ABSTRACT
The Constitutional laws of 1867 gave a considerable impulse to the development of the educational system in the Habsburg Empire. Since the enactment of the Ratio Educationis under the rule of Maria Theresia, no other ambitious reform of public instruction had been undertaken. Looking at the literacy rate at the end of the period, there is no doubt that remarkable progress had been achieved, but there were still parts of the territory where literacy was progressing slowly. The rural populations who made up the majority of the inhabitants of the empire were yet to be integrated into the schooling system at a higher level. Some lands were considered particularly backward, such as Dalmatia, Galicia, and Bucovina. Emigration also contributed to the slow advancement of literacy. Many young adults who left the empire—mostly men—were illiterate. Village schools were poorly attended and most children had no chance to reach town schools. Many immigrants to the cities were illiterate, but once in the city, their children were able to attend school. A city of 50,000 inhabitants had at least one gymnasium, if not two, along with a Realschule, and sometimes a professional school or a seminary. Therefore, most cities had a higher literacy rate, and those who were illiterate were generally older persons who had come from the villages or had had no possibility to attend school in town. There are many tales of illiterate maids, nannies, coach drivers and street sellers.
