Girls in German uniforms are topless. The image of the ideal woman of the III Reich
September 13, 2013, 11:30Racial theory in Nazi Germany included the cult of a biologically healthy female body, the cult of childbirth and the multiplication of the nation. Thus, the very meaning of communication between a man and a woman was deprived of all romance, giving way to physiological expediency. There is an opinion that the “Aryan” standard of beauty is boring, monotonous and joyless - a muscular blond with a fixed lower jaw and a “snow queen” devoid of any piquancy.
National socialist propaganda used interest in the chastely naked human body to demonstrate the Aryan ideal of beauty and to educate a physically developed person. Marriage itself was not considered an end in itself; it served highest task- increase and preservation of the German nation. The personal lives of two people had to be consciously placed in the service of the state.
Antique, with its ideal perfection of forms, was chosen as the standard of beauty. The sculptors of the Third Reich - Joseph Thorach and Arno Brecker - strategically embodied the image of a superman in their monuments. Superhumans were simply obliged to resemble ancient gods and goddesses.
Images from Olympia.
Sepp Hilz. Country Venus
E. Liebermann. By the water. 1941
In a perfect body fine arts National Socialism embodied the idea of "blood" (nation). “Blood” in the ideology of National Socialism was directly connected with “soil” (earth). In this case, we were talking about the symbiosis of people and land, as well as their material and mystical connection. In general, the idea of “blood and soil” was addressed to pagan symbols fertility, strength and harmony, expressing nature itself in human beauty.
National Socialist art attached great importance to the theme of family, women and motherhood. In the Third Reich, this value triad merged into a single whole, where a woman was exclusively the continuer of the family, the bearer of family virtues and the keeper of the home.
As Hitler said: “German women want to be wives and mothers, they do not want to be comrades, as the Reds call for. Women have no desire to work in factories, in bureaus, in parliament. Nice house, beloved husband and happy children are closer to her heart."
National Socialist fine art formed the image of a German woman exclusively as a mother and keeper of the family hearth, depicting her with children, in the circle of her family, busy with housework.
The National Socialists did not recognize any equality of women in public life - they were assigned only the traditional roles of mother and friend. "Their place is in the kitchen and bedroom." After coming to power, the Nazis began to view women's desire for professional, political or academic careers as unnatural. Already in the spring of 1933, the systematic liberation of the state apparatus from the women employed in it began. Not only female employees of institutions were fired, but also married female doctors, because the Nazis declared caring for the health of the nation such a responsible task that it could not be entrusted to a woman. In 1936, married women who worked as judges or lawyers were released from office, since their husbands could support them. The number of female teachers sharply decreased, and in women's schools, home economics and handicrafts became the main academic subjects. Already in 1934, there were only 1,500 female students left at German universities.
The regime pursued a more differentiated policy towards women employed in production and the service sector. The Nazis did not touch either the 4 million women who worked as “domestic helpers” or the large group of saleswomen whose working hours were not fully paid. On the contrary, these occupations were declared “typically feminine.” The work of girls was encouraged in every possible way. From January 1939, labor service became mandatory for all unmarried women under 25 years of age. They were mainly sent to the village or as servants to mothers with many children.
L. Shmutzler "Village girls returning from the fields"
Gender relations in the Hitlerite state were influenced by numerous public organizations. Some of them included women together with men, others were created specifically for women, girls and girls.
The most widespread and influential among them were the Union of German Girls (BDM), the Imperial Women's Youth Labor Service (Women's RAD) and the National Socialist Women's Organization (NSF). They covered a significant part of the female population of Germany: more than 3 million girls and young women were members of the BDM at the same time, 1 million young German women went through labor camps, the NSF had 6 million participants.
