Julius Koschnick
@juliuskoschnick.bsky.social
Assistant professor at the University of Southern Denmark. Economic history. Research topics: Long-run growth, the knowledge economy, education, and innovation
Economic societies from the 18th century were the first type of knowledge sharing societies that focused on useful and practical technical knowledge. We document that they left a lasting fingerprint on the geography of innovation.
July 7, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Economic societies from the 18th century were the first type of knowledge sharing societies that focused on useful and practical technical knowledge. We document that they left a lasting fingerprint on the geography of innovation.
Our takeaway: Accessing information can be difficult – especially in the past. Knowledge sharing institutions can be important means to lower the cost of accessing knowledge and can contribute to innovation.
July 7, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Our takeaway: Accessing information can be difficult – especially in the past. Knowledge sharing institutions can be important means to lower the cost of accessing knowledge and can contribute to innovation.
Economic societies lowered the costs of accessing information on useful knowledge and created persistent networks that influenced the direction of innovation 100 years after their foundation.
July 7, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Economic societies lowered the costs of accessing information on useful knowledge and created persistent networks that influenced the direction of innovation 100 years after their foundation.
Overall, we find that knowledge sharing societies were an important institution that transformed the geography of innovation in the long run.
July 7, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Overall, we find that knowledge sharing societies were an important institution that transformed the geography of innovation in the long run.
We find strong and significant effects, approx. comparable to the connectivity effects of railways.
July 7, 2025 at 2:19 PM
We find strong and significant effects, approx. comparable to the connectivity effects of railways.
Additionally, we argue that economic societies created persistent networks of innovations. For this, we apply a gravity-type-model to estimate whether common membership in economic societies was associated with patenting in similar classes in the 19thcentury.
July 7, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Additionally, we argue that economic societies created persistent networks of innovations. For this, we apply a gravity-type-model to estimate whether common membership in economic societies was associated with patenting in similar classes in the 19thcentury.
As an additional channel, we investigate the involvement of economic societies in the foundation of vocational schools. We show that through vocational schooling, economic societies further contributed to higher innovation by raising the local stock of human capital.
July 7, 2025 at 2:19 PM
As an additional channel, we investigate the involvement of economic societies in the foundation of vocational schools. We show that through vocational schooling, economic societies further contributed to higher innovation by raising the local stock of human capital.
We argue that through agglomeration economics these manufacturing foundations would have had a lasting impact on the geography of innovation.
July 7, 2025 at 2:19 PM
We argue that through agglomeration economics these manufacturing foundations would have had a lasting impact on the geography of innovation.
In a difference-in-differences setting, we show that the foundation of the economic society there was associated with higher manufacturing foundations, especially in textiles.
July 7, 2025 at 2:19 PM
In a difference-in-differences setting, we show that the foundation of the economic society there was associated with higher manufacturing foundations, especially in textiles.
First, we produce evidence for the country of Saxony and its economic society relying on contemporary population census and manufacturing data from the 18th century.
July 7, 2025 at 2:19 PM
First, we produce evidence for the country of Saxony and its economic society relying on contemporary population census and manufacturing data from the 18th century.
We find that increasing the local number of members in economic societies by 100% led to a ca. 25% increase in local patenting in 1877-1914 and local exhibits at the Vienna World Fair in 1873. This is a striking relationship over ca. 100 years. What was the mechanism?
July 7, 2025 at 2:19 PM
We find that increasing the local number of members in economic societies by 100% led to a ca. 25% increase in local patenting in 1877-1914 and local exhibits at the Vienna World Fair in 1873. This is a striking relationship over ca. 100 years. What was the mechanism?
We show that the local presence of society members is a strong predictor for patents and exhibits in the 19th century. We further conduct various measures to mitigate endogeneity, incl. an IV strategy, testing for pre-trends and assigning placebo society seats.
July 7, 2025 at 2:19 PM
We show that the local presence of society members is a strong predictor for patents and exhibits in the 19th century. We further conduct various measures to mitigate endogeneity, incl. an IV strategy, testing for pre-trends and assigning placebo society seats.
So, did these societies have an actual impact on long-run innovation? In this paper, we have collected and geocoded 3302 members of 15 economic societies in the German lands.
July 7, 2025 at 2:19 PM
So, did these societies have an actual impact on long-run innovation? In this paper, we have collected and geocoded 3302 members of 15 economic societies in the German lands.
The societies further published their own journals where they collected articles from their members on technical innovations and empirical observations and they announced their own prize competitions.
July 7, 2025 at 2:19 PM
The societies further published their own journals where they collected articles from their members on technical innovations and empirical observations and they announced their own prize competitions.
The members of economic societies were not university employed knowledge elites, but common merchants, bureaucrats, teachers, or landowners. They met in the societies’ headquarters to discuss practical, useful knowledge, that was directly relevant to improving the local economy.
July 7, 2025 at 2:19 PM
The members of economic societies were not university employed knowledge elites, but common merchants, bureaucrats, teachers, or landowners. They met in the societies’ headquarters to discuss practical, useful knowledge, that was directly relevant to improving the local economy.
They were founded by their members to overcome the challenge of accessing and organizing knowledge. They strictly focused on useful knowledge, i.e. not on the high science of the earlier academies, but on practical technical innovations that could help the local economy.
July 7, 2025 at 2:19 PM
They were founded by their members to overcome the challenge of accessing and organizing knowledge. They strictly focused on useful knowledge, i.e. not on the high science of the earlier academies, but on practical technical innovations that could help the local economy.
The eighteenth century witnessed an increase in the production of ideas, both scientific and technical. Yet, for many potential entrepreneurs, accessing the stock of knowledge was difficult. This is where economic societies come in.
July 7, 2025 at 2:19 PM
The eighteenth century witnessed an increase in the production of ideas, both scientific and technical. Yet, for many potential entrepreneurs, accessing the stock of knowledge was difficult. This is where economic societies come in.
Now back to the thread: What were these knowledge sharing societies? What was happening in the eighteenth century?
July 7, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Now back to the thread: What were these knowledge sharing societies? What was happening in the eighteenth century?
First: Link to paper: doi.org/10.1093/ej/u... Also, we’ve generated a NotebookLM podcast-summary of the paper. It’s a light-hearted but informative take on the paper: notebooklm.google.com/notebook/636...
https://t.co/w3KNIHBe1GWe’ve
July 7, 2025 at 2:19 PM
First: Link to paper: doi.org/10.1093/ej/u... Also, we’ve generated a NotebookLM podcast-summary of the paper. It’s a light-hearted but informative take on the paper: notebooklm.google.com/notebook/636...
Course information and sign-up here: sdu.dk/en/forskning... (sign-up at bottom of the page)
sdu.dk
June 21, 2025 at 11:04 AM
Course information and sign-up here: sdu.dk/en/forskning... (sign-up at bottom of the page)
11-22 August 2025 - organized by @sdueconhist.bsky.social
June 21, 2025 at 11:04 AM
11-22 August 2025 - organized by @sdueconhist.bsky.social