114
BRESLAU.
The total area of the town on December 19th, 1905, was 10,400 acres, of
which about one-fourth was occupied by houses (including their yard or garden
spaces) ; one-fifth by streets, roadways and railway lines, and about
one-twentieth by water.
In respect of its public parks and open spaces, which cover an area of
953 acres, Breslau is particularly fortunate. In central or old Breslau alone
there are 90 acres of tree-planted open spaces, nearly one-half of which consist of
the promenades occupying the site of the ramparts which were demolished between
1307 and 1813, and encircled the old town on all sides except the north, where the
Oder formed a natural defence. The original moats survive in a series of ornamental
lakes following the line of the promenades, so that the old or inner town is
still more or less surrounded by a belt of water. The number of recreation and
ornamental grounds is being constantly added to by the efforts, not only of the
municipality, but also of a private society of citizens one of whose aims is to
ensure that all pieces of waste or wayside land within the urban area shall be
planted with trees or flowers or otherwise made to contribute to the amenities
of the town.
The population of Breslau has increased fourfold since 1850 and doubled
since 1875. The number of its inhabitants at the end of 1905 was 470,751.
The mean yearly increase of the population in each quinquennial period
since 1871 has been as follows :—
Quinquennial Period.
Mean Yearly Increase
Population (per cent.
1871-75 ..
1875-80 ..
3 54
2 68
of
).
1880-85 ...
! 1885-90 ...
I 1890-95 ...
I 1895-1900
! 1900-05 ...
1- 89
2 27
217
2- 66
214
In each of the two last quinquennial periods, part of the increase was
caused. by the incorporation within the municipal area of certain outlying
parishes. If the area had remained the same, the mean yearly increase would
have been 2*25 per cent, in 1895-1900 and 1*98 per cent, in 1900-05, instead
of 2'66 and 2T4 per cent, respectively. Of the total increase of the population
between 1871 and 1905 about two-thirds has been due to the arrival of new
settlers, and one-third to natural growth.
Both the birth and death rates have declined considerably in the last
25 years, but the death rate has declined the more rapidly, as may be seen from
the following Table :—
Quinquennial Period.
1881-85
1886-90
1891-95
1896-1901
1901-05
Mean Annual
Birth-rate per 1,000
of Population.
Mean Annual
Death-rate per 1,000
of Population.
36 6
35 8
35 3
343
32 2
314
29 0
27 4
25 0
23 8
Thus, in the 25 years under review, the preponderance of the birth-rate
over the death-rate has increased from 5 2 to 8'4 per 1,000 of the population.
The decline in the general death rate has been accompanied by a fall in the
rate of infant mortality. Even now, however, few of the larger cities of
Germany show higher rates of infant mortality than Breslau, where for every
1,000 children born (exclusive of still-births), there were in 1905 252 deaths of
