Jeremiah Dittmar

Jeremiah Dittmar is an Associate Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), affiliated with the School of Public Policy and the Department of Economics. He holds a PhD in Economics from UC Berkeley. His key expertise includes Economic Growth, Economic History, Macroeconomics, and Applied Econometrics. Dittmar’s research focuses on the interplay between institutions, technological innovation, and economic development, particularly in historical contexts such as the Protestant Reformation, Industrial Revolution, and the Black Death era. His work examines how historical events and institutions shaped long-term economic outcomes in Europe and beyond.

He teaches courses such as EC455 (Quantitative Approaches and Policy Analysis) and EC465 (Economic Growth, Development, and Capitalism in Historical Perspective). His research explores the political economy of innovation, the impact of pandemics on economic divergence, and the role of education institutions in fostering industrial clusters. Notable themes include the influence of media (e.g., printing press) on market expansion and institutional change, and the economic consequences of religious reformations.

His recent work analyzes how medieval pandemics reshaped political systems and economic structures, while his historical studies on German cities highlight the importance of public goods and state capacity for sustained growth. Dittmar’s scholarship bridges macroeconomic theory with deep historical analysis, offering insights into contemporary debates on technological diffusion and institutional resilience.