Ferdinand Wenzlaff Robert Eisler Und Die

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Ferdinand Wenzlaff Robert Eisler Und Die ZfSÖ.200.Umschlag.qxp_ZfSÖ-145_U 17.06.19 10:41 Seite 1 Neuauflage ISSN 0721-0752 HELMUT CREUTZ Z SÖ Das Geld-Syndrom ZEITSCHRIFT FÜR SOZIALÖKONOMIE Wege zu einer krisenfreien f Wirtschaftsordnung 495 Seiten, 14 x 22 cm mit Fadenheftung gebunden und Schutzumschlag, zahlreiche Grafiken, Abbildungen und Tabellen. 28,00 € ISBN: 978-3-96230-002-9 Ulrich Kriese 3 Grundsteuerreform: • Warum werden die weltweit vagabundierenden Geld- 2019, das Jahr der Entscheidung ströme immer größer? Daniel Mühlleitner Flächenausweisungszertifikate – • Weshalb reagieren die Kurse an den Aktien- und 9 Vermögensmärkten immer hektischer? Ökonomische Fallstricke und Perspektiven • Warum bekommen die Notenbanken Geldmenge und Kaufkraft nicht in den Griff? Thomas Seltmann 15 Geld mit Ablaufdatum – Wie sich eine Liquiditätsgebühr auf Bargeld • Weshalb müssen wir trotz fortschreitender Umwelt- praktisch realisieren ließe zerstörung jedes Jahr die Leistung unserer Wirtschaft steigern? Beate Bockting 23 Bargeld im Fokus der aktuellen • Warum geht trotz dieser Steigerung die Schere zwischen Geldpolitik Arm und Reich weiter auf? Ferdinand Wenzlaff 44 Robert Eisler und die virtuelle Parallelwährung Vielleicht haben Sie sich das auch schon gefragt, vor allem angesichts der Ereignisse in den letzten zehn Jahren. Johann Walter 55 Zukunft des Bargelds: regionale Helmut Creutz veranschaulicht auf verblüffende und Komplementärwährung? einleuchtende Weise, wie alle diese Fehlentwicklungen Max Danzmann 65 Warum staatliche Währungen privaten mit den Strukturen unseres Geldsystems zusammenhängen Kryptowährungen überlegen sind und bietet sinnvolle und kompetente Reformvorschläge. 75 Personalien - Bücher Die Neuauflage enthält einen der letzten Aufsätze von Helmut Creutz zur Niedrigzinsphase sowie ein Nachwort von Thomas Kubo mit aktualisierten Grafiken. Verlag Thomas Kubo - Münster | www.thomaskubo.de ZfSÖ 56. Jahrgang 200. Folge Juni 2019 Die letzte Printausgabe. 44 Robert Eisler und die virtuelle Parallelwährung Ferdinand Wenzlaff Im Zuge der letzten Finanzkrise hat sich eine gebnis ist eine virtuelle Parallelwährung bzw. ein akademische Debatte mit nie dagewesener Of- duales Währungssystem. Allerdings wird in der fenheit gegenüber neuen geldpolitischen Wegen Literatur zur virtuellen Parallelwährung nur die zur Überwindung der Nullzinsgrenze etabliert. Da Idee auf Eisler zurückgeführt, ohne dass Eisler Bargeldhaltung nicht negativ verzinst werden selbst eingehender dargestellt und diskutiert kann, bildet diese eine Hürde für langfristige ne- wird. gative Realzinsen. Die bekannteste Grundrich- Sieht man von einer älteren Publikation von tung zur Überwindung dieser Hürde ist die Ge- Gaitskell ab, gibt es praktisch bisher keine Lite- sell-Geldhaltesteuer, wobei verschiedene Varian- ratur, die sich tiefer mit Eisler als Ökonom aus- ten der „Stempeltechnik“ diskutiert werden. einandersetzt. In diesem Beitrag wird daher an- Die zweite Grundrichtung liegt in der Ab- hand des Studiums der Primärquellen umrissen, schaffung des bisherigen Bargeldes, wobei wie- welche Probleme Eisler in der Weltwirtschafts- der verschiedene technische