FOLIO I · THINKER · GEN. 02 · N° 022

Richard Schüller

Works
6
Articles
2
Generation
2.
Portrait of Richard SchüllerPortrait of Richard Schüller: Richard Schüller, Porträt aus dem Bildarchiv der Universitaet Wien (1925)
FOL. 02 · N° 022 · Richard Schüller
BIOGRAPHY

Life and Work

Carl Menger's "favourite pupil" and last habilitation candidate came from a Jewish family in Brünn (today Brno) and, owing to the insolvency of his parents' business, had largely to earn his own way through his studies. With his first work, Die klassische Nationalökonomie und ihre Gegner (Classical Economics and Its Opponents, 1895), Schüller once more displayed the combative spirit of the Methodenstreit. With Schutzzoll und Freihandel (Protective Tariffs and Free Trade, 1905) he was finally able to obtain his habilitation, becoming the first member of the Austrian School to enter the field of trade policy. As an associate professor he published two noteworthy contributions in 1911, on the demand for labour and on the labour market. After Menger's death, in 1923 he supported the publication of the second edition of the Grundsätze (Principles of Economics) with a very personal foreword. Schüller made his career in the Ministry of Commerce and was promoted to section chief by Emperor Karl I shortly before the emperor's abdication. States and monarchs may be transient, but not the civil-service status once acquired by an Austrian official: Schüller remained in this position until his retirement and played a decisive part in the foreign-trade policy of the First Republic. He taught at the University of Vienna until 1928 and was co-editor of the Zeitschrift für Nationalökonomie from 1930 to 1937, though he increasingly distanced himself from the Austrian School. In 1940 Schüller was forced to emigrate to the United States, where he continued teaching until 1952.
Metadata
27. Mai 1870
in Brünn, Mähren
14. Mai 1972
in Washington, D.C.
Generation 2
Life stations

Stations

  1. 1870
    1870
    Birth

    Born on 27 May 1870 in Brünn (today Brno), Moravia, into a Jewish family.

  2. ⁦1888–1894⁩
    ⁦1888–1894⁩
    Studies under Carl Menger— inferred

    Carl Menger's "favourite student" and last habilitation candidate; owing to the insolvency of his parents' business, he had to finance much of his studies himself.

  3. 1892
    1892
    Doctorate at the University of Vienna

    Studied economics and law at the University of Vienna and received his doctorate in 1892. He was regarded as Carl Menger's "favourite student".[1]

  4. 1895
    1895
    "Die klassische Nationalökonomie und ihre Gegner" (Classical Political Economy and Its Opponents)

    His first work, in which Schüller once again displayed the combative spirit of the Methodenstreit.

  5. 1897
    1897
    Secretary of the Lower Austrian Trade Association

    Became secretary of the Lower Austrian Trade Association in 1897.[1]

  6. 1898
    1898
    Entry into the Ministry of Trade

    Entered the Ministry of Trade as a civil servant in 1898.[1]

  7. 1899
    1899
    Habilitation under Carl Menger

    Habilitated in 1899 under Carl Menger in economics at the University of Vienna. Because of his Jewish faith, he subsequently had to content himself with an associate professorship (Extraordinariat).[1]

  8. 1905
    1905
    Habilitation with "Schutzzoll und Freihandel"

    He was able to habilitate with "Schutzzoll und Freihandel" (Protective Tariffs and Free Trade; 1905), becoming the first member of the Austrian School to enter the field of trade policy.

  9. 1905
    1905
    "Schutzzoll und Freihandel"

    Publication of "Schutzzoll und Freihandel" (Protective Tariffs and Free Trade); the work is regarded as Schüller's foray into trade policy and as the first contribution by the Austrian School to this field.

  10. 1906
    1906
    Associate Professor

    Appointed associate professor at the University of Vienna in 1906.[1]

  11. 1911
    1911
    Contributions on Labour Demand and the Labour Market

    As an associate professor, in 1911 he published two notable contributions on labour demand and the labour market.

  12. 1918
    1918
    Head of Section at the Ministry of Trade

    Schüller rose through the ranks at the Ministry of Trade and was promoted to head of section by Emperor Karl I shortly before the latter's abdication. He remained in this position until his retirement and played a substantial part in the foreign-trade policy of the First Republic.