In accordance with the National Socialist ideology, the League of German Girls set as its task the education of strong and courageous women who would become comrades to the political soldiers of the Reich (raised in the Hitler Youth) and, having become wives and mothers, organizing their family life in accordance with the National Socialist worldview, they will raise a proud and seasoned generation. The exemplary German woman complements the German man. Their unity means the racial revival of the people. The Union of German Girls instilled racial consciousness: a real German girl should be the guardian of the purity of blood and the people and raise his sons as heroes. Since 1936 all girls German Reich were required to be members of the Union of German Girls. The only exceptions were girls Jewish origin and other "non-Aryans".
The standard uniform of the Union of German Girls is a dark blue skirt, white blouse and black tie with a leather clip. Girls were not allowed to wear high heels and silk stockings. Rings and wristwatches were allowed as jewelry.
The worldview, norms of behavior and lifestyle acquired in Nazi organizations influenced the way of thinking and actions of many representatives of the older generation of modern Germany for a long time.
When girls turned 17, they could also be accepted into the organization "Faith and Beauty" ("Glaube und Schöncheit"), where they remained upon reaching the age of 21. Here girls were taught housekeeping and prepared for motherhood and childcare. But the most memorable event with the participation of "Glaube und Schöncheit" was the sports round dances - girls in identical white short dresses, barefoot, entered the stadium and performed simple but well-coordinated dance movements. The women of the Reich were required to be not only strong, but also feminine.
The Nazis promoted the image of a “real German woman” and a “real German girl” who does not smoke, does not wear makeup, wears white blouses and long skirts, and wears her hair in braids or in a modest bun.
Also, the authorities, in accordance with the “Blood and Soil” principle, tried to introduce “tracht” into the quality of festive clothing - that is, a dress in the national style based on the Bavarian dress.
V. Wilrich. Daughter of a Bavarian peasant. 1938
So stylized" national clothes"worn by participants in the grandiose theatrical celebrations that the Nazis loved to organize in stadiums.
Sports and group games occupied a special place. If for boys the emphasis was on strength and endurance, then gymnastic exercises for girls were designed to develop grace, harmony and sense of body in them. Sports exercises were selected taking into account female anatomy and the future role of women.
The Union of German Girls organized camping trips, on which the girls went with full backpacks. At rest stops they lit fires, cooked food and sang songs. Night observations of the full moon with an overnight stay in a haystack were a success.
The image of the Hollywood “vamp,” which was popular in Weimar Germany, was particularly attacked by Nazi propaganda: “War paint is more appropriate for primitive black tribes, but in no case for a German woman or a German girl.” Instead, the image of “natural German female beauty” was promoted. However, it should be noted that these requirements did not apply to German actresses and movie stars.
Portrait of a woman from Tyrol
They perceived the image of the emancipated Berliner of the 20s as a threat to public morality, male dominance in society, and even the future of the Aryan race.
In many public places Even before the war, there were posters “German women do not smoke,” smoking was prohibited in all party premises and in air-raid shelters, and Hitler planned to ban smoking altogether after the victory. At the beginning of 1941, the Imperial Association of Hairdressing Establishments adopted a directive that limited the length of women's hairstyles to 10 cm. So hairstyles from longer hair were not done in hairdressing salons and could even be shortened too much long hair, unless they were tied up in a modest bun or braided.
Christmas cover of one of the women's magazines. December 1938
The German press strongly emphasized that the outstanding successes of the magnificent actress and director Leni Riefenstahl or the famous athlete-aviator Hannah Reich were directly related to their deep belief in the ideals of National Socialism. The former actress Emma Goering and the mother of six Magda Goebbels, whose elegant toilets clearly showed German women that a true National Socialist had no need to dress in the modest uniform of the League of German Girls, were also declared role models.
Hannah Reich
Leni Riefenstahl
Magda Goebbels
Emma Goering
German women generally calmly accepted the policies being pursued towards them. The improved well-being of the population also contributed to the loyalty of German women to the new regime. This was also facilitated by favorable demographic policy ruling party in support of the family. The Nazi regime was very interested in increasing the population. If a working woman got married and voluntarily left her job, she was given an interest-free loan of 600 marks. Since 1934, active promotion of the birth rate began: child and family benefits were introduced, medical care Large families receive preferential rates. Special schools were opened where pregnant women were prepared for future motherhood.