Varianten möglich krise erkannte und wie er sie lösen wollte. Ob- sind. Während sich die originäre Debatte zur Ab- wohl Eisler selbst gar keine Nullzinsgrenze kann- schaffung des Bargeldes aus anderen Problemfo- te und mit der Parallelwährung andere Ziele ver- kussen jenseits makroökonomischer Fragestellun- folgte, werden wir sehen, wie sich sein Instru- gen speiste – Eindämmung von kriminellen Trans- ment zur Überwindung der Nullzinsgrenze adap- aktionen oder von Steuerflucht –, wird die Bar- tieren lässt. geldabschaffung nun funktional für einen geld- politischen Zweck. 1 Biographische Skizze Im akademischen Diskurs existiert noch eine dritte Grundrichtung zur Etablierung negativer Es gibt keine Biografie zu Robert Eisler, jedoch Realzinsen ohne Stempeltechnik und ohne Bar- spärliche und zum Teil widersprüchliche Hin- geldabschaffung: Die virtuelle Parallelwährung weise aus den Vorwörtern bzw. Publikationen im Sinne von Robert Eisler (1882–1949). Beate Eislers, der wenigen Sekundärliteratur, Lexika- Bockting in diesem Heft beleuchtet die Entwick- Einträgen, Archivnachweisen und Hinweisen aus lung des Diskurses zur Überwindung der Null- Korrespondenzen.2 zinsgrenze, während hier die Eisler-Lösung ver- Robert Eisler wurde 1882 in Wien in eine tieft wird. Wir verdanken es insbesondere dem wohlhabende jüdische Familie mit Fabrikanten- im Nullzinsgrenzendiskurs führenden Willem Bui- und Bankenhintergrund geboren. Er legte 1900 ter, dass wir heute überhaupt über Eisler spre- Matura ab und veröffentlichte bereits 1902 mit chen. Buiter theoretisiert die Trennung der Tausch- „Studien zur Werttheorie“ ein philosophisches, für mittel- und Recheneinheitsfunktion, wobei Miles Ökonomen schwer durchdringbares Traktat, wo- Kimball, Ruchir Agarwal und Ulrich van Suntum mit er sich angeblich schon promoviert hatte.3 die Idee aufgreifen, und Katrin Assenmacher und In jedem Fall promovierte Eisler (das zweite Mal) Signe Krogstrup dann von der Entkopplung von 1905 im Fach Kunstgeschichte in Wien und wur- Bargeld und elektronischen Geld sprechen.1 Er- de nach Absolvierung des Ausbildungskurses und Zeitschrift für Sozialökonomie 200/2019 Ferdinand Wenzlaff: Robert Eisler und die virtuelle Parallelwährung 45 Ablegung der Staatsprüfung ordentliches Mit- seinem Wiener Ins- glied am Institut für österreichische Geschichts- titut, sondern zwang forschung an der Universität Wien. Über sein ge- auf österreichischen samtes Leben war er in verschiedenen geistes- Druck auch das Pa- und sozialwissenschaftlichen Disziplinen wie klas- riser Institut zum sische Archäologie, Kunstgeschichte, Religions- Bedauern von Ein- geschichte, Anthropologie, Astronomie und Öko- stein die Beziehung nomie tätig. Er wird manchmal als Kulturhisto- zu ihm zu lösen.6 Je- riker, Ökonom oder auch als Universalgelehrter, doch erhielt er 1927 meistens jedoch als Religionshistoriker bezeich- eine Gastprofessur net. Eine (vorläufige und nicht systematische) an der Sorbonne für Analyse der wissenschaftlichen Zitationen ver- etwa ein Jahr. Eis- mittelt den Eindruck, dass seine religionswissen- ler hatte genug Mit- schaftlichen Arbeiten (noch) die höchste Beach- tel, sich auch ohne tung in der Wissenschaft finden, da er einige Anstellung noch in interessante aber auch kontroverse