"Schön ist, was Schönes leistet"

Zum Zusammenspiel von Körperform, Gesundheit und Leistungsfähigkeit in der Rinderzucht des 19. Jahrhunderts

Abstract

English abstract: In the middle of the 19th century, cattle breeding became increasingly important in the German states. Through breeding, the performance of the animals (milk and meat) should be improved, i.e. increased. This article traces how in academic animal breeding the performance requirements for cattle bodies were linked to the health and also beauty of the animals. These criteria were to be read off the bodies themselves by measuring the bodies with the help of special instruments. In this way, traditional criteria of assessment were transformed into an apparently objective, scientific method according to the understanding of the time. Finally, another criterion was linked to the body of the cattle, its performance, health and beauty, which would eventually become the determining category in cattle breeding: breed.