The movement of women into non-traditional economic roles in Germany was spurred by the Second Industrial Revolution and accelerated by the movement of women into job vacated by soldiers during and after the First World War.

   The woman of yesterday lived exclusively for and geared her actions towards the future.  Already as a half-grown child, she toiled and stocked her hope chest for her future dowry.  In the first years of marriage she did as much of the household world as possible herself to save on expenses, thereby laying the foundation for future prosperity . . .
   Her primary task, however, she naturally saw to be caring for the well-being of her children, the ultimate carriers of her thoughts on the future.  Thus the purpose of her existence was in principle fulfilled once the existen   “The mission of woman is to be beautiful and to bring children into the world.  This is not at all as rude and unmodern as it sounds.  The female bird pretties herself for her mate and hatches the eggs for him.  In exchange, the mate takes care of gathering the food, and stands guard and wards off the enemy.”
 Joseph Goebbels, Michael , 1929 (This is a novel written by the future Nazi propaganda minister.)ce of these children had been secured . . . Then she collapsed completely, likfe a good racehorse collapses when it has maintained its exertions up to the last minute. . . .
   In stark contrast the woman of today is oriented exclusively toward the present.  That which is is decisive for her, not that which should be or should have been according to tradition. . . .
   The new woman has set herself the goal of proving in her work and deeds that the representatives of the female sex are not second-class persons existing only in dependence and obedience but are fully capable of satisfying the demands of their positions in life. . . .
   The new woman is therefore no artificially conjured phenomenon, consciously conceived in opposition to the existing system; rather, she is organically bound up with the economic and cultural developments of the last few decades.  Her task is to clear the way for equal rights for women in all areas of life.  That does not mean that she stands for the complete equality of the representatives of both sexes.  Her goal is much more to achieve recognition for the complete legitimacy of women as human beings, according  to each the right to have her particular physical constitution and her accomplishments respected and, where necessary, protected.”
 

 Elsa Herrmann, “This is the New Woman” (1929)

 

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