Entdeckun- München zu habili- Robert Eisler (Star-Phoenix, Canada; 16. Dezember 1926, S. 16) gen präsentierte. Eine Diskussion der philoso- tieren. phischen, religions- und kulturhistorischen Ar- Während der Depression erschienen dann die beiten übersteigt den Umfang dieses Beitrags reformorientierten Bücher „This Money Maze“ als auch die fachliche Kompetenz des Autors. (1931) und „Stable Money“ (1932) sowie einige Wir fokussieren daher ausschließlich die aktuelle Artikel (Tabelle 1). Obwohl Eisler unter Ökono- Wiederentdeckung von Eisler als Ökonom mit men als Häretiker gilt 7, erhielt er durchaus in- seiner originären Idee der Parallelwährung. ternationale Anerkennung als Experte für Wäh- Er lässt sich 1903 in die Katholische Kirche rungsfragen. Immerhin war er Mitglied der Royal konvertieren und heiratet 1908, wobei es wohl Economic Society und nahm an Meetings der keine Kinder gab. Einige Zeit nach Beendigung Econometric Society in den USA teil.8 In einer seines Kriegsdienstes als Offizier im Ersten Welt- kanadischen Zeitung wurde Eisler als „one of the krieg und zunächst anderen wissenschaftlichen greatest economists in the world“ bezeichnet.9 Arbeiten veröffentlichte Eisler 1924 „Das Geld: Er lehrte zu ökonomischen und monetären The- seine geschichtliche Entstehung und gesell- men in hochschulischen Einrichtungen u. a. in schaftliche Bedeutung“. Es handelte sich um ein Basel, Genf, London, Oxford, Paris, Prag, Wien. Lichtbildlehrbuch zum Einsatz in der Erwachse- Er war wohl der damals erste Ausländer, der vom nenbildung. Die für die Lichtbilder verwendete Finance Committee of the British House of Com- chemische Drucktechnik, ohne Glasfassung geeig- mons zur Erläuterung eines Reformkonzeptes ein- net für den Auflagendruck (Diatypie), hat Eisler geladen wurde. Der zeitgenössischen Presse las- selbst erfunden. sen sich viele Vorträge und Reisen in die USA Albert Einstein schlug Eisler 1925 als Direktor entnehmen, wobei er seine Reform auch vor dem des neuen Pariser Instituts zur Unterstützung Committee of Banking and Currency des amerika- der 1922 gegründeten League of Nations’ Inter- nischen Senats im Zuge des Gold Reserve Acts national Committee on Intellectual Cooperation von 1934 vorstellen konnte.10 (die Vorgängerorganisation der UNESCO) vor, wo- Zudem pflegte Eisler ein kaum fassbares Netz- bei Eisler dann stellvertretender Leiter wurde.4 werk mit Politikern, Nationalbankern, Praktikern Der „schon in jungen Jahren einigermaßen selbst- und Ökonomen. Im Buch „Stable Money“ werden herrliche und extravagante“ 5 Robert Eisler wurde seitenweise Personen höherer Ämter benannt, auffällig, weil er gerne unerlaubt Bibliotheks- mit denen er seine Ideen diskutieren und vali- bücher nach Hause nahm. In Udine 1907 nahm dieren konnte, darunter zum Beispiel Irving er eine Urkunde zum Fotografieren nach Hause – Fisher, Friedrich von Hayek, Ralph G. Hawtrey, dies brachte ihm nicht nur ein Hausverbot an Vincent Vickers oder Charles Rist. Zeitschrift für Sozialökonomie 200/2019 46 Ferdinand Wenzlaff: Robert Eisler und die virtuelle Parallelwährung 1902 • Studien zur Werttheorie. Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot. 1924 • Das Geld – seine geschichtliche
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