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Society: 1949 - 1989 - Coggle Diagram
Society: 1949 - 1989
effect of Nazi legacy
in the 50's there was an overwhelming desire to put the past and horrors of war behind them and enjoy post-war comforts
until the late 60's the nazi past was largely ignored, suppressed or argued away former nazis were rehabilitated into adenauers germany and former manufacturers used their capital to rebuild and restructure
1955 - 48% of people believed hitler would have been one of germanys greatest statesmen but for the war, fell to 32% in 1967
1968 - society had polarised - older generation saw rising fortunes under FRG, younger generation derogatorily referred to parents as 'spiessburger' = conformist 'stick-in-the-muds'
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younger generation questioned their parents morals and rejected their money, stability, democracy and peace - accused FRG of covering up he crimes of its founding generation
1968 student riots opened more discussion into west german society - influenced by the nazi war crime trials between 1958 and 68
in 1962, 10 lander made teachings of the nazi era compulsory in the curriculum
willi brandt knelt before a warsaw ghetto memorial in 1970 showing personal remorse for nazi crimes against jews
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open reunions of former nazis were frowned upon but continued - an SS offcier reunion was blocked in 1985
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neo-nazis actions increased in the 70's and 80's conducting anti-semitic attacks and hostility towards gasterbeiter - mostly young and relatively uneducated, unskilled and 'drop outs'
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by 1989 18,000 members of extreme right-wing extremist groups existed in germany
standards of living
FRG saw a marked rise in living standards brought about by the west german miracle - average incomes rose by 400% between 1950-70
most west germans had jobs, comfortable homes and good food, enjoying a high standard of living
enjoyed latest products of german technology, fridges, food processors, cars, campervans, tvs, computers (1980's)
women
church and conservative politicians of 50's spoke of restoration of traditional family - implying a womans place was at home with her children
many women continued to work as since 1950 1/3 of households were headed by a widow or divorced female and in 1960 women outnumbered men 126:100
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expansion of education meant women could enter the worlds of male business management and politics, and a wider range of professional opportunities = available
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by 1950 1/4 of married women were employed, rising to 50% in 1970 - most still worked part-time, juggling roles of housewife, mother and worker
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1980 - new act prevented direct and indirect discrimination on grounds of sex in workplace, female pay generally remained lower than males, who predominated jobs at management level
decreasing birth rates in 60's due to use of contraceptive pill and desire to have small families to maintain affluent lifestyle - in 1960 the average german woman had 2.4 children falling to 1.42 in 1989 = lowest rate in europe
abortion legalised in 1967, an divorce made easier in 1977 with a 32% increase in divorce rate from 1986 and 1990
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workers and peasants
shrinking working class enjoyed shorter working hours, and streamlined systems of trade unions working in cooperation with management = better wages and conditions
mecanisation, computerisation and shift from heavy industry bought increased demand for skills, but increased education meant working class could meet countries needs
gastarbeiter took low skilled cheap labour = automatically placed most native west germans into the upper middle or lower middle class
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by 1983, 16.4% of germans worked in service sector, an only 5.9% in the forestry and agriculture
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youth
1968 - student protests lobbied for vote at 18 years of age, granted in 1975
1955 16% of youth saw parents as role model, falling to 3% in 1984
in 1954 50% viewed corporal punishment as a good thing, universally frowned upon by 1984
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children began school at 6 years of age, an dleft at 16, increased from 15 in 1970
vast expansion in uni provision, students rising from 108,000 in 1950 to 400,000 in 1960 - 9 unis catered for over 1m young people in 1989
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modern culture
early years of FRG saw frenzy of writing, art, and ideas emerged from tensions in early years of WR
culture encouraged by the state as a way of re-establishing common identity - 1949 constitution gave lander autonomy over own cultural affairs
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FRG enjoyed greatest density of theatres than anywhere else in the world, with 300 heavily subsidised
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by 70's and 80's literary output was lively and varied, including some feminist literature
popularisation of culture saw huge increase in cheap sellings of paperbacks, including sentimental novels and science fiction
declining role of religion, growth of science, americanisation, changing political values all played a role shaping german society