of product to sell which crippled them
even further. The ‘Mittelstand’ (middle class) grew significantly larger with them comprising of ⅓ of the
population in the 1920s and now beginning to appear in fields that were once Junker dominated. These
include medicine, law and the lower ranks of the civil service. This shows that social mobility was
somewhat improving as the middle class was being given more opportunities than previously when the
presence of the elites was more pronounced. As the working class grew, the popularity of the SPD also
grew which was reflected in the 1914 election in which they became the largest party. The increasing
organisation and growth of socialism within the working class proved a threat to the elite classes
particularly in the 1870s as it led Bismarck to pursue a policy of persecution, attempting to pass an Anti-
Socialist Bill in 1878. The shift in dynamic within the classes shows that German society had
considerably changed as the elites were beginning to decline, the middle class to grow and the working
class to become mobilised.
The largest symbol for the changing role of the German woman can be symbolised by the ‘Weimar new
woman’ that was prominent in the media of the 1920s. It symbolised the growing sexual independence
that women in Germany were beginning to gain as there was an increased access to contraception and the
developing culture of leisure and nightlife in Germany (Berlin was renowned for its cabaret
performances) allowed them more freedom. Under the Weimar Republic, women were granted the right
to vote in 1919 under Article 109 of the Weimar Constitution and therefore gained a degree of
emancipation and equality as compared to women in Britain who would have to wait much longer to gain
the vote. There was a movement towards women becoming somewhat financially independent as they
began to enter areas of employment in the public service, e.g teaching and social work. The amount of
women in the workforce in 1907 was 31.2% which although is a minority, would have been a great deal
higher than in Bismarck’s era. The growth of the rights for women in Germany affirms the idea that
society changed greatly from 1870 to 1929.
Changes within the education were first shown during the late 19th century in which the amount of
middle class children began to increase as industry became more profitable and their parents could afford
for them to be schooled. This portrayed a noteable change because prior to this education would have
