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