Discovery of Personal Archive
These pages present a selection of documents (photographs, correspondence, and note books) from the personal archive of the German-American economist Karl William Kapp and his wife Lore Lilli Kapp, née Masur. They were rediscovered in Oxfordshire, UK in 2019 and have now been added to the collection of the Kapp Archive hosted by the university library in Basel. (Link︎︎︎)
The Kapps ca. 1947
The Kapps ca. 1965
Personal Correspondence
The Intellectual Biography of K. William and
Lore L. Kapp: A Historiographic Research Project
The newly discovered archival materials are invaluable for the ongoing historiographic research on Kapp's economics and intellectual biography. (Link︎︎︎)
Karl William Kapp (October 27, 1910 – April 10, 1976) was a German-American economist and Professor of Economics at the City University of New York and later the University of Basel. Kapp's main contribution was the development of a theory of social costs that captures urgent socio-ecological problems and proposes preventative and precautionary policies to secure social provisioning for human needs. […] (Link︎︎︎)
Lore L. Kapp (February 6, 1906 – February 5, 1979) has up until now received little to no attention despite her significant contribution as research assistant, collaborator and co-author of multiple books. The current pages and research project aim to shed a light on Lore through newly discovered materials.
The newly discovered archival materials are invaluable for the ongoing historiographic research on Kapp's economics and intellectual biography. (Link︎︎︎)
Karl William Kapp (October 27, 1910 – April 10, 1976) was a German-American economist and Professor of Economics at the City University of New York and later the University of Basel. Kapp's main contribution was the development of a theory of social costs that captures urgent socio-ecological problems and proposes preventative and precautionary policies to secure social provisioning for human needs. […] (Link︎︎︎)
Lore L. Kapp (February 6, 1906 – February 5, 1979) has up until now received little to no attention despite her significant contribution as research assistant, collaborator and co-author of multiple books. The current pages and research project aim to shed a light on Lore through newly discovered materials.
The main types of discovered documents are previously unknown photos, films, notebooks and letters.
New insights and remaining research tasks
The newly discovered personal archival materials allow new insights and raise new questions concerning the meaning and significance of Kapp’s economics and broader intellectual project within the history of economic thought. The following areas of research seem particularly significant: 1) The Kapps’ biographies through childhood, school, professional training, life and career. 2) Lore’s role as full-time collaborator and co-author. 3) Their challenging circumstances as German intellectuals in exile during WWII. 4) Their personal reflections on India during two Fulbright research visits.
The newly discovered personal archival materials allow new insights and raise new questions concerning the meaning and significance of Kapp’s economics and broader intellectual project within the history of economic thought. The following areas of research seem particularly significant: 1) The Kapps’ biographies through childhood, school, professional training, life and career. 2) Lore’s role as full-time collaborator and co-author. 3) Their challenging circumstances as German intellectuals in exile during WWII. 4) Their personal reflections on India during two Fulbright research visits.