Gustav Schmoller’s Program and Its Valuation Today and Tomorrow

The article concerns the scientific rise of the German university professor of economics, political economy and history, Gustav Schmoller and his fall into oblivion after his death in 1917, but also the evolution of a renewed interest in Schmoller’s works, mainly in the publication of new studies on the long term effects of his research approach. This aspect may be called “Schmollerism”. The article is structured by a short introduction and four sections. The first section gives Schmoller’s biographical data, followed by comments on the “Schmoller Program” and the main fields of research, teaching and influence on politics. Schmoller’s publications are object of the second section, selected and commented in two groups: (1) Memorial articles of 1917 or after, and (2) studies on Schmoller’s works published around 1988 and after. The third section aims at demonstrating the emergence of new interests in “Schmoller”, including the concern of “Big Data” on the future development of “Schmollerism”. The fourth section summarizes the results of the article and draws conclusions. The section on biographical data and “Schmoller’s Program” exposes the individual framework conditions of the young person and later university professor. In the paragraph on Schmoller’s works the broad variety of research topics and activities is pointed out. Schmoller’s working power is cited to have been breath-taking, and work to have been the passion of his life. But it is also demonstrated, that Schmoller fell into oblivion soon after the First World War, and that for a long time the development of economic theory was dominating discussions and publications on economics, political economy and economic history. Finally, the article turns to the impact of New Interest and “Big Data” on the Future Development of “Schmollerism”. References to diverse authors of publications of the late 20th century and later demonstrate a new wave of interest for Schmoller’s scientific work. The new keywords are “Big Data” and “Schmollerism”. The article therefore concludes: “Schmoller is alive again in sciences.”