Glossary entry (derived from question below)
German term or phrase:
das blonde Heimchen am Herd
English translation:
faithful blonde Hausfrau at home
Added to glossary by
Dr Andrew Read
Jan 24, 2004 19:31
20 yrs ago
1 viewer *
German term
das blonde Heimchen am Herd
German to English
Art/Literary
Journalism
"Die Frauen der Nazis". Dokumentation, Deutschland, 2001. **Das "blonde Heimchen am Herd"**, das dem "Führer" zahlreiche Kinder schenken sollte; die ideologisch gestählte Frau und Mutter, die fanatisch dem Nationalsozialismus dient: so sah das Idealbild der Frauen im Dritten Reich aus.
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+3
5 hrs
Selected
faithful blond Hausfrau
I think there's a good argument for adding the extra adjective "faithful", as somehow the English needs an extra adjective for the rhythm, as some of the answers imply; and "faithful" fits in well with the description afterwards.
As for "Hausfrau" this is quite often used in English in a gently disparaging way about certain type of German woman.
Look at this quote from the first ref:
"I thought that, if I went with Werner, I would be better hidden: a little Hausfrau in a kitchen living with a member of the Nazi party who worked for the company that made the planes which were dropping the bombs on London"
And this from the second one:
"Oddly enough, it was Clemens's main concern that Bettina should marry well and become a proper hausfrau. He was afraid that his sister would hook up with a mad poet. "
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Note added at 2004-01-25 01:29:58 (GMT)
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Or for nice rhythm: \"a faithful, blond-haired Hausfrau\", or \"a loyal, blond-haired Hausfrau\"...
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Note added at 2004-01-25 01:31:45 (GMT)
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Both \"little\" and \"proper\" also go with \"Hausfrau\" as in the two quotes above.
As for "Hausfrau" this is quite often used in English in a gently disparaging way about certain type of German woman.
Look at this quote from the first ref:
"I thought that, if I went with Werner, I would be better hidden: a little Hausfrau in a kitchen living with a member of the Nazi party who worked for the company that made the planes which were dropping the bombs on London"
And this from the second one:
"Oddly enough, it was Clemens's main concern that Bettina should marry well and become a proper hausfrau. He was afraid that his sister would hook up with a mad poet. "
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Note added at 2004-01-25 01:29:58 (GMT)
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Or for nice rhythm: \"a faithful, blond-haired Hausfrau\", or \"a loyal, blond-haired Hausfrau\"...
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Note added at 2004-01-25 01:31:45 (GMT)
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Both \"little\" and \"proper\" also go with \"Hausfrau\" as in the two quotes above.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you all for your creative input :)"
4 mins
Background info
Duden - Heimchen am Herd: eine naive, nicht emanzipierte Frau, die sich mit ihrer Rolle als Hausfrau und Ehefrau zufrieden gibt. Nach dem Titel der Erzaehlung von Ch. Dickens "Cricket on the Hearth"
Maybe the loyal housewife at the kitchen stove?
Maybe the loyal housewife at the kitchen stove?
Reference:
+1
5 mins
happy little homemaker
I'd leave out blonde here to make it more organic in English. (You could make the children blonde ...)
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Lars Helbig
7 mins
|
neutral |
Ulrike Lieder (X)
: Leaving "blonde" out may be more organic, but given the specific context, it should most definitely be included. The Arian ideal (blonde, blue-eyed) was an important aspect of Nazi ideology.
4 hrs
|
Hence my suggestion to make the children she bears for the Führer blonde. Same effect.
|
|
neutral |
Dr Andrew Read
: agree with Ulrike's comment
5 hrs
|
+1
7 mins
(ordinary) housewife
(verächtlich) ein Heimchen (am Herd) (just a) housewife, an ordinary housewife
Lanenscheidt
Lanenscheidt
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Brandis (X)
1 hr
|
50 mins
"perfect little wife and homemaker"
from an era when men referred to their wives as 'the little woman'.
