The Unobvious Impact of the First World War on the Height of Pupils in Cracow Schools in 1919–33

Résumé

Using data collected during the inter-war period, the article seeks to identify long-term biological effects of food shortages and the increased incidence of contagious diseases during the First World War on a population of pupils of Cracow schools. This goal is achieved through an analysis of the remaining source materials from 1919–33 concerning the height of the population in question. The study found that the impact of the war manifests itself in a lower average height of pupils born in 1915 and in delayed puberty among the cohorts of 1912–15. The article also lists the potential consequences of such drastic long-term effects of the war.