Census in Germany - 1871 - 1945 German Reich

1945 German Reich

Starting in 1871, the census resumed in the newly united German Empire, continuing every five years from 1875 to 1910. The first large-scale census in the German Empire took place in 1895 (see German census of 1895). Those censuses were affected by the Kulturkampf policies of the era; for example, Catholic population count was deflated.

The last pre-war census was held on 1 December 1910, the 1915 census was canceled, but two war censuses were held on 5 December 1916 and 1917 to organize the sharing of food. Due to allied blockades preventing the import of food, the civil population suffered malnutrition and starvation. On 8 October 1919 and 16 June 1925, regular census resumed in the areas which had remained with Germany after the Treaty of Versailles.

The 1930 census was delayed by the Depression until 1933, and another one was carried out in 1939, both were affected by the bias of the Nazi government. Initially planned for 1937, the 1939 census now also included the areas of Austria, Sudetenland and Memelland. About 750,000 counters covered 22 million households and roughly 80 million inhabitants. Made in atmosphere of terror, attacks on members of Polish minority, and demolishing of Polish shops and libraries, the census resulted in many Poles living in Germany giving their nationality as German out of fear of losing life or well-being of their families.

After another World War which resulted also in the death or dislocation of many million Germans, both citizens of Germany or ethnic Germans from other states, the occupying powers started to count the population in their zones, first the Soviets on 1 December 1945, then the French on 26 January 1946. On 29 October 1946, a census was held in all four zones.