First published in 1988, Birth Control in Germany deals in detail with the dissemination and acceptance of ideas of birth control from 1871 -1933 and shows the variety of methods that were in use-condoms, pessaries, diaphragms, caps and most notably abortion. In common with many western societies, Germany experienced a notable decline in the birth rate as it entered into the 20th century. Demographers differ in their explanation for such changes in the birth rate. Some argue that fluctuating birth rates reflect society’s efforts to match population and economy, while others argue that modern low levels can only be the result of radical innovations in popular behavior. The author argues that the latter can be shown to be the case in the German instance. He further says that attitudes quite similar to those found in liberal circles today were widespread among ordinary men and women in Germany, in contrast to, for example, the pro natalist ideologies dominant in France in the same period. This despite the regional, class and religious differentials which influence the German picture. The book amounts to an important study of the sexual politics of pre–Nazi Germany, and study in modernization of a traditional society. This is an important historical work for scholars and researchers of German history, women's studies, health & reproductive history, European history, and gender studies.

Drawing from a wide range of private and public sources, examines how American families gradually found access to taboo information and products for controlling the size of their families from the 1830s to the 1890s when a puritan backlash made most of it illegal. Emphasizes the importance of two shadowy networks, medical practitioners known as Thomsonians and water-curists, and iconoclastic freethinkers.

A HISTORY OF MODERN GERMANY A History of Modern Germany provides a comprehensive account of the social, political, and economic history of Germany from 1800 to the present. Written in an engaging and accessible narrative style, this popular textbook offers an expansive view of the nation’s complex and fragmented past, tracing the development of the German national consciousness through Napoleonic rule, the unification of Germany, the German Empire, the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich, post-war division, the collapse of Communism, reunification, and the first two decades of the 21st century. Throughout the text, the authors discuss the tensions prompted by structural changes within Germany, long-term shifts in demographics, social and economic reforms, and more. Now in its third edition, A History of Modern Germany offers richer coverage of German cultural history, the German Democratic Republic, modernization, class, religion, and gender. Updated chapters explore continuity in imperial projects from Bismarck to Hitler, memory and commemoration since 1945, the distinct but intertwined histories of the two Germanys between 1949 and 1989, and the experience of diversity after the Second World into the post-unification era. A History of Modern Germany: 1800 to the Present, Third Edition is an excellent textbook for undergraduate students taking courses in modern German history or modern European history as well as general readers with an interest in the subject.

Based on an exceptionally rich source of material, this study explores different attitudes and experiences of those women who sought to terminate an unwanted pregnancy in the Weimar Republic, and those who helped or hindered them.

A comprehensive history of German society in this period, providing a broad survey of its development. The volume is thematically organized and designed to give easy access to the major topics and issues of the Bismarkian and Wilhelmine eras. The statistical appendix contains a wide range of social, economic and political data. Written with the English-speaking student in mind, this book is likely to become a widely used text for this period, incorporating as it does twenty years of further research on the German Empire since the appearance of Hans-Ulrich Wehler's classic work.

Bold new essays on Germany's critical Kaiserreich period.

First published in 1988, Birth Control in Germany deals in detail with the dissemination and acceptance of ideas of birth control from 1871 -1933 and shows the variety of methods that were in use-condoms, pessaries, diaphragms, caps and most notably abortion. In common with many western societies, Germany experienced a notable decline in the birth rate as it entered into the 20th century. Demographers differ in their explanation for such changes in the birth rate. Some argue that fluctuating birth rates reflect society's efforts to match population and economy, while others argue that modern low levels can only be the result of radical innovations in popular behavior. The author argues that the latter can be shown to be the case in the German instance. He further says that attitudes quite similar to those found in liberal circles today were widespread among ordinary men and women in Germany, in contrast to, for example, the pro natalist ideologies dominant in France in the same period. This despite the regional, class and religious differentials which influence the German picture. The book amounts to an important study of the sexual politics of pre-Nazi Germany, and study in modernization of a traditional society. This is an important historical work for scholars and researchers of German history, women's studies, health & reproductive history, European history, and gender studies.