Water in the desert? The influence of Wilhelm Röpke on Ludwig Erhard and the social market economy

It is commonly believed that Wilhelm Röpke heavily influenced Ludwig Erhard and, through him, West Germany’s social market economy. This article demonstrates that Röpke’s influence on Erhard was limited. Although the two men shared many common ideals, they also differed on many fundamental issues. Moreover, Erhard developed his ideas before he read Röpke’s wartime trilogy. Copyright Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2006Social market economy, Ludwig Erhard, Wilhelm Röpke, West Germany,