U
m
ZWICKAU.
481
villages, with an aggregate population of about 122,000. Thus, as regards the
number of his customers, the Zwickau shopkeeper reaps all the advantage which
he would enjoy if he were settled in a large town, while his burdens in respect
of rent and other working expenses are relatively light.
Owing to its elevated position, swept by frequent winds, Zwickau, though
by no means free from smoke, is certainly free from the griminess which
characterises some coal-mining towns in other parts of Germany ; e.g.,
Königshütte and Beuthen in Upper Silesia, and Bochum in the Rhineland.
The house-fronts, like those of Chemnitz, are dull, the brick (which is the local
building material) being more frequently exposed to view than covered with the
painted stucco-work which contributes so much to the brightness of the streets
of most German towns. At night the gas-lit streets are but little frequented,
and the chief centres of attraction for all classes of the population are the
restaurants of various grades as well as the spirit taverns, the latter being much
frequented by workmen.
The growth of the population of Zwickau has been steady and continuous
during the whole period for which a record of its movement exists. In 1834
the place was little more than a village with about 6,000 inhabitants. The
population in 1871 and at each subsequent census, together with the inter-censal
increases, was as follows :—
Year.
1871
1875
1880
1885
1890
1895
1900
1905
Population.
27,322
31,491
35,005
39,243
44,198
50,391
55,830
68,502
Increase.
Increase per cent.
4,169
3,514
4,238
4,955
6,193
5,439
12,672
15 3
112
121
12 6
14-0
108
22 7
Part of the increase between the censuses of 1900 and 1905 was due to the
incorporation within the town area of a number of outlying villages aggregating
some 9,000 inhabitants. Judging by the figures since 1886 (the earliest year for
which it has been possible to procure the requisite data), it would appear that
the growth of the population has been due less to immigration than to the
regular excess of births over deaths. This is shown by the following
table i—
Year.
1886
1887
1888
1889
1890
1891
1892
1893
1894
1895
1896
1897
1898
1899
1900
1901
1902
1903
1904
Births per 1,000
of Population.
38-7
36- 9
39 0
393
37- 5
40-0
34- 8
35- 1
347
35-3
36 5
370
351
349
35-0
34-4
33- 9
346
34- 4
Deaths per 1,000
of Population.
Increase (+) or decrease (—) per
1,000 of Population due to
Difference between
Birth-rate and
Death-rate.
28-7
240
26-0
24-8
26 6
225
26 6
26-0
21-9
23 9
23- 1
24- 7
226
232
23- 3
225
19-8
24- 3
230
+ 10-0
+ 12-9
+ 13-0
+ 14-5
+ 10-9
+ 17-5
+ 8-2
+ 9-1
+ 12-8
+ 11-4
+ 13-4
+ 123
+ 12-5
+ 11-7
+ 11-7
+ 11-9
+ 14-1
+ 10-3
+ 11-4
Difference between
number of
Immigrants and
number
of Emigrants.
+ 16-4
+ 86
+ 8-7
+ 7-1
+ 10-8
- 1-8
+ 20-4
+ 19-3
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