Salient. Official Newspaper of Victoria University of Wellington Students Association. Vol 40 No. 23. September 12 1977

Nazi Policy Towards Women Students

Nazi Policy Towards Women Students

As Nazis tried to guide schoolgirls into a "womanly" education, so their propaganda suggested that they would also deny girls the chance of studying in universities, or other institutes of higher learning. It is important to remember that many of the early educational property's attributed to the Nazi Government were conceived by the previous Weimar Government in an attempt to solve the problems of the economic depression. The policies initiated by the Nazis were similarly moulded by necessity, with the result that the dogma which was conveniently relevant in 1933 had to be abandoned in the later 1930's as it proved increasingly unrealistic in the changed circumstances of the economic market. Early Nazi policy was expressed as—

"It is clear that study cannot offer women a suitable general education. Women will in future be employed much less in occupations requiring a period of study.... Therefore senior schools will not need to prepare girls for university."

In 1933 a particular restriction was placed on girls' numbers, which in no case were to exceed 10% of the quota for each land. The effects of this policy can be seen in a quick comparison—

In 1933 women took up 18% of the places in universities, while in 1937-8 the percentage dropped to 15%. In Physics, women were 25% of the overall intake in 1931, but only 7% in 1937-8. The policy to restrict the entry of women to university had achieved alarming success.

This policy was accompanied by the creation of a great variety of activities and organisations for women student which highlights the fact that the Nazis main aim was to oppose and restrict academic freedom and independent minded intellectuals. However, as the unemployment situation eased and the shortage of skilled personnel became apparent, and then acute, the idea which had found currency in earlier Nazi theory - that high intelligence and "womanliness" were incompatible—was categorically denied.