The Dynamics of Scholars Life Expectancy in the Holy Roman Empire - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The Dynamics of Scholars’ Life Expectancy in the Holy Roman Empire Robert Stelter 2 , David de la Croix 1 & Mikko Myrskylä 2 1 IMERA & Université catholique de Louvain 2 Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research

Introduction § Recent research literature emphasizes the role of upper-tail human capital (Mokyr 2016, Squicciarini & Voigtlaender 2015, Chaney 2017, Kung 2017, Gergaud et al. 2016, Cummins 2017, Cantoni Yuchtman 2014, De la Croix & Licandro 2015, Dittmar & Meisenzahl 2016, Becker et al. 2016) § Objective: to measure the size of the relevant population and its life expectancy § The length of life matters as it was essential for both knowledge transmission and enhancement in a world of face-to-face communication. (Lucas 2009)

Introduction § Recent research literature emphasizes the role of upper-tail human capital (Mokyr 2016, Squicciarini & Voigtlaender 2015, Chaney 2017, Kung 2017, Gergaud et al. 2016, Cummins 2017, Cantoni Yuchtman 2014, De la Croix & Licandro 2015, Dittmar & Meisenzahl 2016, Becker et al. 2016) § Objective: to measure the size of the relevant population and its life expectancy § The length of life matters as it was essential for both knowledge transmission and enhancement in a world of face-to-face communication. (Lucas 2009)

Introduction § Recent research literature emphasizes the role of upper-tail human capital (Mokyr 2016, Squicciarini & Voigtlaender 2015, Chaney 2017, Kung 2017, Gergaud et al. 2016, Cummins 2017, Cantoni Yuchtman 2014, De la Croix & Licandro 2015, Dittmar & Meisenzahl 2016, Becker et al. 2016) § Objective: to measure the size of the relevant population and its life expectancy § The length of life matters as it was essential for both knowledge transmission and enhancement in a world of face-to-face communication. (Lucas 2009)

Introduction What we already know from the literature... § Some (older) evidence that longevity improved in the 17 th and 18 th centuries and well before the Industrial Revolution. (Hollingsworth 1977, Vandenbroucke 1985) § Longevity of § ... the scientific elite organized in academies of sciences (Andreev et al. 2011, van de Kaa et al. 2008, Winkler-Dworak 2008) § ... of artists (van Poppel et al. 2013) § ... popes and artists (Carrieri et al. 2005, Hanley et al. 2006) § ... Cardinals of the catholic church (Fornasin et al. 2010) § ... European nobility over a long period of time (Cummins 2017) § ... famous people from the Index Bio-bibliographicus Notorum Hominum (de la Croix and Licandro 2015) .

Introduction What we already know from the literature... § Some (older) evidence that longevity improved in the 17 th and 18 th centuries and well before the Industrial Revolution. (Hollingsworth 1977, Vandenbroucke 1985) § Longevity of § ... the scientific elite organized in academies of sciences (Andreev et al. 2011, van de Kaa et al. 2008, Winkler-Dworak 2008) § ... of artists (van Poppel et al. 2013) § ... popes and artists (Carrieri et al. 2005, Hanley et al. 2006) § ... Cardinals of the catholic church (Fornasin et al. 2010) § ... European nobility over a long period of time (Cummins 2017) § ... famous people from the Index Bio-bibliographicus Notorum Hominum (de la Croix and Licandro 2015) .

Introduction What we already know from the literature... § Some (older) evidence that longevity improved in the 17 th and 18 th centuries and well before the Industrial Revolution. (Hollingsworth 1977, Vandenbroucke 1985) § Longevity of § ... the scientific elite organized in academies of sciences (Andreev et al. 2011, van de Kaa et al. 2008, Winkler-Dworak 2008) § ... of artists (van Poppel et al. 2013) § ... popes and artists (Carrieri et al. 2005, Hanley et al. 2006) § ... Cardinals of the catholic church (Fornasin et al. 2010) § ... European nobility over a long period of time (Cummins 2017) § ... famous people from the Index Bio-bibliographicus Notorum Hominum (de la Croix and Licandro 2015) .

