Historical Social Research

HSR Trans 26: Documentation of the German Time Series Dataset, 1834-2012

Thomas Rahlf, ed. Documentation of the German Time Series Dataset, 1834-2012. HSR Trans 26 (2015) v01. 

The dataset comprises 120 XLSX-tables with a total of 1073 time series of 22 different topics for Germany in its different borders from 1834, the foundation of the Customs Union (Zollverein), until 2012.  The current purpose to compile the data was a publication issued in cooperation with the German Federal Agency for Civic Education (Bundeszentrale für Politische Bildung). The project was limited to:

  • the compilation of published data
  • in the perspective of long time series and
  • without regional differentiation within Germany.

The aim of the project was to identify and compile scattered existing historical time series, and to complement or update them at reasonable expense. In doing so, the best possible or most important data should be compiled. Time series were only to be included, if data for the entire period from 1834 to 2012 was at least theoretically available.

An integral aspect of the concept of our project is the combination of data with critical commentaries of the time series by established expert scientists. The following themes are covered (authors in parentheses):

1. Environment, Climate and Nature (Paul Erker)
2. Population, Households, Families (Georg Fertig/Franz Rothenbacher)
3. Migration (Jochen Oltmer)
4. Education and Science (Volker Müller-Benedict)
5. Health Service (Reinhard Spree)
6. Social Policy (Marcel Boldorf)
7. Public Finance and Taxation (Mark Spoerer)
8. Political Participation (Marc Debus)
9. Crime and Justice (Dietrich Oberwittler)
10. Work and Income, and Standard of Living (Toni Pierenkemper)
11. Culture, Tourism, and Sports (Heike Wolter/Bernd Wedemeyer-Kolwe)
12. Religion (Thomas Großbölting/Markus Goldbeck)
13. National Accounts (Rainer Metz)
14. Prices (Rainer Metz)
15. Money and Credit (Richard Tilly)
16. Transport and Communication (Christopher Kopper)
17. Agriculture (Michael Kopsidis)
18. Business, Industry, and Craft (Alfred Reckendrees)
19. Building and Housing (Günther Schulz)

20. Trade (Markus Lampe/Nikolaus Wolf)
21. Balance of Payments (Nikolaus Wolf)
22. International Comparisons (Herman de Jong/Joerg Baten)

The documentation lists all used sources.

To HSR Trans 26

This documentation refers to the following book: Thomas Rahlf, ed. 2015. Deutschland in Daten. Zeitreihen zur Historischen Statistik. Bonn: Bundeszentrale für Politische Bildung.