Fritz Redlich (1892–1978): An Intellectual Portrait

Abstract

This article explores the career of Fritz L. Redlich and his influence on business history. Redlich completed his degree in economics in Berlin in 1914 when the German Historical School still dominated the field. He then had to withdraw his Ph.D. dissertation on the German tar industry because of his Jewish origin. In 1936, he left Germany for the United States, where he taught in several universities and also served in public administration. A major breakthrough in his career occurred when he answered the call to join the Research Center in Entrepreneurial History at Harvard University. There, in continuous dialogue with Joseph Schumpeter, Arthur Cole, and many other researchers, Redlich developed an interesting epistemological foundation for the newly born entrepreneurial history, a discipline bent on verstehen (“understanding”) and becoming an integral part of the social sciences. Via an international network of numerous students and scholars, Redlich was decisive in the emergence and diffusion of business history not only in the United States but also in Germany.