Mothers of the Nation: Right-Wing Women in Weimar Germany

by Raffael Scheck

What role did right-wing women play in the Nazi rise to power? Mothers of the Nation analyzes the work of these women in the Weimar Republic. The author shows that they refused to stand up primarily for women's interests and instead invoked the Volksgemeinschaft (community of the people), a vision of harmony and cooperation. The emphasis on the Volksgemeinschaft made it difficult for female conservatives to fight for specific women's rights. Yet it also allowed them to paste over the conflicts between interest groups that tore apart Germany's bourgeois parties. The ways in which these women sought to contain the fragmentation that ultimately rendered their parties defenseless against the Nazis sheds new light on Weimar politics. Bringing the controversial story of right-wing women to life, this book offers a compelling account of gender and politics during a crucial period in German history.

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Nic · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book confidently takes on the question of what motivated right wing women in Weimar Germany. It considers their ideas, goals and opinions rather than parroting decades old, obsolete theories about frustrated sexuality. The arguments are well thought out and based on solid research and a variety of sources. For anyone with an interest in Weimar Germany, this book is a must-read.