English translation of title: National economic studies on property, economy, productivity of works, capital, price, profit, income and consumption. First edition München, in der Anton Weber‘schen Buchhandlung 1832 Bibliographics In 1898 Alfred Marshall (1842-1924) wrote to James Bonar (1852–1941) answering the question what [to Marshall] defines a ‘classical economist’:  „Balliol Croft, Cambridge, 27. ix. 1898 My dear Bonar.May I venture on the rashness of a definition? I do not myself hold a classical author to be one who more than others has said things which are true, as they stand. I don’t feel myself bound to agree with him on many points, not even on any point. But he is not for me classical unless either by the form or the matter of his words or deeds he has stated or indicated architectonic ideas in thought or sentiment, which are in some degree his own, and which, once created, can never die but are an existing yeast ceaselessly working in the Cosmos. With that definition I can to my own satisfaction say pretty well whom I regard as classical economists. I think such a large proportion of them wrote in the half-century 1770-1820 that that is rightly called the classical epoch. I incline to regard Petty and Hermann and von Thünen and Jevons as classical, but not [John Stuart] Mill....” [1]     Amongst Marshall’s choices , at the time, Friedrich von Hermann today has almost vanished, not into obscurity but at least from visibility from standard text books even from economic history books. (Not an uncommon fate - in any field - for the giants upon whose shoulders we supposedly stand.)                                                                                                                                Several reasons come to mind for this state: von Herman’s opus major was never translated and the first edition is extremely rare and was sold out after only a few years. A second edition was published posthumously in 1870 – partly based on manuscript notes by von Hermann, partly based upon the additions of the two editors (disciples of von Hermann: Johann von Helferich & Georg von Mayr), and much expanded to 637 pages. It is reported that von Herman had worked on this second edition until two hours before his death). [2] Finally, the first (1832) edition was republished (with the same plates) in 1924 (edited by Karl Diehl, (1864-1941), who taught last economics in Freiburg im Breisgau). And even this copy is very rare. A facsimile edition of the first edition of 1832 was published as part of the ‚Handelsblatt Bibliothek‘ “Klassiker der Nationalökonomie” in 1987.        Hermann’s work is not a standard text book of the type ‘principles of economics’ rather a discussion of  - in von Hermann’s view – open issues of the English and French classical theory (A. Smith, J. Steuart, Malthus, Ricardo, Torrens, McCulloch, Samuel Read, Mill, J.B Say, Quesnay, Sismondi, Canard, Ganilh) which von Hermann critically tries to promote and advance. [3] An English title of von Hermann’s book could probably have read at the time: ‘Open issues of the principles of economics’. The reader should therefore be somewhat familiar with the discussions in the last quarter of the 18th and the first quarter of the 19th century.                                                                                                                                                                                            Last not least – von Hermann is a sharp and logical thinker demanding constant attention from the reader, which makes this work – together with the gothic print – not an easy read for today’s readers. The reward will be an excellent understanding of the open issues of classical political economy at the time of von Hermann’s writing.                                                                          What follows is the entry in the Palgrave Dictionary of Political Economy for Friedrich von Hermann, written by James Bonar (1852–1941) in 1896: “HERMANN, FRIEDRICH BENEDICT WILHELM (1795-1868), one of the most eminent of German economists and statisticians, was born at Dinkelsbühl in Bavaria. He studied at Erlangen and Würzburg. He was afterwards (1821) teacher of mathematics at Erlangen, and (1825) professor of that science in the Polytechnic school of Nuremberg. In 1827 he was appointed extraordinary professor of technology and political economy in the University of Munich. His great work, ‘Staatswirthschaftliche Untersuchungen’ (1832), made his reputation, and procured for him the position of ordinary professor in his university. He was employed by the government as inspector of institutions for technical instruction, and was commissioned to visit, in 1839, the Paris exhibition, of which he published an account (Die Industrie-Ausstellung zu Paris). He was also appointed a member of the statistical bureau, and in the capacity of its head he issued, from 1850 to 1867, his contributions to the statistics of Bavaria. He filled from time to time different important posts in the ministries of the interior and of finance. At several conferences of representatives of the German states on taxation, he worked earnestly for the creation of one national system of customs duties. He organised a Grossdeutsche Partei, whose motto was “Kein Deutschland ohne Oesterreich.