The political economy of social identity in 19th century Germany.

This essay summarizes a PhD thesis examining the political economy of social identity in 19th century Germany through four chapters. It analyzes nation-building effects in Prussian cities after 1815, the impact of Otto von Bismarck's "carrot and stick" policies on socialist party support, the economic consequences of the "grain invasion" during the first globalization (1880–1913), and a reassessment of Max Weber's Protestant Ethic hypothesis in the context of ethnic conflicts involving the Polish minority. The research finds that government efforts to shape social identities had mixed success, that trade shocks influenced migration and income but not political outcomes, and that ethnic discrimination rather than Protestantism explains regional economic differences. Overall, the thesis highlights the complex interplay between political strategies, economic forces, and social identities in Imperial Germany.