In the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, Germany was split into four zones, each administered by France, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Soviet Union respectively. In 1949, the Soviet-controlled zone formed the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), while the rest became the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany). In this time, Berlin was also split into four zones, and the three non-Soviet zones formed West Berlin, which was a part of West Germany (although the West's administrative capital was moved to Bonn). One population grows, while the other declines Between 1949 and 1961, an estimated 2.7 million people migrated from East to West Germany. East Germany had a communist government with a socialist economy and was a satellite state of the Soviet Union, whereas West Germany was a liberal democracy with a capitalist economy, and western autonomy increased over time. Because of this difference, West Germany was a much freer society with more economic opportunities. During the German partition, the population of the west grew, from 51 million in 1950 to 62.7 million in 1989, whereas the population of East Germany declined from 18.4 million to just 16.4 million during this time. Little change after reunification In 1989, after four decades of separation, the process of German reunification began. The legal and physical barriers that had split the country were removed, and Germans could freely travel within the entire country. Despite this development, population growth patterns did not change. The population of the 'new states' (East Germany) continued to decline, whereas the population of the west grew, particularly in the 1990s, the first decade after reunification. The reasons for this continued imbalance between German population in the east and west, is mostly due to a low birth rate and internal migration within Germany. Despite the fact that levels of income and unemployment in the new states have gotten closer to those reported for the west (a major obstacle after reunification), life and opportunities in the west continue to attract young Germans from rural areas in the east with detrimental effect on the economy and demography of the new states.

