Alexander Gerschenkron (* 1904 in Odessa, "† 26 October 1978 in Cambridge, Massachusetts) was an economist and restaurant economics. It was approximately 25 years long professor for political economy (restaurant economics) to the Harvard University.

Life

Gerschenkron was born 1904 in Odessa and left with its family Russia in the year 1920. It studied economics and political sciences at the University of Vienna and became there 1928 the Dr. rer. pole. attained a doctorate. Until 1938 it was later active with different research institutes in Vienna in the private sector and. In addition it taught at the people university. After the connection 1938 it emigrierte with its family into the USA, where it researched until 1944 at the University OF California in Berkeley, without holding however a regular place. From 1944 to 1948 he worked in the statistics and research department of the Federal reserve system. 1948 it was appointed to the Harvard University.

In the subsequent years it received numerous honorary memberships and honorary offices, among other things he was a president of the Economic History Association.

Work

Gerschenkron busy itself particularly with the process of the industrialization, i.e. with its conditions, processes and the statistic measurement of economic sizes for 19. Century.

Beyond the borders of restaurant history Gerschenkron became by two phenomena designated after it admits, which he described for the first time.

The Gerschenkron effect marks the fact that the growth rate can be changed time series by shifting the base year. In its early work busy itself Gerschenkron several times with such statistic regularities. The background was more political: The Soviet Union took advantage of such phenomena regularly, in order to document the alleged functioning of the socialist economic system outward.

Likewise after it designated is the theory of the "“Vorteilhaftigkeit of the backwardness"”. In its work "“Economic Backwardness in Historical Perspective"” it pointed 1962 out, in what respect a moderate backwardness can favour the rapid economic development of a country compared with other nations. This "“Gerschenkronian backwardness"” was ironically also endeavored, in order to explain view out at that time the amazing development of the USSR.

Publications

• Bread and Democracy in Germany, 1943
• Economic relation with the USSR, 1945
• Economic Backwardness in Historical Perspective, 1962
• Continuity in History and OTHER essay, 1968
• Europe into the Russian Mirror, 1970
• At Economic that Failed keeps in track, 1977

Over Gerschenkron

• Henry Rosovsky: Alexander Gerschenkron: A personnel and rear Recollection, in: Journal OF Economic History Jg. 39, H. 4 (December 1979), P. 1009-1013.
• Henry Rosovski (Hrsg.): Industrialization in Two of system, New York 1966. (Anniversary publication for Alexander Gerschenkron)

Articles in category "Alexander Gerschenkron"

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