Work

Can Winegrowing Cause Rural Development? Evidence from Baden-Württemberg

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Historical winegrowing shaped modern rural development, even in areas in which its cultivation was given up after the early modern period. We provide evidence for this idea from municipality level data on Southwestern German viticulture over the last 1,300 years, and find a significant link between historical winegrowing and modern economic development. We rely on cross-sectional regressions and on an instrumental variable strategy using precipitation seasonality. Our findings highlight two mechanisms through which historical viticulture affected modern development: by leaving behind a more egalitarian inheritance norm, and a more collectivist society.

Source: European Review of Economic History

DOI: 10.1093/ereh/heae018

Authors: Thilo R Huning, Fabian Wahl

Institutions: University of York, Vienna University of Economics and Business

Language: English

Topic: Culture, Economy, and Development Studies

Subfield: Demography

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Zero hunger, Decent work and economic growth

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,468