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Rudolf Hickel

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Rudolf Hickel
Born(1942-01-17)17 January 1942
Nuremberg, Franken, Germany
Alma materTübingen
Konstanz
Occupation(s)Economist
Author
University professor
EmployerUniversity of Bremen
SpouseSabine Mohaupt-Hickel

Rudolf Hickel is a German economist and author. He transferred to the University of Bremen in 1971, accepting the chair in "Finanzwissenschaft" (loosely, "public finance") in 1993.[1][2] Between 2001 and 2009 he served as director of the university's Institute for Labour and Economics ("Institut Arbeit und Wirtschaft" / IAW). A long standing critic of developments in western Market Capitalism since the 1980s, he has engaged powerfully in the economic debates emerging during the aftermath of the 2007–2008 financial crisis.[3][4]

Biography

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Provenance and early years

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Rudolf Hickel was born into a Catholic family in Nuremberg at the height of the Second World War. He shares his name with his father, who was the concertmaster ("in English-language terms, leader of the orchestra") with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra.[5] Hickel grew up in Bad Wildbad, a little town in south-west Germany which after 1945 became part of the French occupation zone and then, in May 1949, of the German Federal Republic (West Germany). He attended middle school locally. He still keeps, in a case of memorabilia, the quarter-sized violin he used for his violin lessons when he was small, even though he was not permitted to play the instrument at home: "... wrong notes put my father in a white sweat".[5][a] He attended school at the business oriented secondary school ("Wirtschaftsgymnasium") in nearby Pforzheim, and it was here that he passed his "Abitur" (school finals), opening the way for progression to university-level education. A Catholic upbringing left him critical of the pope on many fronts, but he would always be grateful that the church financed his studies with a scholarship. Otherwise, as he told an interviewer in 2011, "at home there was no money".[5]

Student years

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Rainer Hickel,[6] his younger brother, would build a career as a professional musician, but it seems to have been accepted by the time he left school that Rudolf Hickel would follow another path.[5] Between 1962 and 1967 he studied Economics on a Cusanuswerk stipendium at the University of Tübingen, from which he earned a "Dipl. Volkswirt" degree in (loosely) Applied Economics.[6] He remained at Tübingen as a research assistant for a further two years, with a focus on Economic Theory.[6] That was followed by a period as a research assistant at the newly inaugurated University of Konstanz during 1969/70, where he was involved in building up the Economics department.[4][7] It was from the University of Konstanz that in 1970 he received his doctorate in return for a topical piece of work entitled "Ein neuer Typ der Akkumulation" (loosely, "A new kind of capital accumulation").[7]

Bremen

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Shortly after that Hickel accepted a professorship in "Politische Ökonomie" (loosely, "Political economics") at the University of Bremen, relocating north in 1971. His focus was on public finances.[7] The university at Bremen, like that at Konstanz, was newly established: Rudolf Hickel has played a key role in establishing and building up the Economics department.[7] In 1973 he accepted a professorship in Public finance.[4] In 1975 he was a co-founder and became a member of the new West German "Working Group for Alternative Economic Policy".[4][8] The working group submits annual alternative reports to the so-called West German Council of Economic Experts ("Sachverständigenrat zur Begutachtung der gesamtwirtschaftlichen Entwicklung").[7] It is in this connection that Hickel served for many years as a co-producer of the counter-opinion memorandum to the Council of Experts during the first week of each May.[9][10]

In 1993 he accepted the teaching chair in Finance at the University of Bremen.[4][2] That year he also accepted an appointment as mediator on behalf of the union side in the Metal workers' wage negotiations in Saxony.[11]

Between November 2001 and September 2009 Rudolf Hickel served as director of the university Institute for Labour and Economics ("Institut Arbeit und Wirtschaft" / IAW).[4] He was succeeded in the post by Günter Warsewa.[12]

Beyond Bremen

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In 1989 Hickel became co-producer of the political-economic monthly Berlin-produced magazine Leviathan and of Blätter für deutsche und internationale Politik. His submissions continue to appear frequently in the latter.[13] During the summer term of 1990 he delivered a lecture series at Berlin University on the theme of "Market Functions and Market Failures - Underpinnings of a Mixed Economy" ("Marktfunktionen und Marktversagen – Grundlagen einer gemischten Wirtschaft"), which set the course for much of his subsequent output.[14]

