The position of women and their status in the Weimar Republic
Politics
In 1919, women over 20 were allowed to vote which helped to increase interest in politics
The Weimar constitution introduced equality in education for both sexes, giving equal
opportunity in civil service appointments and equal pay professions.
At the end of this period German woman had some of the most advanced legal rights of any
country in Europe
By 1926 there were 32-woman deputies in the Reichstag which was a higher proportion than
the number in Britain and USA
Woman’s turnout for voting in 1919 was the same as men at 82% turnout.
Many women 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
Employment
Proportion of woman who took up work outside of the home remained much of the same
during the Weimar Republic
The most obvious change in the growing number of women in new areas of employment most
noticeably in public employment as an example for the civil service, teaching or social work, In
shops or assembly line
Those who worked in a civil service earned the same as men
By 1933 there were 100,000 women teachers and 3,000 doctors
However, this raised the issue of the type of woman suitable for such work.
The large numbers of woman who worked during the war were in so called ‘men’s work’ such as
heavy industry after the war the better jobs were taken back by the men.
Married woman who worked were often criticized for neglecting their home duties
Women had contributed massively during the war but when the war ended, they were expected
to go back to their low-skilled jobs
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
Leisure
Women enjoyed more freedom socially that had been before the Weimar republic.
They were able to go out unescorted, drank and smoked in public.
They also were fashion conscious often wearing relatively short skirts and had their hair short
and wore more makeup.
Women 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 this
Politics
In 1919, women over 20 were allowed to vote which helped to increase interest in politics
The Weimar constitution introduced equality in education for both sexes, giving equal
opportunity in civil service appointments and equal pay professions.
At the end of this period German woman had some of the most advanced legal rights of any
country in Europe
By 1926 there were 32-woman deputies in the Reichstag which was a higher proportion than
the number in Britain and USA
Woman’s turnout for voting in 1919 was the same as men at 82% turnout.
Many women 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
Employment
Proportion of woman who took up work outside of the home remained much of the same
during the Weimar Republic
The most obvious change in the growing number of women in new areas of employment most
noticeably in public employment as an example for the civil service, teaching or social work, In
shops or assembly line
Those who worked in a civil service earned the same as men
By 1933 there were 100,000 women teachers and 3,000 doctors
However, this raised the issue of the type of woman suitable for such work.
The large numbers of woman who worked during the war were in so called ‘men’s work’ such as
heavy industry after the war the better jobs were taken back by the men.
Married woman who worked were often criticized for neglecting their home duties
Women had contributed massively during the war but when the war ended, they were expected
to go back to their low-skilled jobs
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
Leisure
Women enjoyed more freedom socially that had been before the Weimar republic.
They were able to go out unescorted, drank and smoked in public.
They also were fashion conscious often wearing relatively short skirts and had their hair short
and wore more makeup.
Women 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 this
