Eduard March

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Eduard März (born December 21, 1908 in Lemberg , Austria-Hungary ; died July 9, 1987 in Vienna ) was an Austrian economic historian .

Life

Eduard März was born as the son of a watchmaker in Lemberg, then part of the Habsburg Monarchy, and came to Vienna as a child during the events of the First World War. He grew up in Vienna, graduated with honors from the Polytechnic in for Textile Technology and studied at the former World Trade University , which he with the degree of Diplom Kaufmann's finished. March was also interested in literature and, politicized by the events of July 1927, joined the socialist movement early on. March was co-founder of a left-wing cabaret group ("Rote Spieler") and, like many of his acquaintances ( Ernst Fischer , Fritz Jensen , Elias Canetti , Walter Hollitscher and others) , approached the Communist Party during the radicalization phase of the political disputes at the beginning of the 1930s . During the time of Austrofascism , March initially worked as a lecturer at the Ottakring Adult Education Center, but was banned from teaching because of his Marxist views.

Threatened by the National Socialists because of his Jewish origins, März, who had worked part-time for IBM to finance his studies, managed to emigrate to the USA via Turkey thanks to the support of his employer. March served there as a soldier in the US Navy and graduated from Harvard University with a doctorate (PhD). One of his most important and formative teachers was Joseph Alois Schumpeter . After completing his studies, März taught at American universities, but returned to Austria in 1953 during the McCarthy era , where he was initially accepted by Franz Nemschak at the Austrian Institute for Economic Research . As a result, March slowly broke away from the KPÖ , which had no chance in Austria, and distinguished itself as an independent left thinker within the SPÖ . From 1956 he built up the economics department of the Vienna Chamber of Labor , which he headed from 1957 to 1973. It became an important think tank on the employee side within the framework of the Austrian social partnership , from which emerged experts such as Oskar Grünwald and Ferdinand Lacina (long-time Austrian finance minister), but it also offered a home to stimulating lateral thinkers like Theodor Prager .

March also pursued his scientific career. He was denied the desired habilitation at the University of Vienna, probably for political reasons, but from 1971–1973 he was a visiting professor at the University of Salzburg , and later he was given an honorary professorship at the University of Vienna. The studies on the history of Creditanstalt , written by März and his colleague Fritz Weber , are considered standard works in Austrian banking history. March, who was interested in literature throughout his life, wrote political poetry in his youth (about the Scottsboro Boys, for example ) and in later years he wrote two reading dramas, the first dealing with the fate of Austrian Finance Minister Karl Ludwig von Bruck and the other one imaginary "scandal in New Kakania" with echoes of the biography of Josef Joham . Shortly before his death, Eduard März emerged with much-noticed critical memories of his temporary companion Elias Canetti .

March had a daughter (* 1938) and a son, the biochemist Richard März (* 1947). Eduard März was buried in the urn grove of the Simmering fire hall (Department ML, Group 61, Number 8) in Vienna.

Awards

Fonts (selection)

  • Marxian economics in conflict of opinions. Vienna 1959.
  • Austrian industrial and banking policy in the time of Franz Joseph I Vienna Frankfurt Zurich 1963.
  • Austria's economy between east and west. Vienna 1965.
  • Introduction to Marx's theory of economic development. Vienna 1976.
  • Austrian banking policy in the time of great change 1913–1923. Using the example of the Creditanstalt for Commerce and Industry. Oldenbourg Verlag 1981.
  • Joseph Alois Schumpeter: researcher, teacher, politician. Vienna 1983, (English edition Yale University Press 1992).

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME March, Eduard
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Sigmund Schmerling
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian economic historian
DATE OF BIRTH December 21, 1908
PLACE OF BIRTH Lviv
DATE OF DEATH July 9, 1987
Place of death Vienna