Timeseries of structure and development of the former German Democratic Republic’s population. The aim of this data-collection is to inform about the population’s structure and development in the former GDR, including East-Berlin, from 1946 to 1989. Basis of the compilation is the published statistical population overview of the German Federal Statistical Office (Statistisches Bundesamt (hrsg.): Sonderreihe mit Beiträgen für das Gebiet der ehemaligen DDR. Heft 3: Bevölkerungsstatistische Übersichten 1946 bis 1989. Wiesbaden, 1993), completed by census data and scientific publications. The survey contains details on population and populationstructure (population-size, -growth, density, agegroups, etc.), on natural population movement (birth, decease, marriages, divorces), on spatial population movement (internal migration, migration beyond the borders of the former GDR), and on households. The datacompilation covers the following topics: A) population B) natural population movement C) households D) migration Topics: Data-Tables in the download-system HISTAT (Thema: Bevölkerung) A. Bevölkerungsstand: A01 Bevölkerungsstand und Bevölkerungsentwicklung (1939-1989) A02 Bevölkerung nach Altersgruppen 1946-1989 A03 Männliche Bevölkerung nach Altersgruppen 1946-1989 A04 Weibliche Bevölkerung nach Altersgruppen 1946-1989 A05. Bevölkerungsgröße, Bevölkerungswachstum, Bevölkerungsdichte und Sexualproportion 1950- 1992 A06. Bevölkerung insgesamt, männlich und weiblich nach Ländern 1950-1998 A07. Fläche, Bevölkerung am Ort der Hauptwohnung und Bevölkerungsdichte für 1950, 1964, 1971, 1981 A08. Bevölkerung am Ort der Hauptwohnung nach Altersgruppen und Geschlecht 1950-1981 A09. Bevölkerung am Ort der Hauptwohnung nach Altersgruppen und Geschlecht 1950-1981 A10. Bevölkerung ab 18 Jahre am Ort der Hauptwohnung nach Familienstand und Geschlecht 1950-1981 A11. Fläche und Bevölkerung nach Bezirken 1950-1989 A12. Bevölkerung nach Altersgruppen und Geschlecht für die neuen Länder und Berlin Ost 1950-1990 A13 Bevölkerung nach Gemeindegrößenklassen (in 1000) 1950-1989 B. Natürliche Bevölkerungsbewegung B01 Natürliche Bevölkerungsbewegung 1946-1995 B02a Eheschließungen, durschnittliches Heiratsalter, Ehescheidungen 1946-1989 B02b Eheschließungen nach Familienstand der Partner vor Eheschließung 1946-1989 B03 Eheschließende, Ersteheschließende und Wiederverheiratete (insgesamt) 1946-1989 B04 Eheschließende nach Ersteheschließenden und Wiederverheirateten (je 100 Eheschließende) 1946-1989 B05 Eheschließende nach Familienstand vor der Eheschließung (insgesamt) 1946-1989 B06 Eheschließende nach Familienstand vor der Eheschließung (je 100 Eheschließende) 1946-1989 B07 Zusammengefasste Geburtenziffer nach Altersgruppen 1952-1989 B08 Das Reproduktionsniveau der Bevölkerung 1946-1989 B09 Durchschnittliche Lebenserwartung Neugeborener in Jahren 1946-1989 B10a Geborene, Lebendgeborene und Totgeborene nach Legitimität 1952-1989 B10b Lebend- und Totgeborene nach Geschlecht 1950-1989 B11 Zusammengefaßte Geburtenziffer nach Gemeindegrößenklassen (1965-1989) B12 Altersgruppenspezifische Sterbeziffern nach Geschlecht ( standardisiert) 1964-1989 B13a Gestorbene insgesamt und gestorbene Säuglinge nach Geschlecht (1946-1989) B13b Gestorbene nach ausgewählten Todesursachen und nach Geschlecht 1947-1989 B13c Gestorbene nach ausgewählten Krankheiten als Todesursachen und nach Geschlecht 1947-1989 B14 Gestorbene infolge Suizid- DDR 1947-1989 B15 Gestorbene infolge Suizid- BRD B16 Gestorbene infolge Mord und Totschlag- DDR 1949-1989 B17 Gestorbene infolge Mord und Totschlag- BRD / Bundesrepublik Deutschland (1961-1989) B18 Die Entwicklung der Fruchtbarkeitsziffern in den beiden Teilen Deutschlands (1946/50-1995) C. Haushalte C01 Privathaushalte nach Haushaltsgröße 1950-1981 C02 Personen in Privathaushalten und Gemeinschaftseinrichtungen 1950-1981 C03 Mehrpersonenhaushalte nach im Haushalt lebenden Kindern unter 17 Jahren 1950-1981 C04 Privathaushalte nach Haushaltsgroesse und nach Altersgruppen des Haushaltsvorstandes 1950 bis 1981 C05 Privathaushalte nach Haushaltsgroesse und nach Altersgruppen des maennlichen Haushaltsvorstandes 1950 bis 1981 D. Wanderung D01 Wanderung über die Grenzen der DDR 1951-1989 D02 Wanderung über die Grenzen der DDR nach Altersgruppen 1965-1989 D03 Binnenwanderungsgewinn bzw.- verlust (-) nach Gemeindegrößenklassen 1970-1989 D04 Saldo aus zu- und Fortzügen (-) über die Grenzen der ehemaligen DDR nach Gemeindegrößeklassen 1965-1989 D05 Binnenwanderung über die Gemeinde- bzw. Kreisgrenzen 1953-1989 Zeitreihen zur Struktur und Entwicklung der Bevölkerung in der ehemaligen DDR. Mit Hilfe der vorliegenden Datensammlung soll Auskunft über die Struktur und Entwicklung der Bevölkerung für das Gebiet der ehemaligen DDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republik, inklusive Berlin-Ost) von 1946 – 1989 gegeben werden. Grundlage dieser Kompilation ist im wesentlichen die vom Statistischen Bundesamt in Wiesbaden herausgegebene Bevölkerungsstatistische Übersicht (Statistisches Bundesamt (hrsg.): Sonderreihe mit Beiträgen für das Gebiet der ehemaligen DDR. Heft 3: Bevölkerungsstatistische Übersichten 1946 bis 1989. Wiesbaden, 1993), ergänzt durch Volkszählungsergebnisse sowie Informationen aus einzelnen wissenschaftlichen Publikationen. Der Datenüberblick berücksichtigt Angaben zu Bevölkerungsstand und –struktur (Bevölkerungsgröße, -wachtum, -dichte, Altersgruppen, etc.), der natürlichen Bevölkerungsbewegung (Geburten, Sterbefälle, Eheschließungen, Ehelösungen), der räumlichen Bevölkerungsbewegung (Binnenwanderungen, Wanderungen über die Grenze der ehemaligen DDR) sowie Angaben zu Privathaushalten. Die Angaben zur Bevölkerung sind Ergebnisse am Stichtag der Volkszählung oder basieren in den Folgejahren auf den durch die Erfassung der Lebendgeborenen und Gestorbenen in den Standesämtern sowie der An- und Abmeldungen in den polizeilichen Meldestellen fortgeschriebenen Ergebnissen der Volkszählung. Die Datenkompilation deckt folgende Bereiche ab: A) Bevölkerungsstand B) Natürliche Bevölkerungsbewegung C) Haushalte D) Wanderung Themen: Verzeichnis der Datentabellen im Recherche- und Downloadsystem HISTAT (Thema: Bevölkerung) A. Bevölkerungsstand: A01 Bevölkerungsstand und Bevölkerungsentwicklung (1939-1989) A02 Bevölkerung nach Altersgruppen 1946-1989 A03 Männliche Bevölkerung nach Altersgruppen 1946-1989 A04 Weibliche Bevölkerung nach Altersgruppen 1946-1989 A05. Bevölkerungsgröße, Bevölkerungswachstum, Bevölkerungsdichte und Sexualproportion 1950- 1992 A06. Bevölkerung insgesamt, männlich und weiblich nach Ländern 1950-1998 A07. Fläche, Bevölkerung am Ort der Hauptwohnung und Bevölkerungsdichte für 1950, 1964, 1971, 1981 A08. Bevölkerung am Ort der Hauptwohnung nach Altersgruppen und Geschlecht 1950-1981 A09. Bevölkerung am Ort der Hauptwohnung nach Altersgruppen und Geschlecht 1950-1981 A10. Bevölkerung ab 18 Jahre am Ort der Hauptwohnung nach Familienstand und Geschlecht 1950-1981 A11. Fläche und Bevölkerung nach Bezirken 1950-1989 A12. Bevölkerung nach Altersgruppen und Geschlecht für die neuen Länder und Berlin Ost 1950-1990 A13 Bevölkerung nach Gemeindegrößenklassen (in 1000) 1950-1989 B. Natürliche Bevölkerungsbewegung B01 Natürliche Bevölkerungsbewegung 1946-1995 B02a Eheschließungen, durschnittliches Heiratsalter, Ehescheidungen 1946-1989 B02b Eheschließungen nach Familienstand der Partner vor Eheschließung 1946-1989 B03 Eheschließende, Ersteheschließende und Wiederverheiratete (insgesamt) 1946-1989 B04 Eheschließende nach Ersteheschließenden und Wiederverheirateten (je 100 Eheschließende) 1946-1989 B05 Eheschließende nach Familienstand vor der Eheschließung (insgesamt) 1946-1989 B06 Eheschließende nach Familienstand vor der Eheschließung (je 100 Eheschließende) 1946-1989 B07 Zusammengefasste Geburtenziffer nach Altersgruppen 1952-1989 B08 Das Reproduktionsniveau der Bevölkerung 1946-1989 B09 Durchschnittliche Lebenserwartung Neugeborener in Jahren 1946-1989 B10a Geborene, Lebendgeborene und Totgeborene nach Legitimität 1952-1989 B10b Lebend- und Totgeborene nach Geschlecht 1950-1989 B11 Zusammengefaßte Geburtenziffer nach Gemeindegrößenklassen (1965-1989) B12 Altersgruppenspezifische Sterbeziffern nach Geschlecht ( standardisiert) 1964-1989 B13a Gestorbene insgesamt und gestorbene Säuglinge nach Geschlecht (1946-1989) B13b Gestorbene nach ausgewählten Todesursachen und nach Geschlecht 1947-1989 B13c Gestorbene nach ausgewählten Krankheiten als Todesursachen und nach Geschlecht 1947-1989 B14 Gestorbene infolge Suizid- DDR 1947-1989 B15 Gestorbene infolge Suizid- BRD B16 Gestorbene infolge Mord und Totschlag- DDR 1949-1989 B17 Gestorbene infolge Mord und Totschlag- BRD / Bundesrepublik Deutschland (1961-1989) B18 Die Entwicklung der Fruchtbarkeitsziffern in den beiden Teilen Deutschlands (1946/50-1995) C. Haushalte C01 Privathaushalte nach Haushaltsgröße 1950-1981 C02 Personen in Privathaushalten und Gemeinschaftseinrichtungen 1950-1981 C03 Mehrpersonenhaushalte nach im Haushalt lebenden Kindern unter 17 Jahren 1950-1981 C04 Privathaushalte nach Haushaltsgroesse und nach Altersgruppen des Haushaltsvorstandes 1950 bis 1981 C05 Privathaushalte nach Haushaltsgroesse und nach Altersgruppen des maennlichen Haushaltsvorstandes 1950 bis 1981 D. Wanderung D01 Wanderung über die Grenzen der DDR 1951-1989 D02 Wanderung über die Grenzen der DDR nach Altersgruppen 1965-1989 D03 Binnenwanderungsgewinn bzw.- verlust (-) nach Gemeindegrößenklassen 1970-1989 D04 Saldo aus zu- und Fortzügen (-) über die Grenzen der ehemaligen DDR nach Gemeindegrößeklassen 1965-1989 D05 Binnenwanderung über die Gemeinde- bzw. Kreisgrenzen 1953-1989

