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.