There were four pigmentations survey of schoolchildren carried out in Central Europe in the late 19th century, distinguishing between gentiles and Jews. The first, largest, and most famous survey was organized by Prussian biologist Rudolf Virchow to determine the hair, eye, and skin pigmentation of primary school students in the German Empire. He established a structure used by the later surveys. He classified hair as blond, brown, black, or brandrote (‚flaming-red‘). Eye color as blue, gray (really intermediate, including hazel, green, and dark grey), and Brown. Skin color was based on the unexposed skin on inner arm, classified as either white or brown. His results were published in 1876.
Georg Mayr Conducted a similar survey at around the same time on the Kingdom of Bavaria which he published in 1875. Gustav Adolph Schimmer conducted the same survey in Cisleithanian Austria-Hungary, published in 1885. Jozef Körösi conducted the same survey in Buda Pest published in 1877.
Altogether 145,380 Jewish schoolchildren out of millions of schoolchildren were observed between these surveys. 27.96% had brown skin, and 72.04% white skin.
This indicates that Ashkenazi Jews are overall darker complexioned than any native population in the German Empire, Darker complexion than Budapest Austrians or Hungarians, and darker than the average for Cisleithania (78.31% white skin) However, Ashkenazi Jews are lighter than Dalmatia (50.87% white), Galicia (66.83% white), Istria (62.65%), Gorizia and Gradisca (65.2% white), and Triest and Gebiet (66.48% white). Ashkenazi are closest in complexion to Carniola (73.8%), and Tirol (73.55%), and Bukowina (73.56%). If only the Southern Tirol and Trento was counted, Ashkenazi Jews would certainly be no darker complexioned, as the overall county had an only weak German Austrian majority. With this understood, Ashkenazi Jews fit well in to Alpine Northeastern Italy in terms of skin tone.
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