Following the Second World War, Germany was split into four territories, administered by France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States. In 1949, the zones occupied by Britain, France and the US formed the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany), and the USSR zone became the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). The capital city of Berlin, which was located in East Germany, was also split into two parts, with West Berlin remaining in the Federal Republic of Germany and East Berlin belonging to the Soviet satellite state of the German Democratic Republic. Between 1949 and 1961, over 2.5 million people (mostly skilled laborers) emigrated from East to West Germany in search of economic opportunities and higher standard of living. Increasing restrictions In reaction to this imbalanced migration, the communist East German government increased restrictions on movement to the West, and, despite initial requests being denied by Nikita Khrushchev in 1953, the Soviet leader eventually approved the building of a physical barrier in 1961. Initially, a wire fence was used to separate the East from the West, and this was later reinforced with concrete walls, bunkers, guard towers and landmines, most notably in the case of the Berlin Wall, which became the symbol of German division during the Cold War. From the early 1960s until the late 1980s, migration from East to West Germany dropped significantly. In the 1970s, there was no year where more than 20,000 people moved from the East to West, which is a significant drop from the 1950s, where as many as 331,000 people migrated in 1953 alone. The fall of the iron curtain As the Soviet Union's power weaned in the 1980s, and their influence in Eastern Europe diminished, communism in the Eastern block and Soviet satellite states began to collapse at the end of the decade. On November 9, 1989, when an East German politician mistakenly claimed that restrictions on travel visas would be lifted with immediate effect, thousands of people in Berlin gathered at the checkpoints along the Berlin Wall demanding to be allowed through. As tensions rose, the commanding officers eventually gave in to public demands and opened the barriers, allowing the people to move freely again between both German states. In the days that followed, Germans from both sides of the barrier began to tear down and create holes in the Berlin Wall, in a symbolic act that would represent unity and the end of German division.