“ He held that a union without Austria would produce not a lesser Germany, but a larger Prussia. He represented in 1848 the city of Munich in the National Assembly at Frankfort, and voted as a member of the Left Centre. In 1855 he retired from political life, and devoted himself to his professorial duties and to scientific research. He was seized with inflammation of the lungs on 20th November 1868, and, aware of his approaching end, dictated to his son, as long as his strength permitted, the alterations to be introduced into a new edition (2nd ed.) of his Untersuchungen. He died on the 23rd of the same month. [Roscher, Gesch. der NO., p. 860.—Cossa, Introd. to the study of P.E., English trans., Macmillan, 1893, p. 406.—Kautz, Nationalökonomie, ii. p. 633.]   J- K.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Hermann in his Staatswirthschaftliche Untersuchungen (Munich, 1832, and, enlarged afterwards from his notes, 1870) has left one of the most permanently valuable books on economics in the German language. It covers nearly the whole ground of a text-book, and such a text-book as might have been expected a generation later. Like Schäffle, he says much at the outset on human wants, the notion of “goods,” and other psychological aspects of his subject. He lays stress on the distinction of technical from economical, the first relating to the production of certain physical effects by the use of certain physical causes, the second to the disposal of quantities of goods, on the principle of greatest benefit at least sacrifice. He distinguishes the economy of an individual, of a family, and of a larger group. He points out that joint action is not necessarily collective action ; a school may be started by the joint action of several fathers for the training of their own several children, but it is not a public or collective institution unless it is created by a union of citizens not specially for themselves but for the general advantage (ed. 1870, p. 95).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         His illustrations from education are frequent. As a public man, he took a keen interest in public instruction. He draws also in many other ways on his special knowledge of public affairs in Prussia, and especially in Bavaria. The later edition refers in this connection to his report for the Zollverein's commission on the London Exhibition of 1851 (ed. 1870, p. 214, ep. 426, 466-467). In theory, he is a shrewd and close reasoner. He expressly adopts the abstract method (120, 168, cp. 378). He works out mainly on conservative lines the theory of value, price, demand, etc. He thinks income of consumers is the true wages-fund. He has a wide knowledge even of the minor English and American economists (e.g. 203, 259, 266). Some of his distinctions are not perhaps very happy. For example Nutz-capital, as distinguished from Productiv-capital (221 seq.), is on the whole a metaphor, and not to be embraced with the latter under one definition of capital. The distinction, again, of Hilfstoff from Hauptstoff (320) seems rather technical than economical. But, open him where you will, you find mature wisdom and clear reason.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Banfield, in his Organization of Industry (1845), acknowledges his debt to Hermann (e.g. Preface and pp. 20, 28). But Banfield, who had studied Rau, von Thünen, and List, had special opportunities in his own travels, official and unofficial, of knowing the Germans. Hermann had little further notice, till Professor Marshall, in his Principles (1890), made him full amends for previous English neglect (see esp. p. 106 n., 492, etc.) [see also BANFIELD ; GERMAN SCHOOLS].” [4]   Cited Literatur [1] [reference to John Stuart Mill] A.C. Pigou, (ed.), (1925), Memorials of Alfred Marshall, London, p. 374, (highlighting not in the original) - available as Community Text at - https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.275351 [2] Grabrede, (Funeral Speech - in German) held by (clergyman) Dr. Johann Matthias Meyer (1814-1882), on Nov. 25, 1868, available online at - https://opacplus.bsb-muenchen.de/metaopac/search?View=default&db=100&id=BV020316634 The speech also provides useful information about the youth and career of von Hermann – particularly pages 5-8. [3] see ‘Vorrede’, this title,  page VII, second paragraph [4] Excerpt from: R[obert] H[arry] INGLIS PALGRAVE, F.E.S., ed., (1896) , Dictionary of Political Economy, Vol. II (1896), pp. 301-302, Entry by J.B. = James Bonar – available as Community Text at – https://archive.org/details/cu31924032511234 English Language Literature Regrettably the English Language Literature about von Hermann is sparse and concentrated in history of economic works. Of course Joseph A. SCHUMPETER, (1954) History of Economic Analysis, can be added to James Bonar’s brief list of authors commenting on von Hermann. SCHUMPETER’s (1954) Economic Doctrine and Method – A historical Sketch, also contains many references to von Hermann.