Walter Wittmann (economist)

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Walter Wittmann (born December 20, 1935 in Disentis ; † February 12, 2016 ) was a Swiss economist and publicist .

Live and act

Wittmann was born the son of a tenant farmer. He completed high school at the Disentis Abbey and studied economics at the Universities of Freiburg , Münster and Louvain from 1956 to 1963 . In 1960 he received his doctorate in Freiburg and his habilitation in 1963 . He then worked as a private lecturer , from 1965 as a research professor and from 1967 as a full professor of finance and Swiss economic policy at the University of Freiburg. In 1998 he retired . His successor at the chair was Reiner Eichenberger .

As the author of numerous books and with media appearances, he contributed to the economic and political discourse in Switzerland. He represented an economically liberal position. He rejected direct democracy because it overwhelmed the citizens and harmed the country's economic strength; for the same reason he advocated a parliament with professional politicians.

Wittmann was a member of the Federal Cartel Commission from 1977 and President of the Swiss Association for Future Research from 1980 to 1988. In 1985 Wittmann was awarded the Martin Hilti Prize, endowed with CHF 25,000, "for his tireless commitment in the interests of the social market economy" .

Wittmann initially belonged to the CVP . After the latter did not put him up as a candidate for the National Council in 1979 , he switched to the FDP . However , he was not elected in the National Council elections in 1983 .

He was married and had two children. Most recently he lived in Bad Ragaz .

Publications (selection)

