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DORTMUND.
Dortmund, the largest town of the Prussian Province of Westphalia,,
situated amid the Hellweg plain in the north-east of the Rhineland-Westphalian
industrial district, is one of the chief centres of the coal and iron industries, and
is also famous for its breweries. Its great development began in the middle of
last century, since when it has progressed in population and prosperity with
extraordinary rapidity. The following Table shows the rate at which the
population has increased since 1850, without any great extension of municipal
territory :—
Year.
Population.
1850
1860
1870
1880
1885
1890
1895
1900
1905
11,216
21,477
39,385
66,544
78,435
89,663
111,232
142,733
Decennial
Increase per cent.
9149
83 38
68 96
3474
5919
175,571
2301*
* In five years.
In 1905 there was an excess of males over females of 5,467, viz., 90,519
against 85,052.
This phenomenal increase in the population has been due partly to a high
birth-rate (the natural rate of increase during the past few years averaging over
22 per thousand per annum), but chiefly to a steady influx of workmen of
whom only a small percentage are German, the great majority being Austrians,
Italians, and especially Poles from the eastern provinces of Prussia and from
beyond the German borders. Some not altogether satisfactory results of this
immigration will be noticed subsequently.
The following were the birth and death rates, with the infant mortality
rates, for the years 1901-1905 :—
Year.
1901
1902
1903
1904
1905
Birth-rate
per 1,000
of Population.
42 9
421
42 0
411
40-7
Death-rate
per 1,000
of Population.
19 9
19 5
19-4
19-8
18-2
Infantile
Mortality
per 1,000 Births
190
159
169
181
184
The town retains a number of memorials of its past history. The walls
were abolished soon after 1860, and replaced by broad promenades, but many
old buildings still remain, including the ancient Rathaus, now used as a town
museum, the old Guildhall, which dates from the commencement of the
fifteenth century, and three large mediaeval churches. A certain number of old
houses remain in the centre of the town, but they are rapidly giving way before
the new buildings and improvements. In the outer districts of the town new
streets of houses are rising swiftly to meet the increased needs ; the number of
inhabited houses advanced from 7,321 in 1900 to 9,184 in 1905. The result of
these changes in the centre, and of developments elsewheie, is that the whole
town presents a curiously unfinished and transitional appearance. Ihe municipal
authorities have taken the utmost trouble to control this development as much
as possible ; they haVe marked out large areas, chiefly in the centre and south,
in which factories are not permitted at all, and in the new industrial districts,
which are mainly in the north and west, they have shown praiseworthy activitv
in the acquisition of land and the planning of streets, often radiating from
squares or 11 circuses, ' so as to secure sufficient width and open spaces, and to
facilitate the provision of means of transit.
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