Abstract

This table indicates that average hours of daily work increased from the beginning of the nineteenth century until peaking at about 14–16 hours around mid-century. Thereafter, the time available for leisure increased substantially, whereas sleep time remained consistent throughout the period.

Daily Hours of Work (1800–1914)

Source

Daily Hours of Work in Germany (1800–1914)

Time Period	Sleep	Working Hours	Leisure
c. 1800	SSSSSSSS 8 hours	WWWWWWWWWWww 10–12	LLLLll 4–6
c. 1820	SSSSSSSS 8 hours	WWWWWWWWWWWwww 11–14	LLlll 2–5
1830–1860	SSSSSSSS 8 hours	WWWWWWWWWWWWWWww 14–16	Ll 0–2
1852–1859	SSSSSSSS 8 hours	WWWWWWWWWWWWWW 14	LL 2
1860–1867	SSSSSSSS 8 hours	WWWWWWWWWWWWW 13	LLL 3
1868–1878	SSSSSSSS 8 hours	WWWWWWWWWWWW 12	LLLL 4
1879–1886	SSSSSSSS 8 hours	WWWWWWWWWWWw 11.5	LLLLl 4.5
1887–1894	SSSSSSSS 8 hours	WWWWWWWWWWW 11	LLLLL 5
1894–1902	SSSSSSSS 8 hours	WWWWWWWWWWw 10.5	LLLLLl 5.5
1903–1909	SSSSSSSS 8 hours	WWWWWWWWWW 10	LLLLLL 6
1909–1914	SSSSSSSS 8 hours	WWWWWWWWWw 9.5	LLLLLLl 6.5

Source: Wilhelm Heinz Schröder, “Latente Determinanten der Sozialstruktur der sozialdemokratischen Arbeiterbewegung im Deutschen Kaiserreich 1871 bis 1918,” D. Phil. Diss., University of Cologne, 1976, Table 6, and own calculations; reprinted with new calculations in Peter von Rüden und Kurt Koszyk, eds., Dokumente und Materialien zur Kulturgeschichte der deutschen Arbeiterbewegung 1848–1918. Frankfurt am Main: Büchergilde Gutenberg, 1979, p. 64.

Translation: GHI staff

Recommended Citation

Daily Hours of Work (1800–1914), published in: German History in Documents and Images, <https://germanhistorydocs.org/en/forging-an-empire-bismarckian-germany-1866-1890/ghdi:document-5063> [December 21, 2024].