In 1990 Hickel teamed up with Heiner Heseler to publish an important written opinion-piece under the title "Der maritime Sektor im Umbruch: wirtschaftsstrukturelle und beschäftigungspolitische Vorschläge für Rostock" (loosely, "The Maritime Sector in transition: proposals for Rostock on economic structures and employment policies".[15] 1990 was the year of reunification: Rostock, like Bremen, is a major port, but had been part of "the other Germany", beyond the "Inner German border" since 1949. Many thoughtful Germans remained preoccupied with the dilemmas created by reunification for some years after 1990. In 1991 Rudolf Hickel shared some of his thoughts in his book "Der Preis der Einheit" ("The Cost of Unity"), co-authored with Jan Priewe.[16][17]

Since 1997 Hickel has taken turns with Robert Kurz, Christa Luft and Harry Nick as the author of a challenging and respected column on economic policy in Neues Deutschland, which before 1989 was the mass circulation party newspaper of East Germany's ruling party, and has since carved itself a role across Germany as an important left-leaning daily newspaper.[18] He also continues to contribute robustly and regularly in the Frankfurter Rundschau, Junge Welt and Tageszeitung.[19][20]

Hickel is a member of the economics advisory committee at ATTAC, an international (originally Paris-based) activist organisation opposed to abusive aspects of globalization.[21] His sat as a member of the supervisory board at Salzgitter AG, a major steel producer, between 1984 and 2008, and also for many years at GEWOBA, a north German construction business headquartered in Bremen and specialising in residential tower blocks. In both cases he sat as a representative of the company employees.[22] Hickel was also on the supervisory board at the vast Allianz insurance and banking conglomerate between 1998 and 2006, a period that included the conversion of the Allianz holding company into a pan-European "Societas Europaea".[22]

Approach

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Hickel favours a demand driven approach to economic policy and is regarded by commentators (and by himself) as a Post-Keynesian.[23][24] During long years of political argument on the matter, he was a firm supporter of a state-mandated minimum wage (which was implemented in Germany, at the insistence of the SPD as a price for joining a government coalition, in 2015), asserting that Germany has an "internationally competitive economy, which can support a high level of wages because of its growing productivity".[25][b] The labour market reforms launched in 2003 by Chancellor Schröder and carried through by his successor, known collectively as Agenda 2010, seriously held back the cyclical economic recovery that took place between 2005 and 2007, because they placed downward pressure on wages which in turn reduced consumption.[26] It is, according to Hickel, wrong to hold back wages and thereby domestic demand: a competitive cycle of wage cuts would be economically very damaging to Germany.[27] It would be preferable for the country to focus on innovation in order to survive in a competitive global economy. Furthermore, government to pursue a supply oriented economic strategy would favour a "casino capitalism" and so hinder the creation of high productivity high value jobs in the country.[28][29]

Critics

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Some were (and are) unpersuaded by Hickel's advocacy of a demand driven approach. Critical supply-side economists included the liberal Hans-Werner Sinn, who sharply attacked Hickel's backing of a cut on working hours with no corresponding cut in wages. Sinn also rejected Hickel's assertion that Germany's stubbornly high (at that time) unemployment was simply a business cycle problem that could be resolved through increased public spending.[28][30][31]

Celebration

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In 2017 Rudolf Hickel was honoured by the senate with the Medal for Arts and Humanities of the Free Hanseatic City [of Bremen].[7]

Output (selection)

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  • Zerschlagt die Banken. Zivilisiert die Finanzmärkte. Econ 2012, ISBN 978-3-430-20141-4.
  • Kassensturz. Sieben Gründe für eine andere Wirtschaftspolitik. Hamburg 2006 (Buchbesprechung im Deutschlandfunk).
  • Sozialstaat im Abbruch. Die neoliberale Offensive. Kritik und Alternativen. Hamburg 2004, ISBN 3-89458-227-8.
  • Die Risikospirale. Was bleibt von der New Economy? Eichborn-Verlag 2001, ISBN 3821839031.
  • Brauchen wir eine andere Wirtschaft? Rowohlt, Reinbek 2001, ISBN 3-499-23045-3.
  • Politik des Kapitals, heute (with Klaus Peter Kisker, Harald Mattfeldt). VSA-Verlag, 2000, ISBN 3879757771 (based on Jörg Huffschmid: Die Politik des Kapitals von 1969).
  • Standortwahn und Euro-Angst. Die sieben Irrtümer der deutschen Wirtschaftspolitik. Reinbek 1998, ISBN 349922237X.
  • Preis der Einheit. Bilanz und Perspektiven der deutschen Einigung (with Jan Priewe). Frankfurt am Main 1994 (translated, notably, into Korean).
  • Millionen Arbeitslose (with Harald Mattfeldt). Rowohlt TB-V., Reinbek 1986, ISBN 3499153386.
  • Die Finanzkrise des Steuerstaates – Beiträge zur politischen Ökonomie der Staatsfinanzen. (Rudolf Goldscheid, Joseph Schumpeter, Hrsg. Rudolf Hickel), edition Suhrkamp 1976.
  • Tarifliche Lohnpolitik unter Nutzung der Härtefallregelung (zus. mit W. Kurtzke). Köln 1967.

