This paper explores the interactions between external trade and regional disparities in the Italian economy since unification. It argues that the advantage of the North was initially based on natural advantage (in particular the endowment of water, intensive in silk production). From 1880...

We investigate how initial conditions that existed in East Germany at the end of the socialist regime impact regional development during the turbulent shock transition to a market economic system. Our investigation spans a period of almost 30 years. Both the self-employment rate (an indication...

Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, the North Caucasus is known as a politically unstable region and as a melting pot for terrorism and all kinds of criminal activity, reaching from drugtrafficking and illegal arms trade to hijacking and extortion. Furthermore, the North Caucasus is one of...

How do housing rents, quality and affordability evolve when cities grow over time? This paper studies urban housing markets for half a millennium (1500–2017) for Amsterdam, Antwerp, Bruges, Brussels, Ghent, London, and Paris. Based on a dataset of 436,000 rent observations, we build new...

The relationship of companies in the maritime economy to banks has been neglected by researchers. While this is surprising, specific financing techniques in ship financing can be found. In addition, the topic has a high degree of currency: the relationship of shipping companies and shipyards to...

Polish Abstract: Szczakowa to dzielnica południowej Polski, średniej wielkości miasta Jaworzno. Dziś jest to teren raczej zapomniany, zdewastowany i zmarginalizowany. Nie zawsze tak było. Kiedyś Szczakowa była jedną z najbardziej prężnych wsi i miasteczek w Galicji Zachodniej i...

The French academic landscape has been increasingly confronted with contentious debates surrounding the concept of "Islamo-leftism" and the potential influence of foreign states in higher education and research institutions. This paper intends to provide a snapshot introduction to these issues,...

On December 18, 2022, the far-right neo-Nazi group Golden Dawn (GD) publicly reappeared and held a march and rally in Florina, Northern Greece. GD organized the demonstration in response to the approval of the "Macedonian Language Center" in Greece as an official NGO. In response to the GD's...

In an interview with America Magazine, Pope Francis spoke of a "martyred" people of Ukraine and said that invading non-Russian ethnic soldiers are "probably the cruelest". Most Chechens are Muslims, while Buryats are Tibetan Buddhists and Shamans. The media's discriminatory treatment of...

We document and suggest a rationale for the durability of seasonal migration from Poland to Germany, a phenomenon persisting for more than a century. We refer to the role of the tradition of engaging in seasonal migration as a force that helped invigorate the process and contribute to its...