Before beginning, the following remark must be made. We shall give, as far as possible, the percentages of criminals born of illegitimate unions together with the percentages of illegitimate births in general. We shall see that with some exceptions, even so, the percentage for criminals is much greater than that for the population in [[489]]general. However, to make the comparisons exact it is necessary to know the percentage of illegitimate persons among the population of an age to commit crime, and not among the newly born. This percentage is very much less, because, first, the mortality among illegitimate children is especially great, second, because a considerable number are legitimated. In general the percentage of illegitimate persons among the adult population is unknown. From researches by Neumann (“Die jugendlichen Berliner unehelicher Herkunft”) and Spann (“Untersuchungen über die uneheliche Bevölkerung in Frankfurt a/M.”), it appears that 3.6 times fewer illegitimate children in proportion, than legitimate, reach the age of 20 years![218]
Austria, 1883–1889.[219]
The following figures have to do with illegitimacy among the criminals imprisoned in the years 1883 and 1884.
| Sex. | 1883. | 1884. | ||||
| Total Number of Criminals Imprisoned. | Illegitimate. | Total Number of Criminals Imprisoned. | Illegitimate. | |||
| Absolute Number. | To 100 Prisoners. | Absolute Number. | To 100 Prisoners. | |||
| Men | 4,988 | 595 | 11.9 | 4,512 | 626 | 13.8 |
| Women | 781 | 149 | 19.0 | 751 | 156 | 20.7 |
| Total | 5,769 | 746 | 12.9 | 5,263 | 782 | 14.8 |
| Recidivists. | ||||||
| Men | 2,719 | 392 | 14.4 | 2,353 | 366 | 15.5 |
| Women | 425 | 93 | 21.8 | 365 | 97 | 26.5 |
| Total | 3,144 | 485 | 15.4 | 2,718 | 463 | 17.0 |
[[490]]
For the years 1896 and 1899 I have the following data, bearing upon the persons convicted of crime during those years.[220]
| Sex. | 1896. | 1897 | ||||
| Total Convicted. | Illegitimate. | Total Convicted. | Illegitimate. | |||
| Absolute Number. | To 100 Convicted. | Absolute Number. | To 100 Convicted. | |||
| Men | 24,833 | 2,095 | 8.4 | 28,984 | 2,838 | 9.7 |
| Women | 4,065 | 621 | 15.2 | 4,679 | 642 | 13.7 |
| Total | 28,898 | 2,716 | 9.3 | 33,663 | 3,480 | 10.3 |
In order to be able to make a comparison we must have the figures for illegitimate births in the population in general. For Austria they are very high: in the period 1876–1880 13.84% of the children born living were illegitimate, and in the period 1887–1891 14.67%.[221] During the period between 1883 and 1892 the general mortality of children under a year old was 24.9% as against 30.3% for illegitimate children.[222]
Baden, 1887–1891.[223]
In 1887 correctional education (Zwangserziehung) was introduced into the Grand Duchy of Baden. The family conditions of the children received between 1887 and 1891 were as follows: