Previous Semesters

Blockseminar: Industrielle Revolutionen im Vergleich (Bachelor)

Anmeldung:

Themenliste und Literaturangaben finden Sie hier: Themenliste.

Zeit/Ort:

• Einführungsveranstaltung: Donnerstag, den 7. September 2017, 17:15–18:45 Uhr, Raum: L7, 3–5 P044.
• Deadline: Die Seminararbeiten müssen bis zum 5. November 2017 via E-Mail eingereicht werden.
• 1. Blockveranstaltung: Freitag, den 10. November 2017, 08:30–11:45 Uhr, Raum: EW 163 (Seminarraum Schloss Ehrenhof West).
• 2. Blockveranstaltung: Samstag, den 11. November 2017, 09:00–18:00 Uhr, Raum: L7, 3–5 P043.

Umfang/Leistungsnachweis:

• Umfang: 6 ECTS; Blockseminar (2 SWS).
• Hausarbeit (min. 10 Seiten) (70%), Präsentation (ca. 20 Min.) (20%) und aktive Teilnahme (10%).
• Die Teilnahme an beiden Blockveranstaltungen ist Voraussetzung für den Leistungsnachweis.

Kurssprache: Englisch.

Vorkenntnisse: Keine spezifischen Vorkenntnisse notwendig.

Kursbeschreibung:

In diesem Seminar untersuchen wir die fundamentalen Ursachen und Ausprägungen „industrieller Revolutionen“. Im Vordergrund steht der Industrialisierungsprozess in Europa und in den Vereinigten Staaten im 19. Jahrhundert, der aus vergleichender Perspektive betrachtet wird. Ergänzend untersuchen wir Fälle nachholender industrieller Entwicklung im 20. Jahrhundert, beispielsweise Südkorea. Folgende Fragen sollen unter anderem diskutiert werden: Warum setzte die Industrialisierung zuerst in England und Westeuropa ein, während andere Länder, beispielsweise die deutschen Staaten, sich erst später industrialisierten? Welche Rolle spielte der Staat im Industrialisierungsprozess? Wie unterschied sich die Industrialisierung in Ländern mit Zugang zu Rohstoffen von der Entwicklung in rohstoffarmen Ländern? Wie wirkte sich die Industrialisierung auf den Lebensstandard der Bevölkerung aus? Was sind die Voraussetzungen für nachholende Entwicklung?

Ansprechpartner:

Dr. Alexander Donges; Tel.: 181-3428; E-Mail: donges@uni-mannheim.de; Büro: L7, 3–5, Raum S10.

Lecture Wirtschaftsgeschichte (Bachelor)

Lecture along with the Proseminar Einführung in die Wirtschaftsgeschichte für Nicht-Volkswirte (Bachelor)

Lecture The Evolution of Financial Markets (Bachelor)

Blockseminar Institutions and Economic Development in Historical Perspective (Bachelor)

Application:

Seminar paper topics and references:List of seminar topics.

Time/place:

• Introductory session (not obligatory for students studying abroad at the moment): Thursday, 8 December 2016, 17:15–18:45, room: tba.
• Deadline: You have to submit your final seminar paper until 12 March 2017 by e-mail.
• 1. Block session: Friday, 24 March 2017, 09:00–17:00, room: tba.
• 2. Block session: Saturday, 25 March 2017, 09:00–17:00, room: tba.

ECTS/Examination:

• 6 ECTS credits.
• Seminar paper (at least 10 pages) (70%) and presentation (about 20 minutes) (30%).
• You have to attend both block sessions to pass the seminar.

Course language: English.

Prerequisites: Basic knowledge in econometrics (at the level of “Grundlagen der Ökonometrie”).

Course description:

In this seminar, we discuss the long-run effect of institutional change on economic development. We focus on different countries and periods of time, e.g. the effect of economic liberalization in 19th century Europe, or institutional differences between Europe and former colonies, which include a variety of factors, e.g. property rights, political participation, and the effectiveness of the legal system. The critical discussion of recent empirical research is part of the seminar. Therefore, basic knowledge in econometrics (at the level of “Grundlagen der Ökonometrie”) is useful.

Contact:

Dr. Alexander Donges; phone: 181-3428; e-mail: donges@uni-mannheim.de; office: L7, 3–5, room S10.

Link/Text

Link/Text

Application:

Seminar paper topics and references: List of seminar topics.

Time/Place:

• Introductory session: Thursday, 8 September 2016, 17:15–18:45, room: L7, 3–5 S 031.
• Paper deadline: You have to submit your final seminar paper until 6 November 2016 by e-mail.
• Blockseminar (1st session): Friday, 11 November 2016, 08:30–18:45, room: L7, 3–5 P 044 (morning) / P 043 (afternoon).
• Blockseminar (2nd session): Saturday, 12 November 2016, 09:00–17:00, Raum: L7, 3–5 P 043.

ECTS/Examination:

• 6 ECTS credits.
• Seminar paper (at least 10 pages) (70%) and presentation (about 20 min.) (30%).
• You have to attend both block sessions to pass the seminar.

Prerequisites: No special prerequisites.

Course language: English.

