The Reich Pension Law Working people actually Employment had improved but of 1920 gave pensions improved their situation remained insecure as the loss of to 750,000 war with better real wages, savings during hyperinflation veterans, 400,000 war unemployment insurance caused hardship. widows and 200,000 and lower working hours. parents of dead What this did, however, was servicemen. to alienate other groups such as big business, who resented their loss of power and profit, and the lower middle class, who saw their own position threatened by a system which seemed to favour the working classes. Because of women’s A magazine cover from A woman’s position in improved position in 1925 comparing modern politics improved greatly: the workforce and women (on the left) to Women were able to vote their newly acquired those of the past (on the and had equal rights with rights as citizens, right) men. By 1932, 112 women women themselves had been elected to the seemed to change. Reichstag (10%). Women Magazines presented could enter all professions a new generation of on an equal basis with men women that differed fundamentally from their mothers. Conservatives and The 1920s saw a huge During this time, films Traditionalists did not cultural revival in became very popular. The like the new Germany. Indeed, these government funded some opportunities for years have been seen as films such as this science women and believed the greatest period of fiction film about life and they should experimentation in the technology in the 20th concentrate on being whole of German history. Century. wives and mothers. As things settled down politically, writers and artists had more chance to try out new ideas. The results were impressive and spread across all areas of the Arts. For example, New Objectivism, Modernism, Expressionism and The Bauhaus Movement. Developments Limitations
The Reich Pension Law of 1920 gave pensions to 750,000 war veterans, 400,000 war widows and 200,000 parents of dead servicemen. Working people actually improved their situation with better real wages, unemployment insurance and lower working hours. What this did, however, was to alienate other groups such as big business, who resented their loss of power and profit, and the lower middle class, who saw their own position threatened by a system which seemed to favour the working classes. Employment had improved but remained insecure as the loss of savings during hyperinflation caused hardship. Because of women’s improved position in the workforce and their newly acquired rights as citizens, women themselves seemed to change. Magazines presented a new generation of women that differed fundamentally from their mothers. A magazine cover from 1925 comparing modern women (on the left) to those of the past (on the right) A woman’s position in politics improved greatly: Women were able to vote and had equal rights with men. By 1932, 112 women had been elected to the Reichstag (10%). Women could enter all professions on an equal basis with men Conservatives and Traditionalists did not like the new opportunities for women and believed they should concentrate on being wives and mothers. The 1920s saw a huge cultural revival in Germany. Indeed, these years have been seen as the greatest period of experimentation in the whole of German history. As things settled down politically, writers and artists had more chance to try out new ideas. The results were impressive and spread across all areas of the Arts. For example, New Objectivism, Modernism, Expressionism and The Bauhaus Movement. During this time, films became very popular. The government funded some films such as this science fiction film about life and technology in the 20th Century. Developments Limitations
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