In 1800, the region of Germany was not a single, unified nation, but a collection of decentralized, independent states, bound together as part of the Holy Roman Empire. This empire was dissolved, however, in 1806, during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic eras in Europe, and the German Confederation was established in 1815. Napoleonic reforms led to the abolition of serfdom, extension of voting rights to property-owners, and an overall increase in living standards. The population grew throughout the remainder of the century, as improvements in sanitation and medicine (namely, mandatory vaccination policies) saw child mortality rates fall in later decades. As Germany industrialized and the economy grew, so too did the argument for nationhood; calls for pan-Germanism (the unification of all German-speaking lands) grew more popular among the lower classes in the mid-1800s, especially following the revolutions of 1948-49. In contrast, industrialization and poor harvests also saw high unemployment in rural regions, which led to waves of mass migration, particularly to the U.S.. In 1886, the Austro-Prussian War united northern Germany under a new Confederation, while the remaining German states (excluding Austria and Switzerland) joined following the Franco-Prussian War in 1871; this established the German Empire, under the Prussian leadership of Emperor Wilhelm I and Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. 1871 to 1945 - Unification to the Second World War The first decades of unification saw Germany rise to become one of Europe's strongest and most advanced nations, and challenge other world powers on an international scale, establishing colonies in Africa and the Pacific. These endeavors were cut short, however, when the Austro-Hungarian heir apparent was assassinated in Sarajevo; Germany promised a "blank check" of support for Austria's retaliation, who subsequently declared war on Serbia and set the First World War in motion. Viewed as the strongest of the Central Powers, Germany mobilized over 11 million men throughout the war, and its army fought in all theaters. As the war progressed, both the military and civilian populations grew increasingly weakened due to malnutrition, as Germany's resources became stretched. By the war's end in 1918, Germany suffered over 2 million civilian and military deaths due to conflict, and several hundred thousand more during the accompanying influenza pandemic. Mass displacement and the restructuring of Europe's borders through the Treaty of Versailles saw the population drop by several million more.

Reparations and economic mismanagement also financially crippled Germany and led to bitter indignation among many Germans in the interwar period; something that was exploited by Adolf Hitler on his rise to power. Reckless printing of money caused hyperinflation in 1923, when the currency became so worthless that basic items were priced at trillions of Marks; the introduction of the Rentenmark then stabilized the economy before the Great Depression of 1929 sent it back into dramatic decline. When Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933, the Nazi government disregarded the Treaty of Versailles' restrictions and Germany rose once more to become an emerging superpower. Hitler's desire for territorial expansion into eastern Europe and the creation of an ethnically-homogenous German empire then led to the invasion of Poland in 1939, which is considered the beginning of the Second World War in Europe. Again, almost every aspect of German life contributed to the war effort, and more than 13 million men were mobilized. After six years of war, and over seven million German deaths, the Axis powers were defeated and Germany was divided into four zones administered by France, the Soviet Union, the UK, and the U.S.. Mass displacement, shifting borders, and the relocation of peoples based on ethnicity also greatly affected the population during this time. 1945 to 2020 - Partition and Reunification In the late 1940s, cold war tensions led to two distinct states emerging in Germany; the Soviet-controlled east became the communist German Democratic Republic (DDR), and the three western zones merged to form the democratic Federal Republic of Germany. Additionally, Berlin was split in a similar fashion, although its location deep inside DDR territory created series of problems and opportunities for the those on either side. Life quickly changed depending on which side of the border one lived. Within a decade, rapid economic recovery saw West Germany become western Europe's strongest economy and a key international player. In the east, living standards were much lower, although unemployment was almost non-existent; internationally, East Germany was the strongest economy in the Eastern Bloc (after the USSR), though it eventually fell behind the West by the 1970s. The restriction of movement between the two states also led to labor shortages in t...