  • The formation of agricultural prices: A theoretical investigation (= publications of the Economic and Social Science Institute of the University of Friborg Switzerland. Vol. 5). Universitätsverlag, Freiburg 1960, OCLC 5272682 (dissertation, University of Freiburg, 1960).
  • State activity, economic development and price level. Polygraphischer Verlag, Zurich 1965.
  • The federal government's financial attitude in the light of parliamentary deliberations: From the global economic crisis to the present. Polygraphischer Verlag, Zurich 1969.
  • Introduction to finance. 4 volumes. Fischer, Stuttgart 1970–1974.
  • Federal financial equalization: A global balance sheet (= current issues of Swiss economy and politics. No. 101). Redressement National, Zurich 1970.
  • Unresolved prosperity: the future of the economy, the state and society. Ehrenwirth, Munich 1972, ISBN 3-431-01496-8 .
  • Where is Switzerland going? Strategies of survival. Ehrenwirth, Munich 1973, ISBN 3-431-01585-9 .
  • Current problems of Swiss economic and financial policy (= economic contributions. Vol. 1). University Press, Freiburg 1975.
  • Switzerland divided into two parts: agglomerations and peripheral economic areas (= Federal Future. H. 14). Haupt, Bern 1976, ISBN 3-258-02569-X .
  • Public Finance: Introduction to Public Finance. Rowohlt, Reinbek near Hamburg 1978, ISBN 3-499-21120-3 .
  • Federal finances and welfare state. Rüegger, Diessenhofen 1978, ISBN 3-7253-0063-1 .
  • Where is Switzerland going? Switzerland in the 1980s: Missed opportunities or coping with the future - a political, economic and social mirror of Switzerland. Scherz, Bern / Munich 1979, ISBN 3-502-16865-2 .
  • The new exploiters. Seewald, Stuttgart 1980, ISBN 3-512-00594-2 .
  • Sell-out of security. Philosophia-Verlag, Munich / Vienna 1982, ISBN 3-88405-027-3 .
  • Crusade Against Reality: The First 100 Years After Karl Marx. Bonn Aktuell, Stuttgart 1983, ISBN 3-87959-201-2 .
  • The red utopia: is socialism still an alternative? Huber, Frauenfeld 1983, ISBN 3-7193-0874-X .
  • Against organized irresponsibility: A plea for the social market economy. Huber, Frauenfeld 1984, ISBN 3-7193-0938-X .
  • Switzerland 2000: decline or turning point? Huber, Frauenfeld 1985, ISBN 3-7193-0952-5 .
  • The tax state: the exploitation of the industrious. Wirtschaftsverlag Langen Müller / Herbig, Munich 1986, ISBN 3-7844-7174-9 .
  • Walter Wittmann (Ed.): Landesverteidigung 2010. Huber, Frauenfeld 1986, ISBN 3-7193-0972-X .
  • Innovative Switzerland: Between Risk and Security. Verlag NZZ, Zurich 1987, ISBN 3-85823-186-X .
  • Market economy for Switzerland. Huber, Frauenfeld 1992, ISBN 3-7193-1067-1 .
  • The global disaster: Politics and finance in bankruptcy. Wirtschaftsverlag Langen Müller / Herbig, Munich 1995, ISBN 3-7844-7342-3 .
  • Countdown 2000: Chances of a sustainable society. Wirtschaftsverlag Langen Müller / Herbig, Munich 1997, ISBN 3-8004-1348-5 .
  • Switzerland: the end of a myth. Wirtschaftsverlag Langen Müller / Herbig, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-7844-7379-2 .
  • The future of Canada: an oasis for investors and immigrants. Wirtschaftsverlag Langen Müller / Herbig, Munich 1999, ISBN 3-7844-7392-X .
  • Bernard Ecoffey, Paul Krüger, Walter Wittmann: National Defense in Transition. Huber, Frauenfeld 2000, ISBN 3-7193-1205-4 .
  • Direct democracy: the brake on revitalization. Huber, Frauenfeld 2001, ISBN 3-7193-1231-3 .
  • Between market and state: the stony road to European unity. Wirtschaftsverlag Langen Müller / Herbig, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-7844-7412-8 .
  • The Swiss felt: a closed society. Huber, Frauenfeld 2002, ISBN 3-7193-1278-X .
  • The generation trap: the gap is widening more and more. Signum, Vienna 2002, ISBN 3-85436-337-0 .
  • Helvetic myths: How they stand in Switzerland's way. Huber, Frauenfeld 2003, ISBN 3-7193-1328-X .
  • The security mania: How Switzerland avoids risks and misses opportunities. Huber, Frauenfeld 2004, ISBN 3-7193-1364-6 .
  • Halfway through: The Federal Council on the test bench. Orell Füssli, Zurich 2005, ISBN 3-280-05120-7 .
  • Helvetic keywords: political - distinctive - empty. Orell Füssli, Zurich 2006, ISBN 978-3-280-06066-7 .
  • The next crash is sure to come: This is how you protect yourself as an investor. Orell Füssli, Zurich 2007, ISBN 978-3-280-05212-9 .
  • How to invest successfully: 10 golden rules for private investors. Orell Füssli, Zurich 2008, ISBN 978-3-280-05268-6 .
  • Financial crises: where they come from, where they are leading, how to avoid them. Orell Füssli, Zurich 2009, ISBN 978-3-280-05327-0 .
  • National bankruptcy: Why countries go bankrupt - How it happens - Why it concerns us. Orell Füssli, Zurich 2010, ISBN 978-3-280-05374-4 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Klaus Schweinsberg : On the death of Walter Wittmann. The uncomfortable liberal. In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung . February 16, 2016, accessed February 21, 2016.
  2. ↑ Walter Wittmann: Obituaries , Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , February 17, 2016, accessed on February 21, 2016.
  3. ↑ a b c d Urs Tremp: ( Page no longer available , search in web archives: In constant concern for Switzerland. ) In: NZZ am Sonntag . February 21, 2016, p. 21.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / webpaper.nzz.ch
  4. ^ A b Hans K. Schneider, Waldemar Wittmann, Hans Würgler (eds.): Stabilization policy in the market economy. Negotiations at the meeting of the Verein für Socialpolitik, Gesellschaft für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften, in Zurich 1974. Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1975, p. 907.
  5. ↑ Hans Peter Arnold: Börsenzyklen: "A gigantic liquidity bubble" ( Memento from February 16, 2016 in the Internet Archive ). In: Stocks. June 14, 2007.
  6. ↑ Reiner Eichenberger ( Memento of February 21, 2016 in the Internet Archive ), website of the Federal Communications Commission (ComCom), accessed on February 21, 2016.
  7. ^ State and economy in Switzerland. A contribution to the regulatory discussion. Verlag Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Zurich 1983, p. 29.
  8. ↑ General Swiss military magazine . Vol. 158 (1992), no. 4, p. 195 ( digitized version , accessed on February 21, 2016).
  9. ↑ Swiss engineer and architect. Vol. 103 (1985), H. 22, P. B 91 ( digitized version , accessed on February 21, 2016).
  10. ↑ Claude Baumann: On the death of Walter Wittmann. In: finews.ch. February 16, 2016, accessed February 21, 2016.
personal data
SURNAME Wittmann, Walter
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss economist and journalist
DATE OF BIRTH December 20, 1935
PLACE OF BIRTH Disentis
DATE OF DEATH February 12, 2016