Prussia Saxony 11,678,383 226,024 9,393,750 2,725,344 690,892 1,305,657 1,267,810 27,287,860 2,643,968 37,297 1,492,391 435,701 38,908 242,890 377,60€ 5,268,761 360,675 53,584 148,361 153,929 3,014,822 578,592 23,786 1,695,895 Württemberg 927,282 15,642 674,080 143,258 11,254 Total Empire. 18,840,818 384,637 16,058,080 4,531,080 938,291 2,222,982 2,246,222 45,222,113 The mean population in 1888 was estimated at 48,020,000. The bulk of the German population is (on the basis of language) Teutonic; but in the Prussian provinces of Posen, Silesia, West and East Prussia are 2,513,500 Slavs (Poles), who, with 280,000 Walloons and French, 150,000 Lithuanians, 140,000 Danes, and about the same number of Wends, Moravians, and Bohemians, make up 3,223,500 non-Germanic inhabitants, or nearly 7 per cent. of the total population. On December 1, 1885, there were 434,525 foreigners resident in Germany, the nationalities of whom were as follows:— Besides 111 born at sea, and 1,116 of unknown nationality. In 1880 the number of foreigners was only 275,856. II. MOVEMENT OF THE POPULATION. The following table shows the 'movement' of the population of the Empire during each of the five years from 1883 to 1887: Of the children born in 1888, 940,917 were boys, and 887,461 girls. Emigration, which in recent years assumed larger proportions in Germany than in any other country of Europe, after declining for some time, received a new impetus in 1880 and 1881. The number of emigrants in 1881, viz, 210,547, is the highest total yet reached in any one year. The following table shows the number of German emigrants for the periods 1874-78 and 1879-83, and for the five years 1884-88: The great majority of the emigrants sail from German ports and Antwerp. In 1885-88, 14,678 embarked at Rotterdam or Amsterdam; and in 1874-87 a yearly average of 4,666 at French ports, notably Havre and Bordeaux. The emigrants of 1888 by way of German ports, Antwerp, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam, comprised 49,497 males, 40,692 females (76 sex not stated). The number of families was 13,557, including 50,328 persons. During the sixty-eight years from 1820 to 1888 the total emigra tion to the United States, which absorbs the best classes of emigrants, numbered over three and a half million individuals, and during the last twelve years nearly three-quarters of a million. It is calculated that each represented, on the average, a money value of 200 marks, or 107, so that the total loss by this emigration amounted to over 35,000,000. The number of emigrants to Brazil during the last eighteen years has been 35,834. Of the emigrants in 1889, the principal States sent as follows: In 1889, 106,808 emigrants other than Germans embarked at German ports. III. PRINCIPAL TOWNS. German towns are officially distinguished as large towns (with 100,000 inhabitants and upwards); medium towns (20,000-100,000 inhabitants); small towns (5,000-20,000 inhabitants), and country towns (2,000-5,000 inhabitants). In 1885, only 1 town had over 1,000,000 inhabitants; 3 others over 250,000; 17 others over 100,000 ; 23 between 50,000 and 100,000; and 83 between 20,000 and 50,000. The 21 large towns,' with the States to which they belong, are: The Constitution provides for entire liberty of conscience and for complete social equality among all religious confessions. The relation between Church and State varies in different parts of the Empire. The order of the Jesuits is interdicted in all parts of Germany, and all convents and religious orders, except those engaged in nursing the sick and purely contemplative orders, have been suppressed. There are five Roman Catholic archbishops, and twenty bishoprics. The Old Catholics' have a bishop at Bonn. The following are the results of the last three complete religious censuses: · Adherents of the Greek Church are included in Roman Catholics;' but the Old Catholics are reckoned among Other Christians.' Certain changes were introduced in 1885 in the grouping of Other Christians' and Others,' which explain the differences between the returns for these groups for 1880 and 1885. Roman Catholics are in the majority in only three of the German States, and form more than 20 per cent. of the population in only four others, as follows: In all the other states the Roman Catholics form less than 3.6 per cent. of the population. (For further particulars, see the various States.) Instruction. Education is general and compulsory throughout Germany. The laws of Prussia, which provide for the establishment of elementary schools (Volksschulen), supported from the local rates, in every town and village, and compel all parents to send their children to these or other schools, have been adopted, with slight modifications, in all the States of the Empire. The school age is from six to fourteen. The system of secondary education is also practically homogeneous. Above the elementary schools rank the middle schools of the towns, the Bürgerschulen and Höhere Bürgerschulen, which fit their pupils for business life Children of the working classes may continue their education at the Fortbildungs-Schulen or continuation schools, which are open in the evening or other convenient time. The Gymnasia are the most fully developed classical schools, preparing pupils in a nine years' course for the universities and the learned professions. The Progymnasia differ from these only in not having the highest classes. In the Realgymnasia, Latin, but not Greek, is taught, and what are usually termed 'modern subjects' have more time devoted to them. Realprogymnasia have a similar course, but have no class corresponding to the highest class in the preceding. In the Oberrealschulen and Realschulen Latin is wholly displaced in favour of modern languages. In 1884, 878 secondary schools, including 31 private schools, possessed the right of granting certificates to pupils who pass the leaving examination (Abiturienten Examen), entitling them to serve in the army as one-year volunteers. The teachers in German schools are required to hold a Government certificate, and to have undergone a year's probation. Higher schools for girls are called Höhere Töchterschulen. Besides these there are numerous Gewerbeschulen or technical schools, Polytechnica, normal schools, seminaries, and the universities. The total number of children of school age in 1885 was 8,609,198. No official statistics of the number of schools, pupils, teachers, &c., are issued for the entire Empire; but particulars on these heads will be found under some of the separate States. The number of elementary schools was estimated in 1881 at 57,000, of pupils attending them 7,100,000, and of teachers 120,000. In 1888 the number of secondary schools was as follows: Among the more important special and technical schools in 1888 were 11 technical high-schools and polytechnics; 31 middle schools of agriculture; 12 schools of mining; 11 schools of architecture and building; 5 academies of forestry; 23 schools of art and art-industry (Kunst and Kunstgewerbe-Schulen); and 7 public music-schools. There are also numerous smaller, as well as private agricultural, music, &c., schools, and a large number of artisans' or trade-schools. There is a naval academy and school at Kiel, and military academies at Berlin and Munich; besides 32 schools of navigation, 9 military schools, and 9 cadet institutions. It appears, from statistical returns relating to the formation of the united German army, that of all recruits of the year 1888-89 only 0-60 per cent. could neither read nor write. In East and West Prussia and in Posen the percentage ranged from 2.82 to 387; in nearly all the other States the number was less than 1 per cent. In Alsace-Lorraine it was only 1.29 per cent. in 1882-83, and 0.26 in 1888-89. There are 21 universities in the German Empire, besides the Lyceum Hosianum at Braunsberg (8 teachers and about 30 students), which has only faculties of theology (Roman Catholic) and philosophy. The following table gives the number of teachers for the summer semester 1889, and the number of students for the winter semester 1888-89: |