Friedrich von Wieser
Life and Work
- 10. Juli 1851
in Wien - 22. Juli 1926
- Generation 2
Stations
- 1851Birth
Born on 10 July 1851 in Vienna, the fourth of nine children.
- 1868–1872Studies in Law
Studied law at the University of Vienna; his engagement with Roman law introduced him to economic questions.
- 1871Reading Menger's "Grundsätze" (Principles of Economics)— inferred
It was only the reading of Menger's "Grundsätze der Volkswirthschaftslehre" (Principles of Economics) that offered Wieser the perspective he had been seeking, which in retrospect he described as a "liberation from the distress of thinking".
- 1872Lower Austrian Regional Finance Directorate
Entered the Austrian civil service (Lower Austrian Regional Finance Directorate) in 1872.[1]
- 1875–1877Travel Scholarship at German Universities
Received a travel scholarship in 1875 and studied economics under Karl Knies in Heidelberg, as well as at the universities of Leipzig and Jena.[7]
- 1884Habilitation "Über den Ursprung und die Hauptgesetze des wirthschaftlichen Werthes" (On the Origin and Fundamental Laws of Economic Value)
Completed his Habilitation in 1884 with "Über den Ursprung und die Hauptgesetze des wirthschaftlichen Werthes" (On the Origin and Fundamental Laws of Economic Value) and introduced the concept of marginal utility into economics. His first publication met with little response outside Vienna.[1]
- 1884–1903Chair at the German University in Prague
Associate professor (1884) and, from 1889, full professor of political economy at the Karl-Ferdinand University (German University in Prague); Rector in 1901/1902.[1]
- 1889"Der natürliche Werth" (Natural Value)
Publication of "Der natürliche Werth" (Natural Value; 1889), in which Wieser conceived of the economy as a system ordered by precise laws.[8]
- 1903–1922Chair at the University of Vienna (Menger's Successor)
In 1903 he succeeded Carl Menger in the chair of political economy at the University of Vienna; among his students were Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich von Hayek and Joseph Schumpeter.[1]
- 1914–1918War-Affirming Writings— inferred
As one of the very few "Austrians", he wrote several writings that, though moderate in tone, were nonetheless unmistakably war-affirming.
- 1917Elevation to the Rank of Baron
In 1917 he was elevated to the Austrian rank of Baron (Freiherr) and appointed a life member of the Herrenhaus (the upper house of the Imperial Council).[1]
- 1917–1918Minister of Commerce of Austria-Hungary
Appointed Minister of Commerce by Emperor Charles I on 30 August 1917, he remained in office across several successive governments until 11 November 1918.[1]
- 1921Honorary Doctorate, University of Vienna
Received an honorary doctorate from the University of Vienna in 1921.[1]
- 1926Death
Died on 22 July 1926 in St. Gilgen near Salzburg.
Influences
- 1875–1877Bruno Hildebrand(1812–1878) · Ältere Historische Schule
During his study trip to Germany he studied under Bruno Hildebrand in Jena.[1]
- 1875–1877Karl Knies(1821–1898) · Ältere Historische Schule
Studied economics under Karl Knies in Heidelberg on a travel scholarship.[1]
- 1875–1877Wilhelm Roscher(1817–1894) · Ältere Historische Schule
Studied under Wilhelm Roscher in Leipzig during his study trip to Germany.[1]
- 1903
Only reading Menger's “Grundsätze” offered Wieser the perspective he had been seeking, which in retrospect he experienced as a liberation from the “distress of thinking”.[1]
- —Lorenz von Stein(1815–1890) · Wiener Staatswissenschaft
Lorenz von Stein is explicitly named in the OeBL entry as Wieser's teacher at the University of Vienna.[1]
- 1901–1906
Turned to economics during his law studies at the University of Vienna under the influence of Menger's student Friedrich von Wieser.[2]
- 1903–1909
Weiss studierte an der Rechts- und Staatswissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Universität Wien bei Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk und Friedrich von Wieser.
- 1903–1906
Mises war nach Wiesers Berufung 1903 an die Universität Wien einer seiner Studenten in der Vorlesungs-Reihe zur Politischen Ökonomie; Wikipedia EN führt Mises explizit als Wieser-Schüler.
- 1918–1925
Haberler studied at the University of Vienna, among others under Friedrich von Wieser and Ludwig von Mises (doctorate in political science, 1925).[3]
- 1920–1923
From 1920 studied economics at the University of Vienna, among others under Friedrich von Wieser.[4]
- 1921
Hayek promovierte 1921 an der Universität Wien zum Doktor der Rechtswissenschaften bei Wieser; Wikipedia EN bezeichnet Hayek als „Wiesers treuesten Schüler".
- —
Received his doctorate in law at the University of Vienna in 1907; identified in the bio_de and in the Klausinger study as a student of Friedrich von Wieser. Wieser developed a father-son relationship with Mayer and supported him by every means.[9]
- 1872–1914
Wieser und Böhm-Bawerk waren Jugend- und Studienfreunde an der Universität Wien; 1880 heiratete Böhm-Bawerk Wiesers Schwester Paula und wurde damit zugleich dessen Schwager und langjähriger Wegbegleiter.[5]
- 1894
In 1894 became, alongside Friedrich von Wieser, an associate professor at the German University in Prague.
- 1923
In 1923 Mayer was appointed to the Vienna chair as successor to Friedrich von Wieser; after Wieser's death Mayer moved into the house Wieser had left behind in Vienna's 19th district.[9]
Friedrich von Wieser in the context of the School as a whole: five generations, their teacher-student lineages, circles and collegial ties.
Show in the family tree →SOURCES ON STATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS22 citations · 4 sources
- [6]Hayek (Hg.): Friedrich von Wieser - Gesammelte Abhandlungen (mit biographischer Einleitung)
- [7]Hayek (Hg.): Friedrich von Wieser - Gesammelte Abhandlungen (mit biographischer Einleitung)
- [8]Wieser: Der natürliche Werth (Originalwerk 1889)
Places of Activity
The Books
- Natural Value1893OriginalEnglish
- Social Economics1927OriginalEnglish
Essays, Reviews, Lectures
- Die Österreichische Schule und die Werttheorie1929OriginalGerman
- Die Theorie des Wertes (Eine Antwort an Prof. Macvane)1929OriginalGerman
- Die Wiederaufnahme der Barzahlungen in Österreich-Ungarn1929OriginalGerman
- APA
- Friedrich von Wieser. (n.d.). Edited by mises.at and scholarium. Accessed October 8, 2026, from https://mises.co/friedrich-von-wieser
- Chicago
- “Friedrich von Wieser.” n.d. Edited by mises.at and scholarium. Accessed October 8, 2026. https://mises.co/friedrich-von-wieser.
- German historical style
- Friedrich von Wieser, edited by mises.at and scholarium, https://mises.co/friedrich-von-wieser (accessed October 8, 2026).