In any case, Germany became the only large European country in which the birth rate was constantly increasing. If in 1934 just over 1 million babies were born, then in 1939 there were already about 1.5 million children.
In 1938, the order “Mother's Cross” was established - in bronze, silver and gold. Inscription on back side The cross read: “The child ennobles the mother.” According to the plan of the Ministry of Propaganda, women were to occupy the same place of honor among the people as front-line soldiers. Three degrees of honorary title were established - 3rd degree for 4 children, 2nd for children (silver), first - for 8 children (gold).
Paradoxically, this anti-feminist regime contributed greatly to improving the real situation of women. It is therefore not surprising that the vast majority of women in Germany adored their Fuhrer. They were largely impressed by A. Rosenberg’s statement that “a woman’s duty is to support the lyrical aspect of life.”
A selection of German posters and covers from 1933 - 1943 I have already published a selection of posters "", which was dedicated to the boys and youth component of this organization. But within its composition, separately and on an autonomous basis, there also existed an organization that united all German girls and young women III Reich(Bund Deutscher Mädel or BDM). In order not to ignore the facts of the activities of the Union of German Girls, I decided to publish a selection of posters on this topic. True, the posters themselves dedicated to BDM, compared to those associated with the activities of the Hitler Youth as such, were printed in Nazi Germany much less (for the simple reason that for the III Reich, future soldiers were most important, and not future patriotic mothers and housewives ). But nevertheless, enough such materials have been collected to form a definite idea of the Union of German Girls as such. Representatives of the Union of German Girls of various ranks and ages in winter and summer uniforms (illustration from the book) - 1933 "I have a girlfriend" - cover of a book encouraging German girls to join the BDM (1934)
The topic of prostitution in Germany during World War II has always been taboo; only in the 90s did German publications begin to cover this layer of history. This is hard to believe, because as soon as they came to power, the National Socialists began by adding a paragraph to the Criminal Code, according to which disturbing a citizen with a depraved proposal could land him behind bars. In Hamburg alone, about one and a half thousand women accused of prostitution were detained in six months. They were caught on the streets, sent to camps and subjected to forced sterilization. Those women who sold their bodies, combining prostitution with government assignments, were somewhat more fortunate. We are talking here primarily about the notorious “Kitty Salon”, glorified in the film of the same name by Tinto Brass. (19 photos)
1. In the 19th century in Germany, the creation of brothels was encouraged to avoid numerous diseases. Men, accustomed to the availability of the female body, did not deny themselves their habits and did not consider it immoral to pick up a prostitute. The tradition continued under Nazism, therefore, in connection with numerous cases of rape, homosexuality and diseases of soldiers, on September 9, 1939, Minister of the Interior Wilhelm Frick issued a decree on the creation of brothels in the occupied territories.
To account for front-line brothels and prostitutes, the military department created a special ministry. The cheerful Frau were considered civil servants, had a decent salary, insurance, and enjoyed benefits. The fruits of the propaganda work of Goebbels’s department cannot be discounted: the German man in the street, who had a son or brother during the war, was sensitive to the Wehrmacht, and even among the prostitutes, along with professionals, there were, as they say, many who went to serve front-line soldiers from patriotic motives.
2. The highest quality service was expected in the hospitals of the Luftwaffe, Goering’s favorite brainchild, where it was envisaged that there would be one full-time Frau for every 20 pilots or 50 technicians from the ground support staff. According to the strictly followed rules of conduct, the prostitute met the pilot in clothes, with neat makeup; Immaculately clean underwear, like bedding, had to be changed for each “iron falcon”.
