The‌ ‌idea‌ ‌of‌ ‌taking a long, non-working break at the end of your life goes back‌ ‌to‌ ‌1880s‌ ‌Germany (then‌ ‌Prussia). ‌During Otto von Bismarck’s presidency, the Prussian government-funded old-age pensions for those 70 or older.
Bismarck’s proposal was quite innovative. ‌You couldn’t end your “working life” while you were still alive before it. ‌In other words, work was expected of you as long as you were alive.
It was Bismarck who popularized the idea of a time off after working most of your life. And, this concept eventually spread across the globe. ‌U.S. Social Security, for example, was introduced in 1935 to assist workers when they left‌ ‌the‌ ‌paid‌ ‌workforce‌ ‌at‌ ‌age‌ ‌65….