Abstract
The article compares the semantics of economic crises in the second half of the 19th century, focussing on the German-speaking world during the crises of 1857 and 1873. It examines, firstly, religious interpretations of the crises, arguing that these were on the wane. Even during the earlier crisis of 1857 they only played a role in a few instances. Secondly, the article examines the semantics employed by entrepreneurs, as found in annual reports by chambers of commerce. During both crises, the authors of these reports criticized the misdeeds of individual entrepreneurs. In 1857/58, this co-existed with the use of metaphors of physiology and meteorology. In the 1870s, by contrast, such metaphors were less frequent.
About the author
H. Catherine Davies
promovierte 2015 an der Freien Universität Berlin und arbeitet als wissenschaftliche Oberassistentin am Historischen Seminar der Universität Zürich. Sie forscht zu den Themenbereichen Kulturgeschichte des Kapitalismus, Geschichte der Kriminalität, deutsche Geschichte des 19./20. Jahrhunderts und amerikanische Geschichte des 19. Jahrhunderts. 2018 erschien ihre Dissertation Transatlantic Speculations. Globalization and the Panics of 1873, New York.
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