The following sources were kindly provided by the State Archives Stuttgart.
1. Document: Hartmann, Karl / Schlesinger, G.: Amputees in the craft trades sector, in industry and agriculture. Leaflet Nr.8 1917. (Worksheet No. 5)
Each student gets one example of the text "Amputees In the Craft Trades Sector, In Industry and Agriculture" and they should read the marked spots carefully. This text describes how the disabled veterans, mainly arm amputees, should be made employable.
Questions:
Collect statements.
This task should result in the students understanding the core messages and the reasons why this could not be easily realized. This text shows that arm amputees have no chance in the working world against healthy workers. Especially in the craft trades sector, but in industry and agriculture as well, workers need the skills and power of their hands. Additionally, the artificial arm of the disabled worker must be perfectly adapted to the type of work. Because of this, every disabled worker has to own a multifunctional artificial arm which must be configured so that handling machines in the industrial mass production environment is possible.
The unrealistic thing that occurred here is that people were treated like machines. The employers thought that the disabled must be able to function when they get a multifunctional artificial arm which is primarily usable for work.
2. Document: Stillich/ Lichterfelde: The Vocational Integration of the War Disabled. German Papers for War Disabled, 1916. (Worksheet No. 6)
Each student gets one exemplar of the text "The vocational integration of the war invalids" and they should read the marked spots carefully. This text describes the real difficulties of the trial to reintegrate the invalids into the working world.
Questions:
This text shows that the war disabled can't be integrated into a normal factory next to healthy employees. Even with the best prosthesis they cannot compete adequately. The solution to this problem is based on humanitarianism. The war disabled should do a subtask in a separated factory. In this factory a lowered working speed should be employed but with a higher product quality. In this manner a high number of invalids could be employed.
Learning goals:
The critical reading of a historical source is belongs to the basic abilities of methodical competencies. Students should also be able to formulate the key statements. Autonomous source criticism should be trained.30 Discussions are also very important and may not be held unattended. It supports the creation of arguments and the representation of these.31