  13. 1923
    1923
    Foreword to the Second Edition of Menger's "Grundsätze"

    In 1923, after Menger's death, he supported the publication of the second edition of the "Grundsätze" (Principles of Economics) with a very personal foreword.

  14. ⁦1927–1933⁩
    ⁦1927–1933⁩
    Member of the League of Nations Economic Committee— approximate

    Member of the Economic Committee of the League of Nations from 1927; later Austrian envoy to the League of Nations in Geneva.[1]

  15. 1928
    1928
    End of Teaching at the University of Vienna

    Taught at the University of Vienna until 1928.

  16. 1930
    1930
    Honorary Professorship, University of Vienna

    Appointed honorary professor at the University of Vienna in 1930.[1]

  17. ⁦1930–1937⁩
    ⁦1930–1937⁩
    Co-editor of the Zeitschrift für Nationalökonomie

    Co-editor of the Zeitschrift für Nationalökonomie from 1930 to 1937; he nevertheless drifted increasingly away from the Austrian School.

  18. 1938
    1938
    Flight over the Ferwall Pass to Italy

    After the Anschluss in 1938, Schüller was dismissed by the National Socialists and barred from leaving the country. The almost seventy-year-old fled over the Ferwall Pass to Italy in July 1938.[2]

  19. 1939
    1939
    Further flight to Great Britain— approximate

    After the racial laws were enacted in Italy, he fled onward to Great Britain.[2]

  20. ⁦1940–1952⁩
    ⁦1940–1952⁩
    Emigration to the USA and professorship at the New School

    Was forced to emigrate to the USA in 1940 and continued his teaching there as a professor at the New School for Social Research in New York City until 1952.

  21. 1972
    1972
    Death

    Died on 14 May 1972 in Washington, D.C.

Relationships

Influences

Influenced by · 1
  1. ⁦1899–1899⁩
    ⁦1899–1899⁩

    "Favourite student" and last Habilitation candidate of Carl Menger; studied economics and law at the University of Vienna.

Private seminar, colleagues, Mont Pèlerin · 1
  1. Gusztáv Gratz⁦(1875–1946)⁩ · Ungarischer Liberalismus

    Co-Autor mit Gusztav Gratz zu wirtschaftspolitischen Themen – Hinweis auf engere Zusammenarbeit im handelspolitischen Umfeld.[3]

Richard Schüller in the context of the School as a whole: five generations, their teacher-student lineages, circles and collegial ties.

SOURCES ON STATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS10 citations · 1 source
  • [1]Zlabinger 1999 in Hagemann/Krohn: Biographisches Handbuch, S. 634–636 · 7×
  • [2]Feichtinger 2001: Wissenschaft zwischen den Kulturen, S. 222–225 · 2×
  • [3]Gratz/Schüller 1930: Der wirtschaftliche Zusammenbruch Österreich-Ungarns
Topography

Places of Activity

CATALOGUE OF WORKS · CHRONOLOGICAL

The Books

1890s
1895
Die Klassische Nationalökonomie und ihre Gegner. Zur Geschichte der Nationalökonomie und Socialpolitik seit A. Smith
OriginalGerman
1899
Die Wirthschaftpolitik der historischen Schule
OriginalGerman
1900s
1905
Schutzzoll und Freihandel. Die Voraussetzungen und Grenzen ihrer Berechtigung
OriginalGerman
1920s
1925
Die Äussere Wirtschaftspolitik Österreich-Ungarns [mit Gustav Gratz]
OriginalGerman
1930s
1930
Der wirtschaftliche Zusammenbruch Österreich-Ungarns, Die Tragödie der Erschöpfung [mit Gustav Gratz]
OriginalGerman
1990s
1990
Unterhändler des Vertrauens. Aus den nachgelassenen Schriften von Sektionschef Dr. Richard Schüller [Hg. von Jürgen Nautz]
OriginalGerman
ARTICLES · 2 CATALOGUED

Essays, Reviews, Lectures

1930s
1936
Keynes Theorie der Nachfrage nach Arbeit
OriginalGerman
1937
Organisation der Wirtschaft
OriginalGerman
APA
Chicago
German historical style