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Lewis H. HANEY, History of Economic Thought, 4th ed., (1949) covers a few themes picked from ‘Staatswirthschaftliche Untersuchungen…’ as do Henry William SPIEGEL’s (1952), The Development of Economic Thought and John Kells INGRAM’s (1915), History of Political Economy. This commentator only found two recent English language articles including essays and books exclusively dealing with the teachings of von Hermann. One article , written 1998 by the German/Austrian economist Heinz D. KURZ (born 1946, emeritus since October 2014) and titled Friedrich Benedikt Wilhelm Hermann on capital and profits, in: European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, vol. 5 (3), pages 437-51, covers in  its leading part some key issues of von Hermann’s teachings. Another article from 1999, touching the work of von Herman by Heinz D. KURZ, titled: From classical rent theory to marginal productivity theory: the works of F. B. W. Hermann and J. H. von Thünen, in: Value, distribution, and capital : essays in honour of Pierangelo Garegnani,  by Gary Mongiovi and Fabio Petri (eds.). The latter essay has not been reviewed for this listing.  (All economic history books cited - but Spiegel’s - are available as Community Texts.)   An English language biography of von Hermann can be found online at: - http://www.1902encyclopedia.com/H/HER/friedrich-von-hermann.html German Language Literatur Julius KAUTZ, (1858), Theorie und Geschichte der National-Oekonomik, Erster Theil – Die National-Oekonomik als Wissenschaft, Wien, available online at https://books.google.de/books/about/Theorie_und_geschichte_der_national_oeko.html?id=7V8VAAAAYAAJ&redir_esc=y                                                                                                                                                         und                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Julius KAUTZ , (1860) Theorie und Geschichte der National-Oekonomik,  – Zweiter Theil  -  Die geschichtliche Entwicklung der Nationaloekonomik und Ihrer Literatur, Wien,  - available online at - https://books.google.de/books/about/Theorie_und_Geschichte_der_Nationaloekon.html?id=widCAAAAcAAJ&redir_esc=y                                                                                Wilhelm ROSCHER’s, (1874) Geschichte der National-Oekonomik in Deutschland , has been mentioned by James Bonar in his Palgrave entry. Available online as Community Text at - https://ia902704.us.archive.org/17/items/geschichtedernat00roscuoft/geschichtedernat00roscuoft.pdf, see Personen- und Citatenregister,  p. 1053                                                                         A very readable introduction to von Hermann’s work is still the essay by Otto WEINBERGER, an Austrian Economist (1882-1958), and titled - FRIEDRICH BENEDIKT WILHELM HERMANN, - in: Zeitschrift für die gesamte Staatswissenschaft, Bd. 79, H. 3. (1925), pp. 464-519 – available via JSTOR. Weinberger also lists practically all available Literature at that time.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Along the same line, but with less bibliographical information, is an article by another Austrian economist, Erich W. STREISSLER (born 1933), titled  -Friedrich Benedikt Wilhelm von HERMANN: Anatomie einer wissenschaftlichen Verwandlung,  -[Vorgetragen am 13. Dezember 1996 ] in: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften Philosophisch-Historische Klasse, Sitzungsberichte Jahrgang 1997, Heft 9, pp. 1-44 – available online at - http://publikationen.badw.de/de/011769498.pdf                                                                                                                  In 1878 Johann Alphons Renatus von HELFERICH (1817-1892), disciple of von Hermann and successor to his chair at the Munich University, published an article titled - Fr. B. W. v. Hermann als nationalökonomischer Schriftsteller, - in: Zeitschrift für die gesamte Staatswissenschaft, Bd. 34, H. 4. (1878), pp. 638-651 – available via JSTOR [This author is not to be confused with the later monetary economist Karl Theodor Helfferich, 1872-1924]. The article covers some, but not all of the writings of von Hermann.                                                           More recently – in 1999 – Manfred PIX (ed.) published an anthology titled  -Friedrich Benedikt Wilhelm von Hermann (1795 - 1868). Ein Genie im Dienste der bayerischen Könige. Politik, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft im Aufbruch. - (Wissenschaftlicher Begleitband zur gleichnamigen Ausstellung des Sparkassenverbandes Bayern und des Bayerischen Hauptstaatsarchivs.)  It contains a reprint of STREISSLER’s article (mentioned above) and the reprint of an article by Heinz D. KURZ titled - Hermanns Beitrag zur Kapital- und Verteilungstheorie,  - originally published in 1998 in the book by the same author titled Ökonomisches Denken in klassischer Tradition: Aufsätze zur Wirtschaftstheorie und Theoriegeschichte,  – Marburg, 1989. The anthology edited by Manfred PIX is a very useful source of information. The anthology contains a complete bibliography (53 pages) of von Hermann’s work together with the best and extensively researched biographical resource about the professional life of von Herman: Ursula HUBER, Professor Hermann und seine wissenschaftsorganisatorische Leistung in der Staatswirtschaftlichen Fakultät.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Finally there is a little booklet by Horst Claus RECKTENWALD (1920-1990), titled  Friedrich von Hermann – ein Wegbereiter moderner Theorie - published 1987 in connection with the facsimile edition of the first edition (1832) of von Hermann’s “Staatswirthaftliche Untersuchungen…” in the ‚Handelsblatt Bibliothek‘ “Klassiker der Nationalökonomie”.                                A further German language biography of von Hermann and book references can be found at - https://www.deutsche-biographie.de/sfz57158.html