Money in Socialism

^{Picture: St. Rindlisbacher}

DFG-Network

Money in Socialism: Policies, Practices, and Experiences, 1945-1991

We are an international and interdisciplinary group which explores the interplay between society, economy, and politics in socialist states by looking through the lens of money. We analyse different practices on macro-, meso- and micro-scales, touching on topics such as the (re-)monetization of economies and societies after 1945, numismatics, lending, hoarding, and saving .

^{Picture: St. Rindlisbacher}

Our Topic

Money is a complex, fluid institution. Although difficult to control by centralized authorities, it has proven to be a powerful tool for mediating social relations within a wide range of modern societies. Marxist political thought had initially aimed at overcoming money as one of capitalism’s most prominent representations. In government, however, socialist regimes soon realised that its positive practical effects outweighed potential ideological objections. Hence, money and credit served many functions in socialist societies, ultimately aimed at stabilizing economic production and distribution and strengthening social cohesion and central rule.

^{Picture: St. Rindlisbacher}

The Lacuna

For decades only sporadically subject to historical research, we now observe a number of qualitatively significant studies on monetary practices, socialist consumer cultures, and on intermediary organizations and institutions between the socialist governments and the population such as banks. This research provides intricate insights, but also faces many challenges, particularly with regards to methodology and scope. The majority of the authors has focussed on single national frames without substantial comparative perspectives.

^{Picture: St. Rindlisbacher}

Our Mission

We overcome such shortcomings by joining perspectives from different disciplines with a range of methodological and language skills to work on inclusive approaches. After discovering that sporadic bilateral cooperation and one-off conferences are no sufficient solutions, we have now established an interdisciplinary network which brings our insights together and combines methodological approaches.

^{Picture: St. Rindlisbacher}

Funding

Our collaboration is funded by the German Research Foundation DFG.