Historical statistics are an interesting, though relatively young, field. The first data concerning the houses and population of Silesian towns date from 1710–1722. In 1747, “historical tables” were introduced, containing data on the number of inhabitants and detailed lists of craftspeople by occupation. The Prussian authorities recognized the value of sound statistics for understanding the country’s economic condition. Therefore, on the occasion of the coronation of Frederick William II, an extraordinary population census was conducted. It was carried out as carefully as possible and included all the inhabitants of Prussia without exception, taking into account detailed social and occupational classifications. In the conditions of a feudal state, where there were no statistical offices and society was largely uneducated, this was a very difficult undertaking, and it is hardly surprising that many errors were made. Nevertheless, the “General Statistical Tables of Silesia from 17X7” are a source of much interesting information for us, including information about our town. The first part of the table provided the town’s name, its owner, the names of its suburbs, and the number of inhabitants. It shows that Bolesławiec, as a royal town, had three suburbs: Upper, Lower and Mikołajskie. The town had 3,093 inhabitants, and a 496-man military garrison was stationed there under the command of a major general.
The next information concerns craftspeople. In 1787, Bolesławiec had 30 bakers working in 9 bakeries, 12 distillers, 10 potters, 28 butchers but 14 butcher shops, 32 furriers, 61 weavers but 19 weaving workshops, 34 tailors, 52 shoemakers making footwear, only 4 repairing shoes, 34 hosiers, 10 carpenters and 92 clothmakers.
The next part of the table provides information about manufactories. At that time, Bolesławiec had a printing house, a tannery, a weaving workshop, a factory producing woollen, cotton and silk fabrics, and one other factory (from other sources, we know that it produced ceramics).
The fourth part of the table concerns general information about the town’s infrastructure.
Bolesławiec was surrounded by walls and had three gates. However, it had no lanterns, apparently because other towns already possessed them, since there was such a column in the table. There was, however, a market square. Markets were held twice a week: on Mondays and Thursdays. Fairs were also held. The first took place on the Tuesday after the Annunciation, the second on the Tuesday after the Assumption, the third on the Tuesday after St Jude’s Day (28 October), and the fourth two or four days before the cattle market. This concludes the information about Bolesławiec in the tables. Even if it was not accurate, it still provides us with much interesting information and encourages further searches of the sources.