The study focuses on the preparations, organization and the realization of the general census of the year 1857. Its goal is to present the way of ascertaining the data and the characteristics pre-defined in census sheets. The attention will be rendered also to other documents connected to the census, the specific processing and presentation of data for every settlement unit and the possibilities of their further use in the study of culture and lifestyle. By way of illustration the results of the census will be documented on the example of the city Trnava. and Miriam Mikušová.