Attitudes to renewal in the GDR, orientation in the future and stand on German-German unification. Topics: Confidence regarding the renewal of society; concerns in view of violence, aggression and economic problems; stand on remaining in the GDR and understanding for those leaving; personal effort for renewal; frequency of trips to the FRG and West Berlin in recent time; attitude to the new travel regulations; Sunday question regarding elections for the East German Parliament and allocation of first and second votes; preferred development path for the GDR; stand on German-German unification; frequency of participation in demonstrations and forums; assessment of trust of the population in the new leadership of the SED; trust in the effectiveness of the action program; trust in political personalities (scale); personal identity; trust in the policies of Gorbachev; year of studies; size of main place of residence; membership in parties, organizations and new movements. (GESIS 3/3/2015)

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of German Unity, the BKG publishes this data set of historical administrative areas. The product comprises the administrative units of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic in a uniform structure with administrative boundaries, key figures (East — TGS and West — AGS), names, designations, population numbers and area data.

The data set contains booths 03.10.1990 and 31.12.1989, 01.10.1990, 31.12.1990 and 01.01.1991.

Attitudes to renewal in the GDR, orientation in the future and stand on German-German unification. Topics: Confidence regarding the renewal of society; concerns in view of violence, aggression and economic problems; stand on remaining in the GDR and understanding for those leaving; personal effort for renewal; frequency of trips to the FRG and West Berlin in recent time; attitude to the new travel regulations; Sunday question regarding elections for the East German Parliament and allocation of first and second votes; preferred development path for the GDR; stand on German-German unification; frequency of participation in demonstrations and forums; assessment of trust of the population in the new leadership of the SED; trust in the effectiveness of the action program; trust in political personalities (scale); personal identity; trust in the policies of Gorbachev; year of studies; size of main place of residence; membership in parties, organizations and new movements.

The study was commissioned by the German settlement and state pension bank with the objective to analyze the historical and future role of social housing in Germany. Another objective of the investigation was to evaluate 47 years of social housing and give recommendations for its future tasks. The results of the investigation give an overview over the role of social housing in different periods of the development of the housing market since 1950. The study also shows differences in social housing in the various federal states. “The present investigation summarizes almost 50 years of social housing and raises the question whether the entire system of social housing fits to the framework and conditions of the future housing market which can be predicted today with a relative certainty. The indicators for the future development of population and households indicate since already two decades that in the second half of the 90s there will be a decline in demand and afterwards a long stagnation in the housing demand on a lower level. Through the huge wave of immigrants in West Germany with more than five million persons the discussion of the 80s about the adjustment of housing subsidies was postponed again. Today, after the decline in immigration and smaller new generations that enter in the age of household foundation the question is raised again and seems even more urgent.” (Hübl, L./Möller, P., 1997, a. cit., p. 4f) The rules of social housing were discussed lively since its implementation. In the 45 years that passed since the approval of the first law housing in 1950 it a lot of changes and support methods were undertaken in order to be compatible with the social and economic framework. Important changes were induced especially trough the implementation of the law “III. Förderwegs” (Third funding way) in 1989. All changes were steps on the way to a higher flexibility of funding instruments. Data tables in HISTAT: A. Old states of Germany: Housing completions and authorizations of social housing A.01 Housing completions altogether and authorizations of social housing in the old states of Germany (1950 – 1995) A.02 Population, Households and stock of housing in the old states of Germany (1950 – 1987) A.03 Authorizations of social housing in the old states of Germany (1950-1995) B. Social housing in the new states of Germany and in East Berlin B.01 Social housing in the new states of Germany and in East Berlin (1991-1995) C. Development of population, construction activities and authorizations of social housing at provincial level Register of tables in HISTAT: A. Old states of Germany: Housing completions and authorizations of social housing A.01 Housing completions altogether and authorizations of social housing in the old states of Germany (1950 – 1995) A.02 Population, Households and stock of housing in the old states of Germany (1950 – 1987) A.03 Authorizations of social housing in the old states of Germany (1950-1995) B. Social housing in the new states of Germany and in East Berlin B.01 Social housing in the new states of Germany and in East Berlin (1991-1995) C. Development of population, construction activities and authorizations of social housing at provincial level C.01 Schleswig – Holstein: Development of population, construction activities and authorizations of social housing (1953-1995) C.02 Hamburg: Development of population, construction activities and authorizations of social housing (1953-1995) C.03 Lower Saxony: Development of population, construction activities and authorizations of social housing (1953-1995) C.04 Bremen: Development of population, construction activities and authorizations of social housing (1953-1995) C.05 North Rhine - Westphalia: Development of population, construction activities and authorizations of social housing (1953-1995) C.06 Hesse: Development of population, construction activities and authorizations of social housing (1953-1995) C.07 Rhineland - Palatinate: Development of population, construction activities and authorizations of social housing (1953-1995) C.08 Saarland: Development of population, construction activities and authorizations of social housing (1953-1995) C.09 Baden - Württemberg: Development of population, construction activities and authorizations of social housing (1953-1995) C.10 Bavaria: Development of population, construction activities and authorizations of social housing (1953-1995) C.11 Berlin – West: Development of population, construction activities and authorizations of social housing (1953-1995)

