Jörg Baten

Professor Jörg Baten is a distinguished scholar in Economic History at the University of Tübingen's Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, where he has held the Chair of Economic History since 2001. He previously served as Dean of the Economics Faculty (2004-2006) and as Secretary General of the International Economic History Association (2006-2012). Currently, he serves as Co-Editor in-chief of Economics and Human Biology and was President of the European Historical Economics Society (2015-2017). His academic journey began with a doctoral dissertation in Economics from the University of Munich in 1997, followed by his Habilitation in 2001.

Professor Baten's research focuses on the long-run development of human capital across global contexts, welfare development patterns throughout economic history, and the determinants and effects of interpersonal violence over centuries. His work employs anthropometric indicators as key measures of economic well-being, examining how height, nutrition, and numeracy reflect broader socioeconomic conditions. His research spans multiple continents and historical periods, from ancient Rome to contemporary global development.

His recent publications reveal a consistent focus on global human capital development, with particular attention to numeracy patterns across different societies and historical periods. His work demonstrates how mathematical skills evolved differently across regions and social groups, revealing connections between education, economic development, and social inequality. The research often employs innovative methodologies like age-heaping analysis to extract human capital indicators from historical records.

• International Economic History Association Prize (2002)
• Alumni Dissertation price (1998)

Professor Baten has supervised 25 PhD students as primary advisor and numerous post-doctoral researchers, creating a significant academic lineage in economic history and human capital studies. His research projects span multiple continents, examining human capital development in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas across centuries. He leads several major collaborative projects analyzing long-term welfare development and maintains active research connections with institutions worldwide.