Eastern Europe Before Transition: Digitisation of data and analysis of CESEE’s command economies

Client/Funding Institution

Anniversary Fund of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank

Abstract

To gain a deeper understanding of the industrialisation boom, the subsequent (financial) crises, and the collapse of the command economies in Central, East, and Southeast Europe (CESEE), as well as the economic policy approaches implemented during this period, we have digitised and made publicly available wiiw’s economic statistics. These cover the COMECON (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance) member and associated member countries in CESEE from 1944 to 1993. Similarly, we have scanned wiiw’s research reports from that era. Additionally, a series of working papers has been produced, providing detailed descriptions of the data, summarising relevant literature, and offering economic analyses on key topics related to the development and decline of the command economies. The project was conducted in close collaboration with our partners in the Research Centre for the History of Transformations (RECET) research network of the University of Vienna.

Funded by the Anniversary Fund of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank (Project No. 18666).

Duration

May 2021 - September 2024

wiiw team Leader

Richard Grieveson

wiiw Staff

Vasily Astrov, Birgit Buschbom, Doris Hanzl-Weiss, Mario Holzner, Branimir Jovanović, Monika Schwarzhappel, Philipp Ther, David Zenz

Project Partners

Research Centre for the History of Transformations (RECET)

Publications

Data

wiiw COMECON Database

Keywords: Command Economies, Transition Economies, Central, East and Southeast Europe, Prices, Exchange Rates, Finance, Employment, Investment, National Income, Consumption, Production, International Trade, Monetary and Fiscal Policy, Institutions, Political Economy, Economic History, Historical Statistics

Countries covered: Central, East and Southeast Europe

Research Areas: Macroeconomic Analysis and Policy, Labour, Migration and Income Distribution, International Trade, Competitiveness and FDI


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