Abstract

Many disparities grew out of the confessional divide between Catholics and Protestants. The paucity of Catholics in the higher ranks of the military had much to do with the limitations set by the Protestant establishment in Prussia. Conversely, the high number of Catholics entering into Church service strengthened what many historians have called the “re-confessionalization” of German society. These 1907 statistics suggest that Catholics were more likely to create their own institutions than to cooperate with Protestants in inter-confessional institutions.

Catholics in the Public Sector (1907)

Source

Military, court, civic, and church service, also the so-called liberal professions

Overall numbers

%

Professions

Protestants

Catholics

Israelites

Others

Protestants

Catholics

Israelites

Others

1. Officers, Military doctors, officials of equal rank

27,455

5,478

16

118

83.2
(+21.1)

16.5
(-20.0)

0.04
(-0.88)

0.36
(-0.02)

Non-commissioned officers and common administrative personnel of equal rank

417,813

197,471

2,009

834

67.6
(+5.5)

32.0
(-4.5)

0.34
(-0.58)

0.13
(-0.25)

total

445,268

202,949

2,025

952

68.4
(+6.3)

31.3
(-5.2)

0.31
(-0.61)

0.14
(-0.24)

2. Higher Reich and state officials

8,957

3,264

244

123

71.5
(+9.4)

25.9
(-10.5)

1.94
(+1.02)

0.98
(+0.60)

Judges,

Prosecutors

15,020

5,143

906

62

71.2
(+9.1)

24.4
(-12.1)

4.28
(+3.36)

0.29
(-0.09)

Lawyers,

Notaries,

Patent attorneys

7,352

3,464

1,877

105

57.5
(-4.6)

27.1
(-9.4)

14.6
(+13.6)

0.82
(+0.44)

Higher court officials of every kind

535

194

10

72.4
(+10.3)

26.3
(-10.2)


1.35
(+0.97)

Higher municipal officials

5,424

1,819

42

19

74.3
(+12.2)

24.9
(-11.6)

0.57
(-0.35)

0.26
(-0.12)

Higher officials of estate [standesherrlich] or seigneurial administration

223

247

4

4

46.7
(-15.4)

51.9
(+15.4)

0.84
(-0.08)

0.84
(+0.4)

Reich and state officials of mid-level rank, including the administration of justice

122,518

44,066

589

406

73.3
(+11.2)

26.3
(-10.2)

0.35
(-0.57)

0.24
(-0.14)

Mid-level court officials

1,235

630

4

3

66.1
(+4.0)

33.7
(-2.8)

0.21
(-0.71)

0.16
(-0.22)

Mid-level municipal officials

60,652

24,859

131

258

70.5
(+8.4)

29.0
(-7.5)

0.15
(-0.77)

0.30
(-0,08)

Mid-level officials of estate and seigneurial administration

1,232

755

2

7

61.7
(-0.4)

37.8
(+1.3)

0.10
(-0.82)

0.35
(-0.03)

Lower Reich and state officials

20,769

7,213

49

80

73.8
(+11.7)

25.6
(-10.9)

0.17
(-0.75)

0.28
(-0.10)

Lower court officials

3,698

1,278

13

74.3
(+12.2)

25.6
(-10.9)

0.26
(-0.12)

Lower municipal officials

28,493

14,089

55

169

66.4
(+4.3)

32.8
(-3.7)

0.13
(-0.79)

0.39
(+0.01)

Lower estate and seigneurial officials

1,004

706

1

3

58.5
(-3.6)

41.3
(+4.8)

0.05
(-0.87)

0.17
(-0.21)

total

277,112

107,727

3,904

1,262

71.1
(+9.0)

27,4
(-9.1)

1.00
(+0.08)

0.32
(-0.06)

3. Church, church service, missionary work, also personnel in institutions with a religious purpose

a

22,822

22,854

841

845

48.3
(-13.8)

48.5
(+12.0)

1.77
(+0.85)

1.79
(+1.41)

b

2,880

18,508

49

15

13,4
(-48.7)

86.5
(+50.0)

0.23
(-0.69)

0.07
(-0.31)

c

4,627

6,133

465

151

40.8
(-21.3)

54.2
(+17.7)

4.11
(+3.19)

1.34
(+0.96)

total

30,329

47,495

1,355

1,011

37.9
(-24.2)

59.3
(+22.8)

1.69
(+0.77)

1,26
(+0,88)

4. Education and teaching, libraries, scientific and artistic collections

a

183,648

89,251

3,235

1,019

66.3
(+4.2)

32.2
(-4.3)

1.17
(+0.25)

0.37
(-0.01)

b

2,880

1,152

64

31

70.0
(+7.9)

27.9
(-8.6)

1.55
(+0.63)

0.75
(+0.37)

c

11,163

6,851

46

56

61.6
(-0.5)

37.8
(+1.3)

0.25
(-0.67)

0.31
(-0.07)

total

197,691

97,254

3,345

1,106

66.0
(+3.9)

32.4
(-4.1)

1.12
(+0.20)

0.37
(0.01)

5. Health care and infirmary service

a

49,695

23,489

4,719

647

63.2
(+1.1)

30.0
(-6.5)

6.00
(+5.08)

0.83
(+0.45)

b

9,328

2,644

84

67

76,8
(+14.7)

21.8
(-14.7)

0.69
(-0.23)

0.55
(+0.17)

c

48,211

39,859

417

622

54.0
(-8.1)

44.7
(+8.2)

0.47
(-0.45)

0.69
(+0.31)

d

17,569

10,195

87

84

62.6
(+0.5)

36.5
(-0.0)

0.31
(-0.61)

0.30
(-0.08)

total

124,803

76,187

5,307

1,420

60.2
(-1.9)

36.8
(+0.3)

2.56
(+1.64)

0.68
(+0.30)

6. Private scholars, writers, journalists

5,638

1,905

712

498

64.3
(+2.2)

21.7
(-14.8)

8.14
(+7.22)

5.69
(+5.31)

7. Stenographers, private secretaries, accountants, clerks, etc.

7,371

2,575

296

334

69.8
(+7.7)

24.3
(-12.2)

2.81
(+1.89)

3.16
(+2.78)

8. Music, theater, theatrical performances of every kind

a

58,663

20,276

1,775

701

72.0
(+9.9)

25.2
(-11.3)

2.18
(+1.26)

0.86
(+0.48)

b

1,690

603

76

22

70,7
(+8.6)

25.2
(-11.3)

3.18
(+2.16)

0.92
(+0.54)

c

4,796

2,019

53

25

69.6
(+7.5)

29.6
(-6.9)

0.77
(-0.15)

0.36
(-0.02)

total

65,149

22,898

1,904

748

71.8
(+9.7)

25.2
(-11.3)

2.09
(+1.17)

0.82
(+0.44)

On 12 June 1907 there were in %:

62.1

36.5

0.92

0.38

Source: Die Benachteiligung der Katholiken im öffentlichen Dienst (bes. akademische Berufe) 1907; reprinted in: Hans Rost, Die wirtschaftliche und kulturelle Lage der deutschen Katholiken. Cologne, 1911, p. 71 f.

Translation: Thomas Dunlap