4. It is curious that soldiers of the satellite armies were denied access to German sex establishments. The Reich fed them, armed them, equipped them, but sharing their frau with the Italians, Hungarians, Slovaks, Spaniards, Bulgarians, etc. was considered too much. Only the Hungarians were able to organize for themselves a semblance of field brothels, the rest managed as best they could. The German soldier had a legal limit of visits to the brothel - five to six times a month. In addition, the commander could personally issue a coupon to the person who distinguished himself as an incentive or, on the contrary, punish him with deprivation for misconduct.
6. An hour was allotted for the visit, during which the client had to register a coupon, where the girl’s name, surname and registration number were entered (the soldier was instructed to keep the coupon for 2 months - for every fireman), receive hygiene products (a bar of soap, a towel and three condoms) , wash (according to the regulations, you had to wash twice), and only after that was allowed to the body.
Barter flourished in the units: womanizers exchanged coupons from those who loved food more than sex for marmalade, schnapps, and cigarettes. Some daredevils resorted to tricks and used other people's coupons to sneak into the sergeants' brothels, where the girls were better, and some even penetrated into the officers' brothels, risking ten days if caught.
8. Having capitulated on June 22, 1940, France provided its numerous brothels to the German occupiers. And in the second half of July, two orders arrived to suppress street prostitution and create brothels for the Wehrmacht.
The Nazis confiscated the brothels they liked, recruited management and staff, adhering to the criteria of Aryan racial purity. Officers were prohibited from visiting these establishments; special hotels were created for them. Thus, the Wehrmacht command wanted to stop sodomy and the spread venereal diseases in the army; increase the soldier's motivation and resilience; stop intimate relationships on the side, for fear of espionage and the birth of defectives; and saturate it with sex to stop the sex crimes that are shaking the ranks of the army.
9. Only foreigners worked in these brothels - mostly Polish and French. At the end of 1944, the number of civilians exceeded 7.5 million. Among them were also our compatriots. For pennies, raising the economy of warring Germany, living in closed settlements, they had the opportunity to shop with a coupon in a brothel, which was encouraged by the employer.
11. To visit the brothel, the prisoner had to make an application and buy the so-called Sprungkarte worth 2 Reichsmarks. For comparison, a pack of 20 cigarettes in the canteen cost 3 Reichsmarks. Jews were prohibited from visiting the brothel. Weak after a day of work, the prisoners did not willingly go to the brothels provided to them by Himmler. Some for moral reasons, others for material ones, a brothel voucher could be profitably exchanged for food.
German girls gave men a real treat in Altenberg, Saxony, Germany, by going topless on a sled. The annual competition was an unprecedented sellout - thousands of spectators came to watch the athletes in their underpants, including Getty Images photographer Joern Haufe. The event was sponsored by local radio station RSA-Radio.
(Total 15 photos)
1. Race participants rise to the starting point, Altenberg, Saxony, Germany. (Joern Haufe/Getty Images)
2. An athlete in a sheet - the audience is in anticipation. (Joern Haufe/Getty Images)
3. That’s right, the audience didn’t come in vain! (Joern Haufe/Getty Images)
4. German women without complexes. (Joern Haufe/Getty Images)
5. Dear Sophie. (Joern Haufe/Getty Images)
6. After the fall. (Joern Haufe/Getty Images)
7. Back on the sled. (Joern Haufe/Getty Images)
8. Men who kept company with German beauties. (Joern Haufe/Getty Images)
9. The most prominent blonde participant could not ride forward with her head, so she did it while sitting. (Joern Haufe/Getty Images)
10. Some athletes have professional extreme cameras on their helmets. (Joern Haufe/Getty Images)
11. Background. (Joern Haufe/Getty Images)
12. The finish line is not far. (Joern Haufe/Getty Images)
What do the Germans and British complain about when they are dissatisfied with their vacation! For all the curious “shortcomings” they sue travel agencies! DW chose the most incredible examples.
What do Western vacationers complain about?
