Masterclass in Economic History
Activities for Prospective Graduate Students
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The Distribution of Wealth and the Role of the Rich in Society: A historical perspective
20 February 2025 at 6:00pm CET
Guido Alfani
Full Professor of Economic History
The lesson
Over the last 15 years or so, many efforts have been made to reconstruct long-term trends in wealth inequality in various societies. For some areas of Europe, such as Italy, Germany and the UK, it is now possible to observe the wealth share of the richest – for example, the "one-percenters" – from the early 14th century, right before the Black Death pandemic, until today. This masterclass provides an overview of this research, arguing that a deeper historical perspective changes our perception and understanding of current tendencies in economic inequality. It will then focus on the rich and the role they play in society.