Notes

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  1. ^ "Die falschen Töne haben meinen Vater zur Weißglut gebracht"[5]
  2. ^ "...eine international wettbewerbsstarke Wirtschaft, die wegen ihrer wachsenden Produktivität auch ein auch ein hohes Lohnniveau verträgt".[25]

References

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  1. ^ Michael Langer (15 December 2019). "Der Wirtschaftswissenschaftler Rudolf Hickel". Musik und Fragen zur Person .... Rudolf Hickel zählt zu den profiliertesten Volkswirten und Finanzwissenschaftlern Deutschlands. Allgemeine Bekanntheit erlangte er nicht zuletzt durch seine fundierte Kritik am Finanzkapitalismus. Deutschlandradio, Köln. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Der Lehrstuhl". (visual aid). Universität Bremen Institut Arbeit und Wirtschaft (iaw). 16 December 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  3. ^ Rudolf Hickel (5 August 2003). "Gesamtwirtschaftliche Kosten eines Kriegs gegen den Irak". Anschlag auf die Weltwirtschaft. Wissenschaft & Frieden & Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung ("Linksnet"). Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Professor Dr. Rudolf Hickel". Zur Person .... geboren 1942, Dipl.-Volkswirt, Dr. rer. pol. Universität Bremen Institut Arbeit und Wirtschaft (iaw). Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d e Petra Scheller (29 December 2011). "Der Strukturkonservative". Bald erscheint ein neues Buch von ihm, und im Fernsehen ist er allgegenwärtig, wenn es um die Bewertung von Wirtschafts- und Finanzfragen geht: der in Borgfeld wohnende Wirtschaftswissenschaftler Rudolf Hickel. WESER-KURIER Mediengruppe, Bremen. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  6. ^ a b c "Rudolf Hickel, deutscher Wirtschaftswissenschaftler; Prof.; Dr. rer. pol". Geburtstag: 17. Januar 1942 Nürnberg, Nation: Deutschland - Bundesrepublik. Munzinger Archiv GmbH, Ravensburg. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  7. ^ a b c d e f "Rudolf Hickel mit Bremischer Senatsmedaille für Kunst und Wissenschaft geehrt". Senatskanzlei. Freie Hansestadt Bremen, Pressestelle des Senats. 3 April 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  8. ^ Klaus Brinkbäumer; Barbara Supp (5 September 2005). "Ich spiel doch nicht den Engels". Rudolf Hickel und Paul Nolte über die Irrtümer des Marxismus und Alternativen zur Globalisierung. Der Spiegel (online). pp. 98–101. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  9. ^ Iris Karabelas (13 September 2010). Von den Konservativen entdeckt: Friedrich August von Hayeks Genese zu einer Figur der Oeffentlichkeit. Campus Verlag. pp. 155–178. ISBN 978-3-593-39289-9. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  10. ^ "Wie hat sich die Arbeitsgruppe Alternative Wirtschaftspolitik entwickelt? .... Veröffentlichungen unserer Mitglieder". Arbeitsgruppe Alternative Wirtschaftspolitik e. V., Bremen. 27 April 2010. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  11. ^ Lothar Wentzel (author); Detlev Brunner (compiler-editor); Michaela Kuhnhenne (compiler-editor); Hartmut Simon (compiler-editor) (31 March 2018). Der Striek der IG Metall zur Verteidigung des Stufentarifvertrags. transcript Verlag. pp. 169–180. ISBN 978-3-8394-4219-7. {{cite book}}: |author1= has generic name (help); |work= ignored (help)
  12. ^ "Wechsel an der Spitze des IAW". Seit 1. Oktober ist Dr. Günter Warsewa neuer Direktor des IAW. Universität Bremen, Institut Arbeit und Wirtschaft (iaw). 25 September 2009. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  13. ^ "Publikationen .... Beiträge in Zeitschriften". Universität Bremen Institut Arbeit und Wirtschaft (iaw). Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  14. ^ Arbeitsgruppe Alternative Wirtschaftspolitik (1990). "Marktfunktionen und Marktversagen". Im deutsch-deutschen Umbruch: Vorrang für sozialen und ökolögischen Umbau. Papy Rossa Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, Köln: 152–158. ISBN 3-89438-003-9.
