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Ludwig von Mises

Born: 09-29-1881
Faculty: Law School
Category: Expelled teacher

Ludwig von MISES (born on September 29th, 1881 in Lemberg, Galicia/Austro-Hungarian Empire [later: Lwów/Poland, today: Lwiw|Львів/Ukraine], died on October 10th, 1973 in New York, NY/USA) was private lecturer with the title of an associate professor ("Privatdozent Titular Ausserordentlicher Professor") for Political Economy at the Law School of the University of Vienna. 

Born as the son of a wealthy Jewish family, Ludwig von Mises later grew up in Vienna. In 1900 he began to study law at the University of Vienna and was graduated 'Dr.iur.' in 1906. Subsequently, he began to work at the Vienna Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where he headed the finance department. In 1913 he was promoted lecturer ("Privatdozent") at the University of Vienna, in 1918 he gained the title - but not the position - of an associate professor. His private seminars were attended by numerous prominent scientists, including Friedrich Engel Jánosi, Gottfried Haberler, Oskar MorgensternMartha Stephanie Braun and Friedrich von Hayek (later Nobel prize laureate).
Ludwig von Mises was a leading economic adviser to the Austrian Government, e.g. at the end hyperinflation in 1922 and the reorganization of the Austrian National Bank. and advocated a liberal economic policy.

His brother Richard von Mises (1883-1953), had studied (among others) at the Technical University of Vienna and taught mathematics at the University of Berlin since 1919. He emigrated with his future wife, the mathematician Hilda Geiringer (1893-1973) to Istanbul/Turkey in 1933 (1939 USA).
Ludwig von Mises himself taught at the Institut universitaire de hautes études internationales in Geneva/Switzerland since 1934. 

He was persecuted in times of Nazism as a Jew, lost his position and was thrown out of the university on April 22nd, 1938. 
Ludwig von Mises initially remained in Switzerland. In 1940 he emigrated to the USA, received the U.S. citizenship in 1946 and taught at New York University from 1945 to 1969.

Ludwig von Mises died on October 10th, 1973 in New York, NY/USA.


Lit.: MUEHLBERGER 1993, 14; SILVERMAN 2012, 177; information courtesy by Oswald Glaser, Vienna 04/2015; Wikipedia.


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