The Evolution of German Historical School in Bulgaria (1878-1944)

In this paper we present one possible historical reconstruction of the German historical school in Bulgaria for the period 1878 – 1944. The main postulates of the historical school which claimed to be a general theoretical model for newly emerging and backward economies suited well the interests of the basic social groups and the intellectual views of the newly formed Bulgarian elites. In Bulgaria the main dominating components of the historical school followed its own evolution (old, young and youngest historical school) while also intermingling with other major components of other theoretical schools. Thus, for instance, right after the Liberation, in the theoretical views of the Bulgarian economic scholars a specific synthesis emerged with the ideas of the classical liberal thought (G. Nachovich, Ivan Evstatiev Geshov), after WWI with the postulates of monetarism and conservative public finances (?. Lyapchev, G. Danailov), and during the 1930s with the ideas of organic and directed economy (?. Tsankov, ?. Bobchev). This eclectic interaction, within which the influence of the historical school increased, brought about evolution of the character of the “Bulgarian economic nationalism” (liberal, monetary-conservative and integral, corporate). Especially significant for the Bulgarian economic thought was the warm receipt of the Russian economic historical school even if only for the fact that this school came from a Slavic and Orthodox country.