Ludwig Lachmann
Life and Work
- 1. Februar 1906
in Berlin - 17. Dezember 1990
in Johannesburg - Generation 4
Stations
- 1906Birth
Born on 1 February 1906 in Berlin.
- 1923Askanisches Gymnasium
Attended the Askanisches Gymnasium in Berlin; began his studies in 1923.[5]
- 1924–1930Studies in Law and Economics
Studied law and economics at the University of Berlin (Friedrich Wilhelm University, later Humboldt University) from 1924.[6]
- 1926Summer at the University of Zurich
Spent the summer of 1926 at the University of Zurich. There his interest in the Austrian School was sparked, particularly in the work of Carl Menger.
- 1930Doctorate at Humboldt University
Earned his doctorate in economics at the Humboldt University of Berlin.
- 1933Emigration to England
In 1933 Lachmann emigrated to England. At the London School of Economics he was a student and later a colleague of Friedrich August von Hayek.
- 1940Internment as an “enemy alien”
Internment as an “enemy alien” from July to December 1940 in England.[4]
- 1941Lecturer at the University of London
From 1941 he was a Lecturer in Economics at the University of London.[6]
- 1943–1948Head of the Economics Department, University of Hull
Headed the Department of Economics at the University of Hull (Yorkshire, England) from 1943 to 1948.[2]
- 1948–1972University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
In 1948 Lachmann accepted an appointment at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. He worked there until his retirement in 1972.
- 1956“Capital and Its Structure”
His principal work Capital and Its Structure (1956) – a contribution to Austrian capital theory.[1]
- 1962–1963President of the Economic Society of South Africa
President of the Economic Society of South Africa, 1962/63.[2]
- 1974South Royalton Conference
Keynote speaker at the South Royalton Conference in 1974 in Vermont – the spark for the modern revival of the Austrian School in the United States.[3]
- 1974–1987Collaboration with Israel M. Kirzner
Worked with Israel M. Kirzner at New York University from 1974 to 1987; Kirzner sought to revive the tradition of the Austrian School.
- 1975–1987Winter-semester seminar on the Austrian School
As a visiting professor, Lachmann organized a seminar on the Austrian School in each winter semester from 1975 to 1987.
- 1986Honorary Doctorate, Witwatersrand
Received an honorary doctorate from the University of the Witwatersrand in 1986.[2]
- 1990Death
Died on 17 December 1990 in Johannesburg.
Influences
- 1930Werner Sombart(1863–1941) · Jüngere Historische Schule
Doctorate in 1930 at the University of Berlin under Werner Sombart, who also introduced him to the work of Max Weber.[5]
- 1933
At the LSE, Lachmann belonged to Hayek's closest academic circle and developed radical subjectivism further out of this line.
- 1930–1933
Lachmann nahm laut Pipeline-Briefing als jüngeres Mitglied am Mises-Privatseminar teil; vor seiner Emigration nach London 1933.
- 1935–1948
After his studies, a colleague of Friedrich August von Hayek at the London School of Economics; collaboration until the move to Johannesburg in 1948.
- 1974–1987
Arbeitete von 1974 bis 1987 an der New York University mit Israel M. Kirzner zusammen, der die Tradition der Österreichischen Schule wiederbeleben wollte.
- —
Became a close friend of Ludwig Lachmann at the LSE; Lachmann developed his theory of divergent expectations further out of Shackle's work on uncertainty.[6]
Ludwig Lachmann in the context of the School as a whole: five generations, their teacher-student lineages, circles and collegial ties.
Show in the family tree →SOURCES ON STATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS13 citations · 4 sources
- [2]Corfield: Lachmann (2010) · 3×
- [3]Vaughn: Austrian Economics in America (1994), S. 103
Places of Activity
The Books
- Drei Essays über Max Webers geistiges VermächtnisOriginalGerman
- Marktprozess und Erwartungen: Studien zur Theorie der Marktwirtschaft1994OriginalGerman
Essays, Reviews, Lectures
- Neuüberprüfung der österreichischen Theorie der KonjunkturzyklenOriginalGerman
- Die Rolle der Erwartungen in der Nationalökonomie als SozialwissenschaftOriginalGerman
- Komplementarität und Substitution in der KapitaltheorieOriginalGerman
- Nationalökonomie als SozialwissenschaftOriginalGerman
- Die Wissenschaft vom menschlichen HandelnOriginalGerman
- Bemerkungen zum nationalökonomischen DenkenOriginalGerman
- Marktwirtschaft und VermögensverteilungOriginalGerman
- Joan Robinson und die Akkumulation des KapitalsOriginalGerman
- Shackles Ansichten über die ökonomische Bedeutung der ZeitOriginalGerman
- Kultiviertes Wachstum und MarktwirtschaftOriginalGerman
- The Significance of the Austrian School of Economics in the History of IdeasOriginalEnglish
- Model Constructions and the Market EconomyOriginalEnglish
- Sir John Hicks über Kapital und WachstumOriginalGerman
- Ursachen und Folgen der Inflation unserer ZeitOriginalGerman
- Methodologischer Individualismus und die MarktwirtschaftOriginalGerman
- Ludwig von Mises und der MarktprozeßOriginalGerman
- Sir John Hicks als Neo-ÖsterreicherOriginalGerman
- Die Österreichische Schule der Volkswirtschaftslehre und die gegenwärtige Krise des nationalökonomischen DenkensOriginalGerman
- Auf der Suche nach dem subjektiven ParadigmaOriginalGerman
- APA
- Ludwig Lachmann. (n.d.). Edited by mises.at and scholarium. Accessed July 16, 2026, from https://mises.at/en/denker/ludwig-lachmann
- Chicago
- “Ludwig Lachmann.” n.d. Edited by mises.at and scholarium. Accessed July 16, 2026. https://mises.at/en/denker/ludwig-lachmann.
- German historical style
- Ludwig Lachmann, edited by mises.at and scholarium, https://mises.at/en/denker/ludwig-lachmann (accessed July 16, 2026).