History
Economic History first saw the light of the day in Lund 1945. This was when
there was established a docent-ship in the subject of Economic History attached
to the department of History at Lund University. Four years later the subject
became self-dependent by the arise of a “preceptor-ship” (something
between a docent-ship and a professor-ship), which was held by Oscar Bjurling.
In 1959 the department moved to a villa at Finngatan and the “preceptor-ship”
was made into at professor-ship. Now the long and (so far) uninterrupted growth
with emphasis on macroeconomical problems started, often connecting to statistics
and/or economic theory. In 1973 Bjurling was succeeded by Lennart Jörberg
and three years later Gunnar Fridlizius got a personal professor-ship. During
30 years at the cosy house at Finngatan the three big research-groups which
still today dominates the subject developed. These are the economics of: 1)
structure, 2) population and 3) development and in addition to these a number
of other specialities as the economics of education, the labour market and the
history of economic doctrines. Finally the house became too crowded and in 1988
the department moved to “Holger Crafoords Ekonomicentrum” which
now is the School of Economics and Management.
At the time of the move a change of generations also was initiated and a new
phase of expansion for both research and education began. At the retirement
of Fridlizius in 1988 there was established a professorship of modern and social
economic history which was held by Rolf Ohlsson until his removal by death in
2004. Jörberg was succeeded in 1992 by Lennart Schön and in 1996 another
professorship was created directed towards the third world which is held by
Christer Gunnarsson. After that three more professors have come into being:
Carl-Axel Olsson, Tommy Bengtsson and Christer Lundh. Thereby the department
today has five professors and about ten docents, 15 doctors, 25 post-graduates
and 200 students per year, not forgetting several contacts in Sweden and all
over the World. Throughout the years approximately 80 dissertations have been
presented, for the last years at a rate of about five a year. As the annual
rings increases Economic History at Lund University has ramified itself and
is perpetually pushing out new fresh shoots.
Tillbaka
