Abstract
In 1934, Gertrud Scholtz-Klink (1902-1999) (center, in white dress)
took over the leadership of all National Socialist women’s
organizations. These included the National Socialist Women’s League
[NS-Frauenschaft or NSF] of the
NSDAP, the German Women’s Enterprise
[Deutsches Frauenwerk or DFW], an
umbrella organization for women's associations, and the women’s office
of the German Labor Front. As Reich Women’s Leader, it was her duty to
train all German women in accordance with National Socialist ideology.
Above all, this meant convincing them of the importance of their role as
housewives and mothers and preparing them for it. Scholtz-Klink, who had
five children of her own and 6 step-children, pursued this goal through
a range of projects and propaganda initiatives. For example, by the
spring of 1939 about 1.7 million German women had participated in
courses offered by the DFW’s Reich Mothers’ Service. These courses
provided instruction in household management, child rearing, and racial
hygiene. Although Scholtz-Klink occupied all of the highest Nazi women’s
offices at the same time, neither she nor her organizations had any
political influence within the regime. According to the National
Socialist worldview, politics and power were reserved for men.