Study title

A comprehensive statistics on Germany’s foreign trade, recording all goods imported into and exported from the German customs territory, exists only since 1880. The German foreign trade statistics for the period after 1871 till 1880, is only with numerous limitations applicable. The study is into four parts: I) General basics for the development of the German foreign trade in the 19th century till the foundation of the German Empire. II) Germany’s foreign trade as first step to the formation of a national market. (1815 to 1833) III) Germany’s foreign trade in the first twenty years after the foundation of the German customs area (1834 to 1845) IV) The position of the German capitalism in the world market during the final stage of industrial early capitalism (1854 to 1870). The aim of the investigation is to characterize the changes, the German foreign trade underwent at that time. It turned out, that the early German statistics on the basis of individual selected factors and the additional use of foreign statistics, reflect correctly the decisive and important developments of the German foreign trade. It is important to note, that Bodo F.R. von Borries in his publication on the German foreign trade in the period of 1836 to 1856 has criticized extensively Bondi’s used databasis for his investigation (see: Bodo Fritz Rudolf von Borries, 1970: Deutschlands Außenhandel 1836 bis 1856. Stuttgart; archived study under the number: ZA8365, searchable and downloadable via HISTAT) Datatables in the search- and downloadsystem HISTAT: T = Tables in the text T.01 Entwicklung des Außenhandels des Deutschen Zollvereins (1834-1853) (Development of the foreign trade of the German custom area) T.02 Ein- und Ausfuhr des Zollvereins nach Anteilsätzen oder einzelnen Warenklassen (1828-1869) (Import and Export of the German custom area by shares of the single classes of goods) T.03 Ein- und Ausfuhr von Rohbaumwolle und Baumwollgarn des Zollvereins (1828-1840) ...