189

DRESDEN.

Dresden,  the  capital  of  the  Kingdom  of  Saxony,  lies  on  both  sides  of  the
Elbe,  116  miles  south-east  of  Berlin.  It  is  chiefly  famous  for  its  great  art
collections,  and  in  order  to  be  convinced  that  the  city  is  not  only  a  pleasure
resort  but  also  an  important  manufacturing  centre,  it  is  necessary  to  travel
round  the  suburbs,  more  especially  those  known  as  the  Friedrichstadt,  Leipziger
Vorstadt,  Pieschen,  Cotta,  Löbtau,  Mickten,  Plauen,  and  Uebigau,  all  of  which
may  be  said  to  be  working-class  districts,  in  so  far  as  that  term  can  properly
be  applied  to  any  part  of  a  town  in  which  the  top  story  of  almost  any  house  is
likely  to  be  occupied  by  a  working-class  family.  Even  in  the  industrial  suburbs,
however,  where  several  large  factories  are  often  to  be  found  within  a  radius  of
100  yards  from  a  given  spot,  their  position  or  construction  is  always  such  as  to
produce  as  little  unsightliness  as  possible  in  the  streets  which,  here  as  well  as  in
the  more  central  part  of  the  town,  are  frequently  bordered  with  trees.
Except  in  the  centre  of  what  is  called  the  "  Old  Town,”  where  the  conditions ­
  as  to  light  and  air  are  those  of  three  centuries  ago,  the  streets  are  laid
out  on  lines  which  suggest  a  desire  to  make  the  surroundings  as  un-townlike  as
possible.  With  this  object  trees  and  shrubs  have  been  planted  on  every  available
open  space  and  along  the  sides  and  down  the  centre  of  many  of  the  main
thoroughfares.  The  Elbe,  which  divides  the  "  Old  Town  ”  from  the  “  New
Town,”  is  used  to  the  best  advantage  to  add  to  the  attractiveness  of  the  city  with
its  promenades,  bathing  establishments,  garden  restaurants,  gondolas  and  decorated
passenger  steamers.  A  curious  contrast  with  the  general  air  of  prosperity
noticeable  in  the  streets  and  shops,  as  well  as  in  the  adult  population,  is  to  be
found  in  the  large  number  of  children  of  the  poorer  classes  who,  when  the
weather  permits,  go  unshod.  The  fact  would  seem,  however,  to  be  traceable
less  to  poverty  than  to  local  custom  and  a  habit  of  economy,  for  unshod  children
are  not  to  be  met  with  on  Sundays  or  holidays.
The  following  Table  shows  the  population  of  Dresden  at  the  census  of  1871
and  at  each  subsequent  census  :—

Year.

Population.

Increase.

1871
1875
1880
1885
1890
1895
1900
1905

177,040
197,295
220,818
246,088
276,522
336,440
396,146
516,996

20,255
23,523
25,270
30,434
59,918
59,706
120,850

Increase  per  cent.

114
119
114
124
217
17  7
30  5

It  will  be  seen  that  in  1905  the  population  was  nearly  three  times  as  great
as  in  1871  Part  of  the  increase  in  population  shown  in  the  above  table  is  due
to  the  incorporation  within  the  municipal  area  of  outlying  parishes,  at  various
dates.  Since  April,  1901,  for  instance,  13  suburban  parishes,  with  a  total  of
90,000  inhabitants,  have  been  incorporated.
Migration  does  not  play  an  important  part  in  the  growth  of  the  population,
the  average  annual  increase  clue  to  the  excess  of  immigrants  over  emigrant*
during  thl  If)  years  1896-1905  being  only  4'6  per  1,000,  as  compared  with
13  9  per  1,000  due  to  natural  increase.
Both  the  birth-rate  and  death-rate  have  fallen  considerably  during  the  last
15  years,  the  latter  to  a  much  greater  extent  than  the  former.  Thus  the  mean  of
the  rates  for  the  period  1901-5  shows  a  decrease  compared  with  the  correspending
  mean  for  1891-5  of  4  3  per  cent,  m  the  case  of  the  births,  and