In 1900 the population consisted of 16,971,425 males and 17,501,084 females, i.e., 103·12 females per 100 males. At the close of the reign of Friedrich I., first King of Prussia, the Kingdom had an area of about 43,400 square miles, and a population of 1,731,000. The following table illustrates the development of Prussia since 1867 :— 1 Including 35,355 Prussian Garrison Troops in France. The population living in towns and that not in towns in 1895 and 1900 were as follows: The urban and rural population were distributed as follows in 1885, 1890, 1895, and 1900: 1 Including 16,713 separate 'Gutsbezirke' in 1885; 16,559 in 1890; 16,143 in 1895; 15,955 in 1900. The urban population was thus distributed in 1900: 1 See under German Empire for the official signification of these terms. With respect to conjugal condition the following was the distribution in 1900: The division of the population according to occupation is shown in the section relating to the German Empire. In 1900 the number of foreigners (exclusive of other Germans) resident in Prussia was 368,003, of whom 150,157 were Austrians and Hungarians, 83,944 Dutch, 32,485 Russians, 22,333 Danes, 7,038 Swedes and Norwegians, 8,646 British, 9,294 Belgians, 8,293 Americans (United States), 14,377 Swiss, and 2,764 French. II. MOVEMENT OF THE POPULATION. The following table shows the movement of the population for five years : In 1902 3.10 per cent. of the total births were still-born, and 7 '11 per cent. illegitimate. The emigration from Prussia by German ports and Antwerp was in 1898, 12,161; in 1899, 13,747; in 1900, 12,471; in 1901, 12,384; in 1902, 19,020; in 1903, 21,907. The following table indicates the emigrants from each province in 1903 : Protestants 1,698,465 Religion. Absolute religious liberty is guaranteed by the Constitution. Nearly twothirds of the population are Protestants, and rather over one-third Roman Catholics. In 1900, the numbers were: Protestants, 21,817,577; Roman Catholics, 12,113,670; other Christians, 139, 127; Jews, 392, 322; unknown, 9,813. The numbers of the different creeds by provinces at the census of 1900 were as follows: Provinces East Prussia 269,196 14,995 13,877 93 44 3,878 Brandenburg Pomerania Posen 569,564 1,280,172 2,135 The Evangelical or Protestant Church is the State Church, and since 1871 has consisted of a fusion of the Lutheran and Calvinistic bodies, from which, however, there are still a few dissenters. It is governed by 'consistories,' or boards appointed by Government, one for each province. There are also synods in most circles and provinces, and general synods representing the old provinces only. The constitution of the Catholic Church differs in the various provinces. In the Upper Rhenish ecclesiastical province it is fixed by a concordat between the Government and Pope Pius VII. In every part of the Monarchy the Crown has reserved to itself a control over the election of bishops and priests. The higher Catholic clergy are paid by the State, the Prince Bishop of Breslau receiving 34,000 marks a year, and the other bishops about 22,700 marks. The incomes of the parochial clergy mostly arise from endowments. In the budget of 1903-4 the sum of 3,371,963 marks is set down as direct expenditure in Evangelical Churches, and 2,671,619 marks for the Catholic Church, including 48,000 marks for the old Catholics. Instruction. Education in Prussia is general and compulsory. Every town, or community in town or country, must maintain a school supported by local rates, supplemented by the State, and administered by the local authorities, who are elected by the citizens, and called aldermen or town councillors. All parents are compelled to have their children properly taught or to send them to one of these elementary schools, in which all fees are now abolished. No compulsion exists in reference to a higher educational institution than elementary schools, but parents who send more than one child to any school supported by the community have, in many cases, a reduction made in the charge, and a limited number of pupils (about 10 per cent.) whose parents cannot afford to pay the full rate either enjoy this reduction or are admitted entirely free, at the discretion of the authorities. The school age is from 6 to 14 years, and the number of children of that age in 1901 was returned at 6,103,745. The following table gives the educational statistics of Prussia:— 1 Winter half year. 2 Excl. Lyceum at Braunsberg with 10 teachers and 41 students. Incl. regular 5 Exclusive of technical and assistant teachers. 3 Incl. lecturers and special teachers but not technical teachers. technical and assistant teachers. 6 Incl. teachers of religion and other assistant teachers. scholars of preliminary schools. 7 Incl. teachers and 36,756 93,340 5,670,870 315 458 152 1,089 12,965 12,558 The number of elementary schools in Prussia in 1822 was 20,440 ; in 1843, 23,646; in 1864, 25,056; in 1878, 32,613; in 1891, 34,742; in 1896, 36,138; and in 1901, 36,756. There are also 4 technical high schools (Berlin, Hanover, Aachen, Danzig), 2 forestry schools (Eberswalde, Münden), 2 technical mining schools (Berlin, Klausthal), 2 agricultural high schools (Berlin, Poppelsdorf), agricultural institutes connected with universities, 2 veterinary high schools (Berlin, Hanover), a great number of other schools for various aspects of agriculture, besides other special schools and State establishments for art and music. The Universities, all the high schools, some of the Gymnasia, Realgymnasia, and similar schools, as also all the normal schools, are maintained and administered by the Government, while all the other scholastic institutions are supported by the community, under control of the Government. (For number of professors, teachers, and students at each of the Universities of Prussia, see under German Empire.) The whole of the educational establishments in Prussia are under the control of the Minister of Public Instruction and Ecclesiastical Affairs, but there is a local supervision for every province. The administration of each of these, as far as regards the Regierungs-Bezirke, is vested in a President, who is the head of the Civil Government (Regierung); while the management of the higher (secondary) schools and the normal schools belongs to the Provincial Schul-Collegium, under the supervision of the Oberpräsident, who is the head of the Civil Government of the province. As a general rule, the administration of school funds provided by the State is under the control of the Civil Government, which likewise takes upon itself nearly the whole management of the lower and elementary schools, while the SchulCollegium is responsible for the higher schools and the normal schools, for the general system of instruction and discipline therein, the proper selection of school books, the examination and appointment of masters, and the examination of those who leave school for the Universities. According to the Constitution of 1850, all persons are at liberty to teach, or to form establishments for instruction, provided they can produce to the authorities the prescribed proofs of their moral, scientific, and technical qualifications. Both private and public establishments for education are placed under the superintendence of the Minister of Public Instruction, while all public teachers are considered, directly or indirectly, State servants. For the year 1902-3 the ordinary expenditure for instruction and similar purposes under the Department of the Ministry of Instruction amounted to 124,799,076 marks, besides 14,519,000 marks for non-recurring expenditure. For educational institutions under other ministries the sum of 9,750,000 marks was set aside, so that the total ordinary expenditure of the State on instruction for the year amounted to 134,549,000 marks. The total expenditure for all kind of schools amounted in 1902 to about 390,009,000 marks. Justice-Crime. Prussia contains 15 Oberlandesgerichte (see German Empire, p. 540). The Oberlandesgericht at Berlin is called the Kammergericht, and serves as an ultimate appeal court for summary convictions; though for all cases the court of final instance is the Reichsgericht at Leipzig. The prosecution in all criminal cases is conducted by Staatsanwälte, or public prosecutors, paid by the State. In 1902 there were 316,970 persons convicted of crime in Prussia. The following table shows the number for each of the different provinces :— |