Nikolaus Wolf (HU Berlin): "On the origins of national identity. German nation-building after Napoleon"
Ulrich Pfister (Muenster University): "Germany’s transition from a post-Malthusian to a modern growth regime, 1860s to 1880s"
Charlotte Bartels (DIW Berlin): "Phases and drivers of inequality in Germany, 1840-1917"
150 years ago, the German Empire was founded. In this session we will discuss some key aspects of the (economic) origins of "1871" as well as several consequences this had for economic change. The session has two parts. In the first part, we discuss the formation of a national identity, as an important factor for nation building, the transition of Germany into a modern growth regime between 1850 and 1880, and the dynamics of growth and inequality between 1840 and 1913. In the second part, we discuss major consequences of "1871"for economic change: the political economy of Bismacks social insurance, Germany's adoption of the gold standard, and the integration of Germany into the global economy.