  15. ^ Heiner Heseler; Jörg Huffschmid; Norbert Reuter; Axel Troost (2002). Leseprobe 3: Verzeichnis der Schriften Rudolf Hickels 1968 - 2001. VSA-Verlag. ISBN 3-87975-844-1. Retrieved 6 July 2020. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  16. ^ Jan Priewe; Rudolf Hickel (1992). Der Preis der Einheit: Bilanz und Perspektiven der deutschen. Fischer Taschenbuch. ISBN 978-3596112722. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  17. ^ Dieter Kampe (4 May 1992). "Die Industrie muß ran". Der Spiegel (online). pp. 146–157. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  18. ^ "Zehn Jahre ND-Wirtschaftskolumne". Neues Deutschland, Berlin. 7 September 2007. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  19. ^ Rudolf Hickel (24 July 2019). "Niedrige Zinsen sind nicht genug". Rudolf Hickel ist Forschungsleiter am Institut Arbeit und Wirtschaft der Universität Bremen. Frankfurter Rundschau. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  20. ^ Rudolf Hickel (7 February 2018). "Conrad Naber, der achte Faule". Nachruf auf einen außergewöhnlichen Unternehmer, einen engagierten Mäzen, einen Freund. taz Verlags u. Vertriebs GmbH, Berlin. pp. 24 Bremen 29 ePaper. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  21. ^ Martin Schulte (28 January 2014). Die Medienpräsenz zwischen 2000 und 2006. Tectum Wissenschaftsverlag. pp. 187–210. ISBN 978-3-8288-5837-4. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  22. ^ a b Margarete Hasel (September 2010). "Manches hätte ich gerne nach außen posaunt". Als Mitglied in verschiedenen Aufsichtsräten hat der Bremer Finanzwissenschaftler Rudolf Hickel 30 Jahre Erfahrungen als Unternehmenskontrolleur. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  23. ^ Rudolf Hickel (May 2003). "40 Jahre Rat der "Fünf Weisen" – Ungelöste gesamtwirtschaftliche Probleme trotz oder wegen der "Sachverständigen zur Begutachtung der gesamtwirt-schaftlichen Entwicklung"" (PDF). Kommentar zur Feier des 40jährigen Geburtstags des „Sachverständigenrates zur Begutachtung der gesamtwirtschaftlichen Entwicklung (sog. „Rat der fünf Weisen“) am 6. Mai in Berlin. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  24. ^ Harald Mattfeldt [in German]; Rudolf Hickel; Peter Beutler; Fritz Fiehler, Dieter Hart, Jan Priewe, Bernd Ziegler, Holger Paetow, Klaus Tonner, Rudolf Hickel, Harald Mattfeldt, Paul Chamsol, Ottwald Demele, Wolfgang Schoeller, Jürgen Gotthold, Udo Mayer, Hans-W. Micklitz, Klau Tonner, Rainer Volkmann (13 August 2013). Die Zukunft des Keynsianismus. Springer-Verlag. pp. 30–37. ISBN 978-3-322-88626-2. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  25. ^ a b Stefan Schulte (17 January 2008). "Die Neoliberalen sind widerlegt". Der Westen. WAZ Funke Mediengruppe. Archived from the original on 2009-01-08. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  26. ^ Stefan Schulte (17 January 2008). "Die Agenda 2010 hat den Aufschwung belastet". Der Westen. WAZ Funke Mediengruppe. Archived from the original on 2009-01-08. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  27. ^ Rudolf Hickel (27 July 2010). "Jetzt kommt die Zeit für höhere Löhne". Die Deutschen konsumieren zu wenig, das schwächt die Wirtschaft. Daher müssen die Nettoeinkommen verbessert werden. Handelsblatt, Düsseldorf. Archived from the original on 2010-08-01. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  28. ^ a b "Wie Deutschland zu retten ist". Focus. February 2004. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  29. ^ Rudolf Hickel; Johann-Günther König (2014). EURO stabilisieren EU demokratisieren (PDF). KellnerVerlag, Bremen & Boston. ISBN 978-3-95651-025-0. Retrieved 8 July 2020. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  30. ^ "Expertenstreit um länger Arbeitszeiten". Wirtschaftsprofessoren Sinn und Hickel im Gespräch. Nordsee-Zeitung, Bremerhaven & Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Hans-Werner Sinn, München. 1 October 2004. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  31. ^ Brigitte Young (author); Sebastiano Fadda (editor-compiler); Pasquale Tridico (editor-compiler) (20 February 2015). The Battle of Ideas in the Eurozone Crisis Management: German ordoliberalism versus post-Keynsianism. Routledge. pp. 78–90. ISBN 978-1-317-61742-6. {{cite book}}: |author1= has generic name (help); |work= ignored (help)
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