By merging individual data on valuable patents granted in Prussia in the late nineteenth century with county level information on literacy and income tax revenues we show that increases in the stock of human capital not only improved workers ́productivity but also accelerated innovative...

Chapter 1. Introduction -- Chapter 2. Regional human capital inequality in Europe -- Chapter 3. Spatial clustering of numeracy and literacy -- Chapter 4. Human capital and market access in the European regions -- Chapter 5. The long-run impact of human capital on innovation and economic growth...

Human capital is of utmost importance for the future of our knowledge economies and societies. However, it is unequally distributed in Europe, contributing to marked spatial patterns of economic prosperity within and across countries. In many cases, these patterns have a long history. To...