Fritz Machlup
Life and Work
- 15. Dezember 1902
- 30. Januar 1983
in Princeton, New Jersey - Generation 4
Stations
- 1902Birth
Born on 15 December 1902 in Wiener Neustadt, the son of a Jewish industrialist; he grew up there at his parents' cardboard factory.
- 1920–1923Studies in Political Science in Vienna
Studied political science in Vienna alongside his work in the family cardboard factory.
- 1923Doctorate under Ludwig von Mises
Received a doctorate (Dr. rer. pol.) at the University of Vienna in 1923 under Ludwig von Mises (dissertation "Die Goldkernwährung" [The Gold Bullion Standard], published 1925).[5]
- 1925"Die Goldkernwährung" (The Gold Bullion Standard)
Publication of the doctoral dissertation "Die Goldkernwährung" (The Gold Bullion Standard) in 1925 (the doctorate, Dr. rer. pol., had already been obtained in 1923 under Mises).
- 1925Mises Private Seminar and the Economic Society— inferred
Took part regularly in the Mises private seminar, published reviews, essays, books, and more than 150 newspaper articles, and served as a board member of the Austrian Cardboard Cartel and of the Economic Society.
- 1929–1933Teaching at the Volkshochschule Ottakring
Taught from 1929 to 1933 at the Volkshochschule Ottakring (an adult education centre).
- 1931"Börsenkredit, Industriekredit und Kapitalbildung" (Stock-Exchange Credit, Industrial Credit and Capital Formation)
Publication of "Börsenkredit, Industriekredit und Kapitalbildung" (Stock-Exchange Credit, Industrial Credit and Capital Formation; 1931), an analysis of stock-exchange financing in the light of Austrian monetary theory. Intended as a Habilitation thesis, but the professors Spann and Degenfeld-Schonburg informed him that his application for Habilitation would not be put to a vote on account of his Jewish descent; Hans Mayer, too, was unwilling to support a student of Mises.
- 1933Leaves Austria
Left the country in 1933 following the failed Habilitation on account of his Jewish descent.
- 1933–1935Rockefeller Fellowship, USA
Research fellow of the Rockefeller Foundation in the USA from 1933 to 1935.[5]
- 1934Visiting Professorship at Harvard University
Became a visiting professor at Harvard University in 1934.
- 1935Final Emigration to the USA
In 1935 he sold his shares in the factory in the Lower Austrian Ybbs Valley and emigrated for good to the USA. During the war he helped numerous people in distress in Austria to leave the country and flee.
- 1935–1947Frank H. Goodyear Professor, University at Buffalo
Taught from 1935 to 1947 as Frank H. Goodyear Professor at the University at Buffalo.[5]
- 1947–1960Abram G. Hutzler Professor, Johns Hopkins University
Taught from 1947 to 1960 as Abram G. Hutzler Professor at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.[5]
- 1960–1971Walker Professor at Princeton University
Taught at Princeton University from 1960 to 1971 as Walker Professor of Economics and International Finance.[5]
- 1961American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1961.[7]
- 1962"The Production and Distribution of Knowledge in the United States"
Publication of his principal work, "The Production and Distribution of Knowledge in the United States" (1962), which coined the concept of the information society.[5]
- 1966President of the American Economic Association
Elected President of the American Economic Association in 1966.
- 1971–1974President of the International Economic Association
President of the International Economic Association from 1971 to 1974.[9]
- 1971–1983Professorship at New York University
Taught as a professor at New York University from 1971 until his death in 1983.[5]
- 1978Grand Silver Decoration of Honour with Star for Services to the Republic of Austria
Received the Grand Silver Decoration of Honour with Star for Services to the Republic of Austria in 1978.[10]
- 1983Death
Died on 30 January 1983 in Princeton, New Jersey, at the age of 80.
Influences
- 1920–1923
From 1920 studied economics at the University of Vienna, among others under Friedrich von Wieser.[5]
- 1923–1934
Machlup was a regular participant in Mises' private seminar and an intellectual student from the Viennese circle.[1]
- 1931Ferdinand Degenfeld-Schonburg(1882–1952) · Wiener Sozialwissenschaft
The professors Spann and Degenfeld-Schonburg informed Machlup that his application for Habilitation would not be put to a vote because of his Jewish descent.
- 1931Othmar Spann(1878–1950) · Universalismus
The professors Spann and Degenfeld-Schonburg informed Machlup that his application for Habilitation would not be put to a vote because of his Jewish descent.
- —
mises.org-Strigl-Biographie nennt Machlup explizit unter den Strigl geprägten Schülern der vierten Wiener Generation.[2]
- 1929–1934
Beide Teilnehmer am Mises-Privatseminar; mises.org-Liste führt Machlup und Morgenstern als regelmäßige Teilnehmer.[3]
- 1932
In a letter of 1932 Kauder described Machlup as a “diverse representative” of the Austrian School.[4]
- 1947
Hayek und Machlup gehörten beide zur Gründungsversammlung der Mont Pèlerin Society 1947; Wikipedia EN führt Machlup in der Kategorie „Members of the Mont Pelerin Society".
- 1947–1934
He regularly took part in the Mises-Privatseminar, alongside his business activity in his parents' cardboard factory.[1]
- —
Both participants in the Mises-Privatseminar in Vienna.[3]
Fritz Machlup 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 RELATIONSHIPS19 citations · 3 sources
- [5]Haberler, G. (1983): Fritz Machlup In Memoriam. Cato Journal 3(1), S. 11. · 8×
- [6]Klausinger, H. (2014): Academic Anti-Semitism and the Austrian School: Vienna, 1918–1945. Atlantic Economic Journal 42(2), S. 191–204.
- [7]American Academy of Arts and Sciences: Fritz Machlup (Member History).
- [8]American Philosophical Society: Fritz Machlup (Member History).
- [9]International Economic Association: General Information (Past Presidents).
- [10]Aufstellung aller durch den Bundespräsidenten verliehenen Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste um die Republik Österreich ab 1952 (Parlament.gv.at).
Places of Activity
The Books
- The Stock Market, Credit and Capital Formation1940OriginalEnglish
- Wettbewerb im Verkauf: Modellanalyse des AnbieterverhaltensOriginalGerman
- Die wirtschaftlichen Grundlagen des PatentrechtsOriginalGerman
- Micro- and Macro-Economics: Contested Boundaries and Claims of SuperiorityOriginalEnglish
- Die Pläne zur Reform des internationalen GeldwesensOriginalGerman
Essays, Reviews, Lectures
- APA
- Fritz Machlup. (n.d.). Edited by mises.at and scholarium. Accessed July 16, 2026, from https://mises.at/en/denker/fritz-machlup
- Chicago
- “Fritz Machlup.” n.d. Edited by mises.at and scholarium. Accessed July 16, 2026. https://mises.at/en/denker/fritz-machlup.
- German historical style
- Fritz Machlup, edited by mises.at and scholarium, https://mises.at/en/denker/fritz-machlup (accessed July 16, 2026).