The myriapod fauna of a spruce forest and two neighbouring deciduous woods in the Neisse valley near Goerlitz (Eastern Germany) was first investigated in 1961/62. At this time the sites were in a healthy state despite high ash deposition by industry. After spruce destruction by increasing pollution, but without acidification, a second investigation was made in 1988/89. Most of the diplopod and chilopod populations had increased in (activity-) density during the first period. None of the reaction of the 32 species studied can be interpreted as directly influenced by action of chemical pollutants from the power stations. For this reason it should be checked in a further study (2011) if these trends also remain up to now and which factors are responsible for this process. Measurements of temperature (annual average temperatur) and of soil parameters (e.g. pH, C/N) exist for the investigation period 1961/62 and are currently charged resp. Additional climate data can be obtained from weather stations nearby.

By order of the OECD the researcher Agnus Maddison repeatedly published in the framework of worldwide investigations the estimations on the GDR-Data, among other things on the GDP at constant prices for the period between 1950 and 1989. According to the sources of the two publications (1995 and 2000) the data based to a large extension on estimations of Thad P. Alton. The publication of 2001 contains data on the GDR’s GDP for selected years. Datatables in Downloadsystem HISTAT (Topic: National Accounts - Volkswirtschaftliche Gesamtrechnung): A-d Die Auswirkung der Grenzveränderungen in Deutschland auf das Bruttoinlandsprodukt (1820-1991) (The impact of border changes in Germany´s gross domestic product.) B.6 Gebietsbezogene Angaben für Deutschland: Bruttoinlandsprodukt, Bevölkerung und Bruttoinlandsprodukt pro Kopf (1936, 1990) (Area-based data for Germany: Gross domestic product, population and gross domestic product per capita) B.7 Schätzungen für das Volkseinkommen/Bruttoinlandsprodukt zu konstanten Preisen (1950=100) für die ehemalige DDR (1936-1989) (Estimates of national income / gross domestic product at constant prices (1950 = 100) for the former GDR) T.81 Vergleich von Berechnungen zur Entwicklung des BIP der DDR, 1950=100 (1950-1989) (Comparison of computation for the development of the GDP of East Germany, 1950 = 100 (1950-1989))

Throughout the 19th century, what we know today as Poland was not a united, independent country; apart from a brief period during the Napoleonic Wars, Polish land was split between the Austro-Hungarian, Prussian (later German) and Russian empires. During the 1800s, the population of Poland grew steadily, from approximately nine million people in 1800 to almost 25 million in 1900; throughout this time, the Polish people and their culture were oppressed by their respective rulers, and cultural suppression intensified following a number of uprisings in the various territories. Following the outbreak of the First World War, it is estimated that almost 3.4 million men from Poland served in the Austro-Hungarian, German and Russian armies, with a further 300,000 drafted for forced labor by the German authorities. Several hundred thousand were forcibly resettled in the region during the course of the war, as Poland was one of the most active areas of the conflict. For these reasons, among others, it is difficult to assess the extent of Poland's military and civilian fatalities during the war, with most reliable estimates somewhere between 640,000 and 1.1 million deaths. In the context of present-day Poland, it is estimated that the population fell by two million people in the 1910s, although some of this was also due to the Spanish Flu pandemic that followed in the wake of the war.

