In a recent radio report on Deutschlandfunk, a Hertie School study by Dr. Nils Redeker, Dr. Lukas Haffert, and Dr. Tobias Rommel is discussed.
In this Deutschlandfunk report, journalists and historians discuss the historical discourse surrounding inflation in Germany to better understand the development of the popular understanding of inflation over time. The Hertie School study, “Misremembering Weimar: Unpacking the Historic Roots of Germany’s Monetary Policy Discourse” helps to counter some of the myths surrounding hyperinflation in Germany, as this study shows that the mass poverty of the 1930s was not the result of hyperinflation as many believe but rather the product of mass unemployment, deep recession and falling prices. “Looking back into a skewed version of their own history, many Germans conclude that mass unemployment and high inflation are just two sides of the same coin,” the authors claim.
Read the full study here.
Listen to the full report (in German) here.