<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Child labour is a controversial issue both in presentday as well as in past societies. In historical perspective, studies focus on the factory labour of children during the industrialization process. On the one hand, its contribution to the family income is mentioned as a potential positive effect on the living standard of the whole family, on the other hand reference is made to the permanent health risks for children working in the factories. Using qualitative sources, there were contemporary testimonies supporting both views. The present paper, thererfore, uses a rather quantitive approach referring to the number of working days lost due to illness, anthropometric indicators such a height and weight, the results of draft examinations as well as mortality differences and cause-of-death rates from “accidents” in urban and rural areas during the nineteenth century. Available data do not provide clear evidence of direct harmful effects of child labour; many indications point to a neutral or even positive effect.</p>
</abstract>

Child labour is a controversial issue both in presentday as well as in past societies. In historical perspective, studies focus on the factory labour of children during the industrialization process. On the one hand, its contribution to the family income is mentioned as a potential positive effect on the living standard of the whole family, on the other hand reference is made to the permanent health risks for children working in the factories. Using qualitative sources, there were contemporary testimonies supporting both views. The present paper, thererfore, uses a rather quantitive approach referring to the number of working days lost due to illness, anthropometric indicators such a height and weight, the results of draft examinations as well as mortality differences and cause-of-death rates from “accidents” in urban and rural areas during the nineteenth century. Available data do not provide clear evidence of direct harmful effects of child labour; many indications point to a neutral or even positive effect.

Child Labour and Health During the Industrialization in Western Europe with Special Reference to Prussia

Studia Historiae Oeconomicae

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Child labour is a controversial issue both in presentday as well as in past societies. In historical perspective, studies focus on the factory labour of...

Child Labour and Health During the Industrialization in Western Europe with Special Reference to Prussia

Published Online: Dec 10, 2023

Page range: 63 - 78

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14746/sho.2023.41.2.004

Keywords
child labour, child health, nineteenth century, Europe

© 2023 Jörg Peter Vögele et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Child Labour and Health During the Industrialization in Western Europe with Special Reference to Prussia

Published Online: Dec 10, 2023

Page range: 63 - 78

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14746/sho.2023.41.2.004

Keywordschild labour, child health, nineteenth century, Europe

© 2023 Jörg Peter Vögele et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Keywords
child labour, child health, nineteenth century, Europe