Poland 1918-1945

After more than a century of foreign rule, an independent Polish state was established by the Allied Powers in 1918, although it's borders were considerably different to today's, and were extended by a number of additional conflicts. The most significant of these border conflicts was the Polish-Soviet War in 1919-1920, which saw well over 100,000 deaths, and victory helped Poland to emerge as the Soviet Union's largest political and military rival in Eastern Europe during the inter-war period. Economically, Poland struggled to compete with Europe's other powers during this time, due to its lack of industrialization and infrastructure, and the global Great Depression of the 1930s exacerbated this further. Political corruption and instability was also rife in these two decades, and Poland's leadership failed to prepare the nation for the Second World War. Poland had prioritized its eastern defenses, and some had assumed that Germany's Nazi regime would see Poland as an ally due to their shared rivalry with the Soviet Union, but this was not the case. Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, in the first act of the War, and the Soviet Union launched a counter invasion on September 17; Germany and the Soviet Union had secretly agreed to do this with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in August, and had succeeded in taking the country by September's end. When Germany launched its invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 it took complete control of Poland, which continued to be the staging ground for much of the fighting between these nations. It has proven difficult to calculate the total number of Polish fatalities during the war, for a variety of reasons, however most historians have come to believe that the figure is around six million fatalities, which equated to almost one fifth of the entire pre-war population; the total population dropped by four million throughout the 1940s. The majority of these deaths took place during the Holocaust, which saw the Nazi regime commit an ethnic genocide of up to three million Polish Jews, and as many as 2.8 million non-Jewish Poles; these figures do not include the large number of victims from other countries who died after being forcefully relocated to concentration camps in Poland.

Post-war Poland

The immediate aftermath of the war was also extremely unorganized and chaotic, as millions were forcefully relocated from or to the region, in an attempt to create an ethnically homogenized state, and thousands were executed during this process. A communist government was quickly established by the Soviet Union, and socialist social and economic policies were gradually implemented over the next decade, as well as the rebuilding, modernization and education of the country. In the next few decades, particularly in the 1980s, the Catholic Church, student groups and trade unions (as part of the Solidarity movement) gradually began to challenge the government, weakening the communist party's control over the nation (although it did impose martial law and imprison political opponent throughout the early-1980s). Increasing civil unrest and the weakening of Soviet influence saw communism in Poland come to an end in the elections of 1989. Throughout the 1990s, Poland's population growth stagnated at around 38.5 million people, before gradually decreasing since the turn of the millennium, to 37.8 million people in 2020. This decline was mostly due to a negative migration rate, as Polish workers could now travel more freely to Western Europea...

Since the beginning of the 20th century, the total number of independent nation states in Europe has almost doubled, from 24 countries in 1900 to 45 today. At the beginning of this period, much of Central and Eastern Europe was split between the empires of Austria-Hungary, Germany, the Ottomans, and Russia. The dissolution of these empires in the aftermath of the First World War resulted in the restoration or creation of several independent states, such as Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Yugoslavia. During the interwar period, there were generally 33 countries in Europe, before the Second World War saw Germany and the Soviet Union annex most of the territories between them, and control of these regions swapped between the two during the remainder of the war. Germany also invaded several Western European countries, and there were fewer than 20 independent countries in Europe at the peak of the war. Post-war Europe The post-war period then saw some major restructuring of Europe's borders, and most of the defeated Axis governments fell under Allied influence. However, there was then a split between the leading Allied Powers, and the continent was divided between the east and west. The communist, eastern countries, known as the Eastern Bloc, mostly fell under the influence of the Soviet Union; whereas the West remained largely democratic and was under American influence (but to a lesser extent). Both sides of Europe prospered throughout the post-war period, but the Eastern Bloc economies eventually collapsed or stagnated, and independence movements gained more momentum. Communist regimes across Europe began collapsing in 1989, before the Soviet Union's dissolution in late 1991. Soviet dissolution resulted in the formation of 15 separate countries, seven of which were in Europe, while Yugoslavia's eventually resulted in seven new states. Post-communist separation While the borders of Western Europe remained fairly stable throughout the entire period, Eastern Europe's changed greatly. A large part of this can be attributed to cultural and historical differences between different ethnic groups in the region, who were often forced to share their lands under various empires or world powers; the fall of communism provided an opportunity for these groups to separate, but it was not always a peaceful process. This was most notable in the Yugoslav Wars in the 1990s, where some states achieved independence through violence, while others descended into it thereafter. Communism's collapse also resulted in the expansion of European integration, and many eastern countries joined the European Union in the early-2000s; this resulted in a mass exodus of economic migrants from the former-Eastern Bloc, which has had a significant demographic and economic impact on both sides of the continent. Generally, political relations across the east have improved greatly in recent years, and prosperity is growing. However, there has been a noticeable rise in authoritarian leadership across Eastern Europe, and Russian interference in foreign politics is growing; it remains to be seen what impact this will have on the stability of the region.