Course description:

In this seminar, we focus on the emergence of the modern German banking system in the 19th century and its transformation during the 20th century. We discuss a wide range of topics related to banking in Germany. These topics include, for example, the debate to what extend universal banks fostered the expansion of modern enterprises in the late 19th century, the role of savings banks and credit cooperatives, banking crisis and bank failures, interlocking directorates between banks and industry as well as bank mergers.

Contact:

Dr. Alexander Donges; phone: 0621-181-3428; e-mail: donges@uni-mannheim.de; office: L7, 3–5, room S10.

Application:

Registration for the seminar takes place between 17th and 21st November 2014 by e-mail (). Term paper topics and references:

List of seminar topics.

Please indicate three subjects in your preferred order. The topics will be assigned according to principle “first-come, first-served”. Maximum number of participants: 14.

Time/Place:

• Introductory session: Thursday, 12.02.2015, 17:15–18:45, room: L7, 3–5 P 043.

• Blockseminar (1st session): Friday, 06.03.2015, 10:00–18:00, room: L9, 1–2 002.

• Blockseminar (2nd session): Saturday, 07.03.2015, 10:00–18:00, Raum: L9, 1–2 002.

ECTS/Examination:

• 6 ECTS credits.

• Seminar paper (min. 10 pages) (70%) and presentation (about 25 min.) (30%).

Course language:

• English.

• The seminar paper may be either written in German or in English. 

Course description:

In this seminar we focus on the history of European economic integration, beginning with the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952. We discuss the establishment of European institutions and the evolution of transnational European economic policy within the last 60 years. The seminar topics cover various aspects of European economic integration with a special focus on competition policy, monetary policy, foreign trade and the common agricultural policy.

The students have to write a seminar paper (10 pages), in which they analyze a clear defined problem related to the topic of this course. The paper has to be presented in class (25–30 min. presentation, 15 min discussion). The term paper accounts for 70 percent of the final grade, the presentation accounts for 30 percent.

The seminar papers may be written in either German or English. The presentation has to be in English. Term paper topics and references will be posted on this page and on the notice-board of the Chair of Economic History.

Contact:

Dr. Alexander Donges; Telefon: 0621-181-3428; E-Mail: donges@uni-mannheim.de; Büro: L7, 3–5, Raum S10.

Time/Place:

• Lecture: Monday 12:00–13:30 weekly 09.02.2015 – 18.05.2015, room: L7, 3–5 P 044.

• Exercise: Wednesday 10:15–11:45 Uhr weekly 11.02.2015 – 27.05.2015, room: L7, 3–5 P 044.

ECTS/Examination:

• 4 hours (2 hours lecture + 2 hours exercise).

• For BSc Economics: 90 min. final exam (70%) and case study presentation (30%), 7 ECTS. 

• Optional for BA History, BA Culture and Economics as well as MSc Business and Economics Education: 90 min. final exam (100%), 4 ECTS (only the lecture, without exercise). 

Course language:

• German

Course description:

The lecture focuses on the evolution of competition policy since the end of the 19th century. We look at the change in the institutional environment over time. The main focus is on Germany. However, for comparison we consider also the US and Europe.

In addition to the lecture, several case studies will be considered in the exercise sessions. The case studies show us, how companies acted within different institutional frameworks. All participants have to present one case study. The presentation will be graded and will account for 30 percent of the final grade. Topics will be announced in the first week of the course; the presentations will start in the fourth week.

The aim of this course is an understanding of competition policy and its effects on industry strategies.

Outline:

1. Introduction
    1.1 Objectives of competition policy
    1.2 Cartelization
    1.3 Mergers
2. US antitrust legislation in the 19th and early 20th century
    2.1 Macroeconomic conditions
    2.2 The emergence of modern competition law
    2.3 “Mergers waves” in US economic history
3. Legal cartels and mergers in Germany, 1871-1945
    3.1 Cartelization and mergers between 1871 and 1918
    3.2 Cartel policy in Weimar Germany
    3.3 Corporate mergers between 1919 and 1932
    3.4 Cartel policy in Nazi Germany
4. International cartels in the interwar period
    4.1 The global importance of international cartels
    4.2 Case study 1: The international azote cartel
    4.3 Case study 2: The international steel cartel
5. Competition policy in the Federal Republic of Germany
    5.1 Decartelization and deconcentration
    5.2 The emergence of modern competition law
    5.3 Corporate mergers between 1949 and today
6. From the ECSC to the European competition policy
    6.1 The formation of the ECSC
    6.2 The harmonization of competition law within Europe
    6.3 Competition policy in the European Union

Literatur:

References are given in the lecture.

A general introduction to competition policy is given by:

• LeClair, Mark S.: Cartelization, Antitrust and Globalization in the US and Europe, New York, 2011.
• Motta, Massimo: Competition Policy. Theory and Practice, Cambridge, 2004.
• Neumann, Manfred: Wettbewerbspolitik. Geschichte, Theorie und Praxis, Wiesbaden, 2000.

Contact:

Dr. Alexander Donges, phone: 0621-181-3428, e-mail: donges@uni-mannheim.de; office: L7, 3–5, room S 10.