The Verein für Sozialpolitik, 1872-1972

Based on research in archives in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and the United Kingdom, my PhD dissertation traces the origins of the liberal democratic consensus among German economists that became firmly established after 1945. Throughout its existence, the Verein played a crucial role in defining the boundaries between liberalism, conservatism, and socialism in German intellectual life. But its early emphasis on the social question gradually grave way to increasing focus on economic problems, particularly as Sozialpolitik came to be viewed as a politically divisive force. The history of the Verein expresses the protean character of liberalism in Germany, particularly by showcasing the development and ascendancy of liberal conservatism from the Kaiserreich to the West German Bundesrepublik among key economic and social theorists.