Beiträge zu Feminismus, Antisemitismus und Nationalsozialismus im 19./20. Jahrhundert: Vol. 9.
National Socialist groups of the German Women's League Abroad existed in many European and non-European countries, such as Guatemala, Chile, Brazil, Italy, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, Japan, the British Mandate of Palestine and many more. Founded in August 1933, the new overseas organization was a counterpart to the NS Women's League in Germany with the declared goal to unite all Nazi women abroad who were ready to knit, bake and mother for the German ethnic community. In 1941, the new league consisted of more than 300 local group leaders and nearly 3,000 assistants and had organized more than 35,000 meetings and gatherings. Researchers and readers who are interested in the worldwide propagation of German National Socialism can easily find various articles about the body's activity abroad. However, what is still lacking is an introductory, general summary of the organization. To fill this academic void, the book offers an overview of the founding and development of the association as well as details of its program and conceptualization. The second part of the study seeks to clearly and colorfully depict the establishment, activities and events of the German Women's League Abroad in the British Mandate of Palestine, based on documents and photos from archives in Germany and Israel.
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction: Landscape of Women's Associations in Germany until 1933
I. The NS Women's League Abroad
1. Foundation and Management
2. Tasks and Activities
3. Membership Regulation
4. Leadership Training Courses
5. Conclusion Part I: Vision and Mission of NS Women Abroad
II. The German Women's League Abroad in Palestine
1. Germans in Palestine
2. Establishment of local NS Women's Groups in Palestine
3. Further Development
4. Program, Activities and Projects
5. For the Good of the Racial Community
6. Conclusion Part II: Even thousands of kilometers away from the Reich
Epilogue
Objectives and Core Themes
This work examines the structure, activities, and ideological alignment of the German Women's League Abroad (GWLA) and its specific operations within the British Mandate of Palestine. It aims to fill an academic void by analyzing how Nazi ideology was propagated among German women living overseas and how they were mobilized to serve the "racial community" despite being far from the German Reich.
- The historical development and organizational structure of the GWLA under the NSDAP's Overseas Organization.
- The propagation of the Nazi image of women as "mothers," "educators," and "upholders of German culture."
- The implementation and role of the GWLA in the German community in Palestine, particularly among Temple Society members.
- The intersection of gender-specific tasks with racial policies, including the Aryan paragraph and the recruitment of student nurses.
- The relationship between nationalist fervor, antisemitism, and the daily lives of Germans abroad during the Nazi era.
Excerpt from the Book
Student nurse recruitment
"Copy of the letter from Berlin: I would kindly request that when recruiting student nurses you make sure from the outset that the young girls have reached the prescribed height of 150 cm, are at least 18 years of age and no older than thirty-two. Proof of Aryan descent, copies of school-leaving certificates and other documentation must be sent in with your authentication. […] The health certificates have to be filled in by a doctor. […] I also request that you bring it to the young girls' attention that if they join the NS Nurses' League, they will only be employed as community nurses or in a hospital in the Reich. However, following completion of their training and one year's practical experience, those who join the Reich's Alliance of Free Nurses and Ward Attendants are eligible to work not only as community nurses, in hospitals, clinics and in private care in the Reich, but also overseas as colony nurses, private nurses or in hospitals."
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Landscape of Women's Associations in Germany until 1933: This chapter contextualizes the rise of the GWLA by tracing the development of the German women's movement and its fragmentation and radicalization in the Weimar Republic.
I. The NS Women's League Abroad: This section details the founding, management, and ideological framework of the GWLA, emphasizing its subordination to the NSDAP's Overseas Organization and its role in coordinating women's work for the "Volksgemeinschaft".
II. The German Women's League Abroad in Palestine: This part focuses on the specific implementation of the GWLA in the British Mandate of Palestine, analyzing the role of the Temple Society and the activities organized to integrate local German women into the Nazi system.
Keywords
National Socialism, German Women's League Abroad, GWLA, NS-Frauenschaft, Palestine, Temple Society, NSDAP, Overseas Organization, Volksgemeinschaft, Aryan, Mutterkreuz, Frauenhilfsdienst, Gleichschaltung, History, Women's Movement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The book focuses on the activities and ideological impact of the German Women's League Abroad (GWLA), an organization that aimed to organize German women living outside the Reich according to National Socialist principles.
What were the main objectives of the GWLA?
The organization aimed to unify German women abroad, train them in Nazi ideology, and mobilize them to support the German state, culture, and racial community, specifically through social and charitable work.
Which scientific method is utilized in this study?
The research relies on historical analysis, using primary source material such as contemporary newsletters (e.g., Nachrichtendienst der NS-Frauenschaft), yearbooks, archival documents from the Israel State Archives, Yad Vashem, and records from the Temple Society.
How were women in Palestine involved in these activities?
Many German women in Palestine, particularly from the Temple Society, joined the GWLA. They organized meetings, participated in charity drives like the Winter Relief, and were pressured to conform to Nazi gender and racial ideals.
What is the significance of the "Aryan paragraph" in this context?
The "Aryan paragraph" served as a crucial membership criterion for the GWLA. It ensured that only women who could prove their "Aryan" descent could participate, thereby embedding the Nazi regime's racist and antisemitic ideology into the organization's statutes.
Who was Wera Behr and what was her role?
Wera Behr was the director of the GWLA and held the rank of Gau-Frauenschaftsleiterin. She served as the vital link between the women's organizations in Germany and the local branches abroad.
Why was the establishment of the GWLA in Palestine considered a late development compared to other regions?
It is likely that the GWLA was established relatively late in Palestine because German women there were already highly organized within existing Christian church groups and social clubs of the Temple Society, which initially required some transition work.
How did the war affect the GWLA members?
With the onset of World War II, GWLA members increased their charitable activities, such as knitting for soldiers and collecting gifts for the War Winter Relief Organization, while also assisting in the care of the wounded.
What does the "Epilogue" reveal about the settlers' attitudes?
The epilogue highlights that despite the eventual realization of "blindness" among some members after the war, the majority of Palestine-Germans during the 1930s ignored Nazi persecution of Jews and remained proud supporters of the Third Reich.
- Quote paper
- Dr. Heidemarie Wawrzyn (Author), 2015, Knitting, Baking and Mothering for the Fatherland, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/294913
