The aim of the workshop is twofold. Firstly, to bring together economic historians who work with 18th century Nordic economic statistics to enhance our understanding of both the scope and the limitations of data from this period. Examples of research from the participants include the estimation of Norwegian 18th century trade, the calculation of 18th century Norwegian GDP, the quantification of illicit and licit trade in the early modern maritime economy and potential new estimates of Finnish GDP.
Secondly, the workshop seeks to foster discussions about potential future research directions and collaborative efforts. This includes exploring opportunities to refine and expand these statistical datasets through joint research projects and funding applications. Examples of funding possibilities could include NordForsk, or a European Research Council (ERC) grant. A final example is the participation of researchers that are forming a working group in Finland on early modern economic development, with a target of funding from several Finnish foundations and the Research Council of Finland.
Participation
The workshop is also open for non-speakers to participate, attendance is possible both in person and online.
Participation in the seminar is free of charge, but registration is required for practical purposes. You also need to register to get access to the papers that are to be presented. The registration deadline is Monday 9th of June. If you are presenting, please send the paper to lars.c.bruno@bi.no by 30 May.
Presenters give a 10-minute presentation followed by a 15–20-minute discussion. Participants are encouraged to read the papers in advance.