Abstract
In this article, health statistics were used primarily as a source of information for
the study of some mortality phenomena in Austrian Silesia at the turn of the 20th century.
The period is determined by the preservation of the sources, as these are statistics stored
in the Provincial Archives in Opava, i.e., the original written sources compiled by the
district doctors. These sources made it possible to track the numbers of births and deaths
in the individual political districts and statutory towns in Austrian Silesia. In the birth
statistics, the share of children born with qualified obstetric assistance was examined. In
the death statistics, the composition of deaths by age and cause of death was monitored.
Additionally, the seasonal distribution of these phenomena was also examined to the
extent permitted by the data sources. At the beginning of the study, a thorough check of
the credibility of the sources, i.e., health statistics, was conducted.