Im Auftrag der OECD publizierte Angus Maddison mehrfach im Zusammenhang mit weltweiten Untersuchungen auch Schätzungen von DDR – Daten, u.a. zum Bruttoinlandsprodukt zu konstanten Preisen für den Zeitraum 1950 – 1989. Nach den Quellenangaben der beiden Publikationen (1995, 2000) beruhen die DDR – Daten überwiegend auf Schätzungen von Thad P. Alton. In der Publikation (2001) wurden für die DDR nur für ausgewählte Jahre entsprechende Daten für das BIP veröffentlicht. Datentabellen im Recherche- und Downloadsystem HISTAT (Thema: Volkswirtschaftliche Gesamtrechnung) A-d Die Auswirkung der Grenzveränderungen in Deutschland auf das Bruttoinlandsprodukt (1820-1991) B.6 Gebietsbezogene Angaben für Deutschland: Bruttoinlandsprodukt, Bevölkerung und Bruttoinlandsprodukt pro Kopf (1936, 1990) B.7 Schätzungen für das Volkseinkommen/Bruttoinlandsprodukt zu konstanten Preisen (1950=100) für die ehemalige DDR (1936-1989) T.81 Vergleich von Berechnungen zur Entwicklung des BIP der DDR, 1950=100 (1950-1989) By order of the OECD the researcher Agnus Maddison repeatedly published in the framework of worldwide investigations the estimations on the GDR-Data, among other things on the GDP at constant prices for the period between 1950 and 1989. According to the sources of the two publications (1995 and 2000) the data based to a large extension on estimations of Thad P. Alton. The publication of 2001 contains data on the GDR’s GDP for selected years. Datatables in Downloadsystem HISTAT (Topic: National Accounts - Volkswirtschaftliche Gesamtrechnung): A-d Die Auswirkung der Grenzveränderungen in Deutschland auf das Bruttoinlandsprodukt (1820-1991)(The impact of border changes in Germany´s gross domestic product.) B.6 Gebietsbezogene Angaben für Deutschland: Bruttoinlandsprodukt, Bevölkerung und Bruttoinlandsprodukt pro Kopf (1936, 1990)(Area-based data for Germany: Gross domestic product, population and gross domestic product per capita) B.7 Schätzungen für das Volkseinkommen/Bruttoinlandsprodukt zu konstanten Preisen (1950=100) für die ehemalige DDR (1936-1989)(Estimates of national income / gross domestic product at constant prices (1950 = 100) for the former GDR) T.81 Vergleich von Berechnungen zur Entwicklung des BIP der DDR, 1950=100 (1950-1989)(Comparison of computation for the development of the GDP of East Germany, 1950 = 100 (1950-1989))

Die Feldarbeit wurde im Schwerpunkt im Jahr 2015 durchgeführt. In ihrem Verlauf wurden die dem Datensatz zu Grunde liegenden prozess-prdouzierten Eingabenstatistiken des DDR-Verwaltungsapparates aus ostdeutschen Staats-, Landes-, Kreis- und Stadtarchiven geborgen, digitalisiert und in den Datensatz überführt. Content Coding Aggregation In the course of the fieldwork archival materials were collected from various East German state, county and city archives. The materials were digitized and then transferred into a data set, the PGSF. Fieldwork took place mainly in March and April 2015. Eine Untersuchungseinheit des PGSF ist ein Kreis (Land- oder Stadtkreis) zu einem bestimmten Jahr im Zeitraum 1970--1989 (Kreisjahr) auf dem Gebiet der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik. Die Grundgesamtheit umfasst 4372 Kreisjahre. In the PGSF a research unit is defined as a county-year. A county-year refers to a county (urban or rural county) in a specific year from 1970--1989 in the German Democratic Republik. The PGSF's target population is N=4372 county-years. Auswahlverfahren Kommentar: Wahrscheinlichkeitsauswahl Nicht-Wahrscheinlichkeitsauswahl: Willkürliche Auswahl Aus der Grundgesamtheit wurde eine Wahrscheinlichkeitsstichprobe mit dem Umfang brutto = 3260 Kreisjahre gezogen. Ausgewählt wurden alle Jahre derjenigen Kreise, in denen sich eine Startadresse der Stichprobe C des sozio-oekonomischen Panels (SOEP) befand. Die realisierte Stichprobe umfasst n=2499 Kreisjahre mit Angaben zu insgesamt 155 Kreisen. Die jährlich erfasste Anzahl an Kreisen schwankt zwischen 83 im Jahr 1970 und 142 im Jahr 1986. Neben der Wahrscheinlichkeitsstichprobe wurde in einem Convenience-Sample 635 weitere Kreisjahre gezogen mit Angaben zu insgesamt 40 weiteren Kreisen. Der PGSF ist als Spell-Datensatz organisiert, da die Quellenlage die Zuordnung zu einem Kalenderjahr nicht in jedem Fall erlaubte.