| dc.description.abstract | The pioneers of Swedish economics at the end of the 19th and
beginning of the 20th century were to a large extent influenced by German
ideas and German academic life. They went to Germany to study, and their
scientific works were usually written in German or Swedish. During the 20th
century the use of foreign language changed in favour of English. A similar
transition from German to English can be found concerning the predominant
language of foreign economics books acquired by Swedish university libraries,
the language of doctoral theses in economics, and the language of works
quoted in those theses. At the same time the position of the Swedish language
declined. We discuss World War I, the German historical school, the Nazi
period and World War II, the diminishing significance of geographical distance,
and American demographic and academic growth as factors contributing to the
transition from German to American influence, which had linguistic
consequences. | sv |
