One of the social dividends of post-war inflation in Weimar Germany was greater independence for women. The dance-hall clientele now included a type of customer who had never been seen before: unaccompanied women. Most of these were young shorthand typists and secretaries who visited the clubs alone or with girlfriends. To the puzzled observer from more conservative circles, or indeed from the provinces, this type of behavior was unheard of, and seemed dangerously close to prostitution.
Many girls came from the provinces to Berlin, eager to breathe the balmy air of freedom. Many of these women could more or less find their feet thanks to their new office jobs. Even many single housemaids had set aside everything they could in order to increase their chances on the marriage market. Now those savings were basically liquidated.
Many young women saw themselves thrown back on their own devices, forced to recognize a potential for emancipation in the loss of their dowries.
They took control of their own fortune, and played an active and independent part in the search for a partner. Without a dowry, parents had no say in the matter. Once again the same principle applied: saving is pointless. Just as hyperinflation accelerated all social trends in swirling counter-currents of fresh liberation and new constraints, it also gave an almost explosive boost to female emancipation.
Starting with the very highest social strata, where the fashionable attributes of tennis playing, car driving and writing counted for a lot, the rebellious daughters fought their way downwards. One of the more regrettable aspects of inflation was the rise of prostitution. It had nothing to do with emancipation but was ideally placed to bring the notion into disrepute. Sudden poverty forced even upper-class women on to the street. Could I go with her? There was an abundance of information on prostitution in the years of inflation, including tips and travel guides.
