„Mother and child are the guarantee for the immortality of a nation“ was a motto of the NSDAP in 1933. The Nationalsocialists publicised the German people as a dying nation. Their aim was to strengthen the family values, to protect families and give them back the place in society which in their view was unethically destroyed by democracy.
One role model to be promoted was the woman within the farming community, the backbone of natural family life.

Excerpt of „The married woman in the farming community“ by Martha Brockhoff, University of Berlin (published in „Frauenkultur“ magazine number 7 / July 1938):

"The farmer´s family is the main source for the growth of the population since industrialisation and urbanisation. The farmer´s wife being used to a hard life and hard work, copes much easier with childbirth than a city woman. Because of living a natural life, she tends to refrain from contraceptives. The decrease of childbirth, even in rural areas, is to be monitored carefully.

Although being physically protected from urban life style, mentally the farmers´ communities are degenerating to urban standards loosing their purity........................

The female farmers task is not just caring for her family, but for everyone working and living on the farm. Her doings encourage the farm labourers and maidservants to be more productive and secures their full integration on the farm preventing them to leave for the city.“

Young couples were encouraged to get married and start a family. A „Ehedarlehen“, a marital credit, was created as an incentive for marriage. At first the loan of a 1000 Reichsmark was only given to brides who would leave their workplace on getting married, ready to start a family. Later on it could be obtained by everyone, as long as they were of aryan decendant. On the birth of a child 25% of the borrowed sum was taken off resulting in the credit being payed off after giving birth to the fourth child. A babyboom was happening. One million „Ehestandsdarlehen“ were granted till 1938, with a total value of 650 million Reichsmark. 980.000 credits did not have to be paid back because of the family having at least four children. Because of this popularity the sum of the loan was reduced to 500 Reichsmark maximum later.

250 Reichsmark for one child was a remarkable sum if one considers that the average monthly income of an industrial worker was 140 Reichsmark.

In connection with this credit, the „Reichsfrauenführung“ and the „Reichsheimstättenamt“ of the DAF (Deutsche Arbeitsfront/German working front) produced a catalogue with furniture to buy and tips on how the money could be spend wisely. Here an excerpt of this catalogue which could be obtained for 0,20 Reichsmark, printed in the „Frauenkultur“ from July 1938.

Child allowance, „Kindergeld“, was given to families with four or more children on low income. 10 Reichsmark for the third and fourth child, 20 Reichsmark for the fifth child of the family. The money was suposed to help buying furniture, kitchen utensils and clothes.

Not only financial help was given to the German mother, the „NS Frauenschaft“ helped in many various ways by offering pre-birth lessons to pregnant women, courses in child care and domestic duties and many, many more.

„Kindersegen“, blessed with children, was a praised phrase, while lifestyle of the modern, urban community with one or two or more commonly no children was frowned upon.

„The German mother who has given birth to numerous children is to receive the same honourable status in our society as the soldier who fought at the front. Her commitment of body and life for „Volk und Vaterland“ is the same as the soldier´s commitment in battle.“

These are the words Reichsärzteführer Dr. Wagner used on announcing the creation of a medal to honour mothers with many children. 3 million mothers were to receive this medal of distinction in 1939 and the celebrations were to be held yearly on mother´s day.The youth was encouraged to respect the German mother by saluting her with the „Deutsche Gruß“. The aim of the NSDAP was to give the German mother a high valued status in society.

„......Furthermore, mothers who carry the „Mutter-Ehrenkreuz“ will receive all amenities we already grant the war wounded and casualties of violence against the NSDAP.....In addition to that they will receive a pension and receive preferred places in old peoples homes, if living alone at old age...“

Excerpt from the Völkischer Beobachter 28th December 1938

Everyday life soon showed that the respect the NSDAP demanded was given to the pregnant woman and mother with small children alike. Men offered their seats on trams, in busses and on trains as naturally as the HJ greeted them with the „Deutsche Gruß“. The mothers had received a social status which they had never had before and with no surprise the new mother soon was to say:

"Ich habe dem Führer ein Kind geschenkt"
- I have given a child to the Führer.

"The family is the smallest, but most valuable unit in the forming of a state. The work honours the woman just as much as a man. But the child makes the mother a noble person."

Advertising next month´s issue of the "Fürs Haus" magazine, 18th February 1937.