Includes detailed Prussian statistical records c. 1875-1914 at a level of aggregation analogous to the census tract or county level in US censuses, and the establishment of a set of such geographical units that was consistent across the time span of the records. Much of the analysis involved the use of pooled cross-section and time series methods. The general conclusions of the research are that socalled cultural variables, proxied by language and religion, are important determinants of the level of fertility but not of the rate of fertility decline. On the other hand, structural and economic variables are powerful determinants of the rate of fertility decline and thus in the long run must be determinants of ultimate levels of fertility.
