In the spring of 1934, the American sociologist Theodore Abel called on long-time party members of the NSDAP to participate in a - fictitious - essay contest. The professor at New York's Columbia University wanted to know from them: "Why I joined the NSDAP before 1933". A total of 400 marks in prize money beckoned, and nearly 700 party members participated.
The theatrical collage features excerpts from the women's 36 entries from Theodore Abel's collection, opening up a view of political developments between the Weimar Republic and the beginning of the Nazi regime through authentic statements and life stories. The oldest was 73 years old, the youngest 17, they came from all walks of life, many were employed, some were married, divorced, childless or single parents.
The women's self-descriptions provide exemplary proof of how narrow the line was between German nationalist and National Socialist thought and action, and how quickly and radically even bourgeois conservative attitudes changed. Precisely because the women's short life stories usually seem so unspectacular, they are eloquent examples of the anti-Semitism rooted in everyday German life of the time and the resentment against everything non-German.
Text source: PM Mainzer Kammerspiele
Further information: https://www.mainzer-kammerspiele.de
