German economic history and Cliometrics: A selective survey of recent tendencies

Abstract

This article discusses recent cliometric contributions by German and non-German economic historians to the field of German economic history. After a brief attempt to describe the field in Germany I survey recent work in four specific topical areas – which thus serve as rough indices of the spread and development of econometric and quantitative techniques in the field. I conclude that a German ‘cliometric revolution’ has not yet taken place, but that promising beginnings have been made.