As is well known, the German system of general education is a segmented one: After leaving the compulsory primary school, pupils (i.e. their parents) have to opt for one branch of secondary schooling among three main alternatives: Hauptschule (upper grades of elementary school, non-selective), Realschule (middle school, modestly selective), Gymnasium (high school, highly selective). The data handbook 'General education in the Federal Republic von Germany 1949-2010' presents detailed statistical information (time series, tables and graphs) about the great transformation which took place since the late 1960s: sharply rising enrollments in high schools (and middle schools) accompanied by similarly declining enrollments in elementary schools. In particular, topics dealt with include: institutional history, participation in schooling (enrollments by institutions, by grades, by gender, by percentages of age cohorts, etc.), graduates (by leaving certificates and institutions).

Dr. Helmut Köhler, 2012 verstorben, war bis 2005 Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter am Max-Planck-Institut für Bildungsforschung.