WomeninNaziGermany

Primarysources

SOURCEA

ToBeGermanIstoBeStrong,
byGertrudScholtzKlinkDeutschseinheitstarksein.
RedederReichsfrauenfhrerinGertrudScholtzKlinkzumJahresbeginn,
N.S.FrauenWarte
4
(1936),501502.(Retrieved
from:
http://research.calvin.edu/germanpropagandaarchive/scholtzklink2.htm
)

Context:
GertrudScholtzKlinkwastheleaderoftheNaziwomensorganization.Inthese
excerptsofaspeech,sheaddressesGermanwomenatthebeginningofanewyear.

GermanwomenofallclassesandorganizationsstandbeforetheFhreratthebeginningofthe
newyearandthankhimforpreservingthelifeofourpeople,andforhelpingittofinditself
again.Wehavedoneourbesttodoourpartinhelpingourpeopletofinditselfagain,andin
makingthatrealtoallourwomenandgirls.Whatwedidnotaccomplishinpastyearswillbe
doneinthefuture.Thiswebelievemorethaneverbefore,sincedespiteallthedifficultieswe
facedinthepastyear,itwasayearthatuniquelytestedourstrength,whichthereforegrew.
Themenandwomenofthispeople,intheirhundredsandthousandsoutthereinlocalgroups
andcounties,knowthatthesestrengthsthatweresodesperatelyneededcouldgrowwithin
thembecausetheFhrerbelievedinthegoodnessandstrengthwithinthem.Therefore,ashis
followersitisourgreatesttasktoawakenandstrengthenthisfaithinthoseweareresponsible
for,andtotransformitintoaction.
Thisinnercommandisequallybindingformanandwoman,forthebluecollarandwhitecollar
workersofourpeople.
TheNationalSocialistmovementseesthemanandthewomanasequalbearersofGermanys
future.Itasks,however,formorethaninthepast:thateachshouldfirstcompletelyaccomplish
thetasksthatareappropriatetohisorhernature.
Thewoman,besidescaringforherownchildren,shouldfirstcareforthosewhoneedherhelp
asmothersofthenation.
Thisprimarilyinvolvesthinkingaboutfamilylawandsupportingfamilies,youthlegislation,and
protectingtheyouth.Italsorequiresthinkingabouttheoccupationalpathsthatfemaleyouthwill
followinthecomingyears,sincesomemenandwomenarestillunemployed,andsome
changesinwomensworkwillthereforebeneeded.Givenourrelationswitheachother,we
affirmthesetemporarymeasuresbecausewehavefirmfaiththatwehavethestrengthto
overcomethemanypresentdifficultiesthatourpeoplefaces.Ourloveforourpeople,however,
willneverallowthesetemporarydifficultiestocauseconflictsonlyforthesakeofconflict,orthat
theybeinterpretedbysensationhungryindividualsasafailureoftheNationalSocialist
worldview.
Wearealwaysbeingaskedifweseeeverythingthathastobedoneintheareaofwomens
work.Wecanonlysaythateachhastherightandtheopportunitytoworkwithusandtofollow

thepathleadingtotheresurrectionofourpeople.However,wemustsenseloveandconcern,
wemustseethathecomestousbecauseofaloveforhispeople.Emptyintellectualthinkingor
asuperioritycomplexhaveneversavedapeople.
Thisloveshouldteachusallinthenewyeartolistenevenbettertolifearoundus,andtodoour
dutiesintheplacewestandinawaythatwillmakeclearitsdeepestmeaning:tobecometrue
toourcallingasGermans!
Women,Iwishtotrybrieflytomakeclearwhatthedeepestcallingwewomenhaveis:
motherhood.Inthebadfourteenyearsbetween1918and1933,motherhoodwasoftenrobbed
ofitsdeepestmeaningandreducedtosomethingsuperficial,somethingthatwasevenheldin
contempt.Insteadofachildbeingseenasthedeepestaffirmationofthewomanandoflife,it
wasseenasaburden,asasacrificeonthepartofthewoman.Achildwasoftenseennotasa
greatlinktoGodasthecreatorofalllife,beforewhomwemustbowwithfoldedhandsand
tremblinghearts,butratherveryoftenastheresultofaweakmindandasanescapefromthe
greateventsoflife.
Manywomenweresuperficiallymothers,buttheyhadforgottentosubordinatethemselvesto
thelawoflife,whichseestheaffirmationofachildastheanswerofthewomantoherpeople,
andalsohercontributiontotherightofherpeopletosurvive.
Transformingthecallingofmotherhoodtothejobofmotherhoodleftchildrenjoyless,unhappy,
withoutstrengthorsoul.DevilishforcesundertheleadershipofMarxismattemptedtolead
Germanwomenalongthispath.
Itisthereforeourtasktoawakenonceagainthesenseofthedivine,tomakethecallingto
motherhoodthewaythroughwhichtheGermanwomanwillseehercallingtobemotherofthe
nation.Shewillthennotliveherlifeselfishly,butratherinservicetoherpeople.
WeknowandbelievethatallGermanwomenwillacceptthiscallingovertimeifweclearthe
rubbleleftbyamistakenage.Moreandmorefaithfulhelperswilljoinourranks,working
cheerfullyandstronglyaswehavedoneinthepast.Notonlythosewomenwithchildrenwill
becomemothersofthenation,butrathereachGermanwomanandeachgirlwillbecomeoneof
theFhrerslittlehelperswhereversheis,beitinthelaborservice,inafactory,atauniversity
orinahospital,athomeoronthehighseas.
Wehaveestablishedachainofhelpinghandsthatwillgroweverstronger,becausethatiswhat
ourloveforourpeoplerequires!
WehavewomenwhoservedtheirpeopleduringtheGreatWar,andprovedthattheyplaced
theirpeopleabovethemselves.Often,theywerethefirstwhocontinuedtheirserviceintheN.S.
movement.Theyarejoinedbyyoungerwomenwhocametothismovementbecausethey
affirmedthelifeofthenation.Theydidnotaskwhatwouldhappen.Instead,theywerethere
wheretheywereneeded.
Foruswomen,tobeGermanmeant,andstillmeans,alwaystobestrong.
Onlyshecanbestrongwhoknowssorrowanddeprivation.Overcomingoneself,andlife,leads
tostrength.Andthatalsoleadstoclarity.SincemanyGermansmuststilllearntounderstand
this,allofoureffortswillalsoinvolvestruggle,strugglewitheachother.Inallthis,however,we
mustbestrongandcheerfulpeople.
WeenterthenewyearasGermans.Thatmeanswewanttobealertanduntiring,becausewe
wanttosupporteachotherineverythingournationfaces.Wedonotwanttocompromisefrom

weakness,butbecomradesonetoanotherwhocandemandtheutmostofeachother,because
wearewillingtogiveitourselves.ThentheworkofGermanmenandwomenwilltogetherform
theselfawareandproudGermansthatweneed,sinceourpeoplemustlive!
Withthiswill,weallreturntowork!