Introduction What we already know from the literature... § Some (older) evidence that longevity improved in the 17 th and 18 th centuries and well before the Industrial Revolution. (Hollingsworth 1977, Vandenbroucke 1985) § Longevity of § ... the scientific elite organized in academies of sciences (Andreev et al. 2011, van de Kaa et al. 2008, Winkler-Dworak 2008) § ... of artists (van Poppel et al. 2013) § ... popes and artists (Carrieri et al. 2005, Hanley et al. 2006) § ... Cardinals of the catholic church (Fornasin et al. 2010) § ... European nobility over a long period of time (Cummins 2017) § ... famous people from the Index Bio-bibliographicus Notorum Hominum (de la Croix and Licandro 2015) .

Introduction What we already know from the literature... § Some (older) evidence that longevity improved in the 17 th and 18 th centuries and well before the Industrial Revolution. (Hollingsworth 1977, Vandenbroucke 1985) § Longevity of § ... the scientific elite organized in academies of sciences (Andreev et al. 2011, van de Kaa et al. 2008, Winkler-Dworak 2008) § ... of artists (van Poppel et al. 2013) § ... popes and artists (Carrieri et al. 2005, Hanley et al. 2006) § ... Cardinals of the catholic church (Fornasin et al. 2010) § ... European nobility over a long period of time (Cummins 2017) § ... famous people from the Index Bio-bibliographicus Notorum Hominum (de la Croix and Licandro 2015) .

Introduction What do we plan to contribute to the literature? We plan to focus on an important sub-population of the elite for knowledge accumulation: members of scientific academies and universities. 1. To establish a scholar catalog 2. Estimate the dynamics of mortality 3. Measure the impact of big shocks on longevity (like the Thirty Years’ War)

Introduction What do we plan to contribute to the literature? We plan to focus on an important sub-population of the elite for knowledge accumulation: members of scientific academies and universities. 1. To establish a scholar catalog 2. Estimate the dynamics of mortality 3. Measure the impact of big shocks on longevity (like the Thirty Years’ War)

Introduction What do we plan to contribute to the literature? We plan to focus on an important sub-population of the elite for knowledge accumulation: members of scientific academies and universities. 1. To establish a scholar catalog 2. Estimate the dynamics of mortality 3. Measure the impact of big shocks on longevity (like the Thirty Years’ War)

The Holy Roman Empire 1648 and the Netherlands

Academies and Universities in the scholar catalog 41 6 8 54 47 28 25 * 49 * 34 62 38 15 27 67 46 33 22 30 21 36 52 50 14 51 40 29 42 * 44 * 39 63 61 * 5 35 68 * 66 * 19 2 48 7 64 3 16 52 24 26 43 50 12 37 4 11 * 45 65 * 1 31 69 Uni 1300−99 20 Uni 1400−99 53 10 17 18 13 Uni 1500−99 32 23 Uni 1600−99 Uni 1700−99 48 9 Academy List

Sources of the Scholar Catalog

Sources of the Scholar Catalog

Sources of the Scholar Catalog

Sources of the Scholar Catalog

A Scholar Catalog for the “ Holy Roman Empire ” University of Heidelberg 25 25 University of Leiden 20 20 No. of observations No. of observations 15 15 10 10 5 5 0 0 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 Year of birth Year of birth 25 University of Franeker 25 Technical University of Braunschweig 20 20 No. of observations No. of observations 15 15 10 10 5 5 0 0 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 Year of birth Year of birth O BSERVATIONS BY YEAR OF BIRTH IN SELECTED U NIVERSITIES Academies

An example: Lorenz Friedrich von Crell (1744–1816) 54 * 1745−01−21 52 50 48

An example: Lorenz Friedrich von Crell (1744–1816) 54 1771−1773 * 1745−01−21 52 50 48

An example: Lorenz Friedrich von Crell (1744–1816) 54 1771−1773 * 1745−01−21 1774−1810 52 50 48

An example: Lorenz Friedrich von Crell (1744–1816) 54 1784 1771−1773 * 1745−01−21 1774−1810 1778 52 1778 50 1779 48

An example: Lorenz Friedrich von Crell (1744–1816) 54 1784 1771−1773 * 1745−01−21 1774−1810 1778 52 1810−1816 1778 50 1779 48

An example: Lorenz Friedrich von Crell (1744–1816) 54 1784 1771−1773 * 1745−01−21 1774−1810 1778 52 † 1816−09−07 1810−1816 1778 50 1779 48

The population of scholars The law of motion: H t ` 1 “ H t ` B t ´ D t (1) with § B t : “birth” ” newly nominated scholars § D t : “death” ” biological death or scholars quit from the sample