Urbanization in the German Empire

As a result of this movement of people from rural areas to cities, living and working conditions were often poor, setting the scene for the social conflict within Germany that was to follow.

[3] For instance, two-thirds of the population of both East Prussia and Posen Province (in the eastern part of Germany) lived in communities of less than 2,000 people in 1910 while only two-fifths of all Germans did and while only one-fifth of the population in both the Rhineland and Westphalia (in the western part of Germany) did.

[2] Overall, the most robust urbanization in Germany during this time period occurred in the Rhineland, Westphalia, Saxony, and Brandenburg.

[2] Similarly, industrial development in Germany during this time focused on the Ruhr, Saxony, and Silesia.

[7] In turn, this set the stage for intense social conflict within Germany as well as led to the rise of the German Social Democratic Party--the largest socialist party in the world during this time—thanks to large-scale worker support for it.