| Popis: |
This chapter examines how far the German state, in the name of national regeneration, was willing to intervene into the marital bedchambers of its citizens. Bureaucrats and social reformers proposed increasingly controversial solutions to the ‘problem’ of the falling birth rate. In response, pronatalists worried that prophylactics distributed to curb the spread of disease might also be used as contraceptives. High-profile trials of alleged abortion providers sparked outrage and sympathy. Religious leaders chastised government officials who distributed war benefits to ‘illegitimate’ children. Publicity campaigns promoting large families seemed at odds with strict food rationing protocols. Debates over contraception and abortion, sexual ethics, eugenics and racial hygiene would follow Germany into the Weimar Republic—and beyond. |
