The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Becker, Karl

BECKER, Karl, German statistician: b. Strohausen, Oldenburg, 2 Oct. 1823; d. 20 June 1896. In 1842 he received a commission in the army, and as such was also instructor in the Oldenburg Military Academy. In 1850 he was on the general staff during the campaign against Denmark. At the close of the war he entered the University of Berlin where he became interested in statistics. In 1855 he organized the statistical bureau of Oldenburg, of which he was director until 1872, when he became chief statistician of the German government. As such he was editor of the Monatshefte zur Statistik des deutschen Reichs and the Statistischen Jahrbuches. He was also the author of 'Zur Berechnung von Sterbetafeln an die Bevölkerungstatistik zu stellende Anforderungen' (Berlin 1874).