Profile Major Works Resources

Carl Dietzel, 1829-1884.

Carl (or Karl) August Dietzel was an early German Historical School economist and pioneer in public finance.

Born in Hanau (Hessen),  Dietzel studied at the University of Heidelberg, obtaining his doctorate in 1853, and his habilitationin 1855 in political science (Staatswissenschaft). 

Carl Dietzel was still a young 26-year-old when he published his 1855 masterpiece on public debt, System der Staatsanleihen. Attacking the then-popular "crowding out" theories of public debt,  Dietzel posited bond-financed government expenditures actually increased economic activity and "crowded in" private investment.   As such, Dietzel quixotically preferred to refer to government public debt as "state credit" (Staatscredit),

After this sparkling beginning, Dietzel's output became more scarce.  After submitting his habilitation in 1855, Dietzel stayed on as privat-dozent  (assistant) at Heidelberg, moving to Bonn in 1858, and then back to Heidelberg again in 1861, becoming extraordinary (associate) professor there in 1863. In 1864, Dietzel took up a position in the polytechnical school of Karlsruhe (Baden). In 1867, Dietzel finally secured appointment as ordinary (full) professor at the University of Marburg, a position he held until his death. He also served as a deputy of the National-Liberal Part in the Prussian Parliament from 1868 to 1874.

Although a relatively obscure figure during his lifetime, Dietzel's influence on public finance would be acknowledged by prominent members of the German Historical School, such as Adolph Wagner, Gustav Cohn, and others like Luigi Cossa.

 

  

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Major Works of Carl Dietzel

  • Das System der Staatsanleihen im Zusammenhang der volkswirthschaft betrachtet, 1855 [bk, av]
  • Die Besteuerung des Actien-Gesellschaften in Verbindung mit der Gemeinde-Besteuerung, 1859 [bk]
  • Die Volkswirthschaft und ihr Verhältniss zu Gesellschaft und Staat, 1864 [bk]
  • "Die Volkswirthschaftslehre als Wissenschaft, I", 1866, ZfGS (v.22) p.329 [av]
  • "Die Volkswirthschaftslehre als Wissenschaft, II", 1868, ZfGS, (v.24), p.80 [av]
  • Strassburg als Deutsche Reichsuniversität und die Neugestaltung des juristischen und staatswisenschaftlichen Studiums, 1871 [bk]

 
HET

 
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Resources on Carl Dietzel

  • "Review of Dietzel's Besteurung", 1859, Kritische Vierteljahrsschrift für Gesetzgebung und Rechtswissenschaft, p.581
  • "Review of Dietzel's Strassburg", 1872, Grenzbottom, p.73
  • "Dietzel, Carl" in J. Conrad et al, (1891-94) Handwörterbuch der Staatswissenschaften [2nd ed, 1898-1901]
  • "Dietzel" in  Franz Doctorow, 1900 Untersuchung über die Stellung des Handels in der Volkswirtschaft.
  • Carl Dietzel page in NDB
  • Carl Dietzel und die Theorie des Staatskredits in der zweiten Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts by Manfred Schüler, 1961.
  • "Government debt in economic thought of the long 19th century" by Carl-Ludwig Holtfrerich, 2013/14 Econstor [pdf]
  • Wiki

 

 
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