Upon the basis of an analysis of reports by recruiting boards the author established the increase of the average height of draftees by 0,54 cm. a decade in the years 1874-1913, and 0,77 cm. a decade, if the calculations end in 1912. He maintains that these changes were caused primarily by the improved living standard of the examined population, especially the quality of the food and epidemiological conditions. Throughout the whole period under examination the tallest were the landowners, but the largest growth of height may be observed amongst the lowest social groups. The occurrence and scale of the changes in height are analogous to those which took place in other European countries. The sole exception from the above mentioned rule were members of the Jewish community, who disclosed a growing differentiation of height parallel to the material stratification of the group recorded in descriptive sources.