Origins & Early Life

Albert Otto Hirschman (born Otto Albert Hirschmann; April 7, 1915 – December 10, 2012) was an American economist. He was the author of several influential books on development economics, political economy, and political ideology including The Strategy of Economic Development (1958), Exit, Voice, and Loyalty (1970), The Passions and the Interests (1977), and The Rhetoric of Reaction (1991). He was a founding figure in the School of Social Science at the Institute for Advanced Study and an influential economic advisor to Latin American leaders. In World War II, he played a key role in rescuing refugees from occupied France with the Emergency Rescue Committee.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Albert Otto Hirschman was born Otto Albert Hirschmann on April 7, 1915 to a middle-class Jewish family in Berlin, Germany, the son of Carl Hirschmann, a surgeon, and Hedwig Marcuse Hirschmann. He had one elder sister, Ursula Hirschmann, and one younger, Eva. The family was "distant from Jewish tradition and religion," in his own words, and he was baptized as Lutheran though never confirmed. The family rented an apartment on Berlin's Hohenzollernstrasse and paid...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• A. A. K. Niazi — Contemporary (Born in 1915) (1915): Pakistani general who commanded Eastern Command during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
• Abba Eban — Contemporary (Born in 1915) (1915): Israeli diplomat, politician, and scholar of Arabic and Hebrew languages.
• Adolphe Pégoud — Contemporary (Died in 1915) (1915): Pioneering French aviator and the first recorded fighter ace of World War I.
• Adam Yauch — Contemporary (Died in 2012) (2012): Founding member of Beastie Boys; influential rapper, filmmaker, and Tibetan activist.
• Alfred F. Young — Contemporary (Died in 2012) (2012): Pioneering American historian of the Revolution and working-class social history.
• Barbara Ann Scott — Contemporary (Died in 2012) (2012): Pioneering Canadian figure skater, Olympic champion, and national icon.
• Alan J. Pakula — Shared historical date (04-07 · Born) (1928): American film director, writer, and producer known for political thrillers.
• Alexander Bogdanov — Shared historical date (04-07 · Died) (1928): Polymath philosopher, pioneer of blood transfusion, and key Bolshevik revolutionary.
• Ada Lovelace — Shared historical date (12-10 · Born) (1815): Pioneering mathematician recognized as the first computer programmer.
• Alfred Nobel — Shared historical date (12-10 · Died) (1896): Pioneering chemist, inventor of dynamite, and founder of the Nobel Prizes.
• 1915 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1915
• April 7 (04-07) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on April 7
• 2012 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2012
• December 10 (12-10) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on December 10