What do Western vacationers complain about?
Neighbor sex
What do Western vacationers complain about?
What do Western vacationers complain about?
Compensation for hot sand
What do Western vacationers complain about?
Where is the polar ice?
What do Western vacationers complain about?
What do Western vacationers complain about?
Fish out of water?!
What do Western vacationers complain about?
Coffee too strong
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What do Western vacationers complain about?
Too many girls in bikinis
It seems incredible, but it is true: one German vacationer complained that there were too many girls in bikinis on the beach. Her husband constantly stared at them. Another German woman, who came from Spain, demanded that topless sunbathing on public beaches be banned. The reason is the same: her husband was always staring at the girls “without tops”...
What do Western vacationers complain about?
Abstinence is a personal matter
All inclusive! This option is very popular not only among tourists from Russia, but also among Germans. But one of them expressed his dissatisfaction: during two weeks of vacation in Turkey, he gained two and a half kilograms. “It’s better when some kind of boundaries are set for thoughtless food and alcohol...” the vacationer belatedly lamented. “Abstinence is a personal matter for everyone,” the court decided and rejected the claim.
What do Western vacationers complain about?
Neighbor sex
A British man, who went on holiday to Bulgaria with his girlfriend, complained to the travel agency that passionate screams and moans of neighbors making love could be heard from the next hotel room every night. Because of this, the British companion, as he put it, “made claims,” and the vacation was ruined.
What do Western vacationers complain about?
Consequences of a double bed
Claims of a completely opposite nature, so to speak, were made by an Englishwoman who became pregnant after a summer holiday. She blamed it... on the travel agency! Instead of two separate beds, as promised, the hotel room turned out to have one double bed. The court did not accept the case for consideration, citing well-known methods of protection.
What do Western vacationers complain about?
Compensation for hot sand
A resident of Germany demanded payment of compensation for flip-flops purchased for children on vacation. Because the sand on the beach, the mother of the family motivated her demand, was so hot that the children could not run on it barefoot. The most interesting thing is that the travel agency agreed with the request and paid for the purchase of shoes, emphasizing, however, that in this case we are talking about a gesture of goodwill.
What do Western vacationers complain about?
Where is the polar ice?
Some were too hot, while others lacked... polar ice. Instead of the ice floes cut by the bow of the ship promised in the catalogue, tourists saw only snow-capped mountains. The reason for this was the unusually warm weather for polar latitudes. Despite this, the organizer of the expensive cruise (from five thousand euros) had to return 10 percent of the cost to travelers.
What do Western vacationers complain about?
Who do the Germans and British not want to go on holiday with?
Both German and English holidaymakers have one interesting general feature: They are extremely selective. As neighbors at the hotel and the beach, they dislike Russians and each other most of all. And in third place are our fellow countrymen. Germans coming to Turkey complain that there are too many Germans there, and the British in the Balearic Islands complain that there is British dominance there.
What do Western vacationers complain about?
Fish out of water?!
Elderly married couple from a Scottish province demanded that a travel agency return 10 percent of the amount paid for a vacation on the ocean because... fish were swimming in it! The couple were afraid to go into the water and only swam in the pool. Of course, they were denied compensation. But for other vacationers, for sea cucumbers on the bottom (see photo) five percent of total cost The tickets were returned anyway.
What do Western vacationers complain about?
Coffee too strong
British travel agencies have to listen to more than 20 thousand complaints every year. Most of the complaints relate to hotels and food. And if complaints about hotels are often fair (there is a construction site nearby, a disco is blaring all night, etc.), then complaints about food are most often funny: there are too many spices in an Indian dish, there are no “real” English biscuits on the menu, the coffee is too strong in Turkey...
Context
The color of the linen and the duration of the sunset: what does a German vacationer complain about?
German courts often have to consider complaints against travel agencies: vacationers demand compensation for a ruined vacation. What do the Germans complain about? (07/25/2014)