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Does the experience of war necessarily lead to lower fertility and the postponement of starting or enlarging a family? This qualitative analysis verifies the economic and sociological theories of family planning during war. The excellent source material from World War II in Germany allows for an analysis of a large number of ego-documents. The results imply that married couples were aware of the difficult circumstances and dealt with increased infertility, miscarriages and infant mortality. However, they did not let adversity interfere with their generative decisions. The experience of war did not deter people from planning, starting or building a family. It appears that during wartime, children fulfilled important psychological values for their (prospective) parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]