Although Hitler praised the prolific "Aryan mother as the equal of the Aryan soldier, National Socialism rendered German women invisible except as child bearers and child raisers. The ideal Nazi wife was the wholesome, athletic, peasant type—a domestic mother and helper to her husband: "Her whole world is her husband, her family, her children, her house."
http://www3.sympatico.ca/mighty1/essays/lessons1.htm
Although Hitler praised the prolific "Aryan mother as the equal of the Aryan soldier, National Socialism rendered German women invisible except as child bearers and child raisers. The ideal Nazi wife was the wholesome, athletic, peasant type—a domestic mother and helper to her husband: "Her whole world is her husband, her family, her children, her house."
http://www3.sympatico.ca/mighty1/essays/lessons1.htm
52 mins
dedicated housewife
I agree with Norbert regarding the word "blonde", but feel that "happy little homemaker" is a little too frivolous for this context. Rather than being happy, I think that they were expected to be "dedicated" - to their family, the Führer and the Cause. So I would suggest "dedicated housewife" or "dedicated homemaker"
+4
1 hr
perfect blond housewife
seems to fit the context
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Note added at 1 hr 32 mins (2004-01-24 21:04:29 GMT)
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given the Nazi context it seems to me that \"blond\" should be kept in the translation
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Note added at 1 hr 32 mins (2004-01-24 21:04:29 GMT)
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given the Nazi context it seems to me that \"blond\" should be kept in the translation
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Ulrike Lieder (X)
: I agree that "blond" should definitely be kept in the translation
3 hrs
|
agree |
Johanna Timm, PhD
: w. Ulrike."blonde" is part of the job description here
4 hrs
|
agree |
Mario Marcolin
15 hrs
|
agree |
Nancy Arrowsmith
: maybe industrious. Blond is definitely part of the Aryan "Wunschvorstellung."
1 day 5 hrs
|
7 hrs
blond, good little wife / wifie
"housewife" and "homemaker" are not derogatory enough. "Heimchen am Herd" is the opposite of an emancipated woman. Something like "good little wife" comes IMO much closer.
On almost any television show there is always the good little wife that waits until the husband comes home to make any important decisions.
http://www.instant-essays.com/cinema_&_television/women-on-t...
Dina Merrill is good as Emily, but her role is terribly dated. She plays it as if she were a Stepford wife, a good little wife who will patiently wait until her husband stops boozing it up and whoring around.
http://www.movbuy.com/Classics-Movies/Butterfield-8.asp
cf:
In other words, Ida hasn't set up her University simply to educate women, but because she is foolishly dissatisfied with the world as it is: the "happy ending" occurs when Hilarion convinces her that the world is fine as it is ("I see my error now"), and leaves the follies of women's education to become a good little wifie. (You see that I haven't abandoned my conviction that Ida is an anti-feminist piece in essence.)
http://math.boisestate.edu/gas/princess_ida/discussion/pi5-1...
Sadly, some women really choose to play a dumb, incompetent little wifie ("don't you worry your pretty little head over that"), afraid that learning skills and achieving something in the world would destroy their marriage.
http://www.antiaging.com/cyberhealth/CyberHealth_13.htm
the males look upon it as their job to support the family while the little wifie picks up all the household chores.
http://oii.net/Forum/messages/26146.shtml
On almost any television show there is always the good little wife that waits until the husband comes home to make any important decisions.
http://www.instant-essays.com/cinema_&_television/women-on-t...
Dina Merrill is good as Emily, but her role is terribly dated. She plays it as if she were a Stepford wife, a good little wife who will patiently wait until her husband stops boozing it up and whoring around.
http://www.movbuy.com/Classics-Movies/Butterfield-8.asp
cf:
In other words, Ida hasn't set up her University simply to educate women, but because she is foolishly dissatisfied with the world as it is: the "happy ending" occurs when Hilarion convinces her that the world is fine as it is ("I see my error now"), and leaves the follies of women's education to become a good little wifie. (You see that I haven't abandoned my conviction that Ida is an anti-feminist piece in essence.)
http://math.boisestate.edu/gas/princess_ida/discussion/pi5-1...
Sadly, some women really choose to play a dumb, incompetent little wifie ("don't you worry your pretty little head over that"), afraid that learning skills and achieving something in the world would destroy their marriage.
http://www.antiaging.com/cyberhealth/CyberHealth_13.htm
the males look upon it as their job to support the family while the little wifie picks up all the household chores.
http://oii.net/Forum/messages/26146.shtml
17 hrs
dedicated blonde guardian of the kitchen stove
deliberately just a tiny bit flippant; might fit - who knows....
Incidentally, and importantly, the HOUSEWIFE will be BLOND*E*, not blond! This I think may be the only English adjective gender-modified in this way.
Incidentally, and importantly, the HOUSEWIFE will be BLOND*E*, not blond! This I think may be the only English adjective gender-modified in this way.
19 hrs
blonde-haired little cookie baker at the hearth
cookie baker comes closest to the meaning of Heimchen (US)
1 day 10 hrs
blonde little housewife
just an alternative
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