# Eli Heckscher: Swedish Economist and Economic Historian ## Early Life and Education Born on 24 November 1879 in Stockholm to Jewish parents who had immigrated from Denmark, Heckscher studied at the University of Uppsala, focusing on history, economics, and political science. His 1908 doctoral thesis examined the 1727 Swedish Navigation Act, which favored domestic shipping in trade. ## Career and Academic Contributions Heckscher joined the Stockholm School of Economics in 1909, becoming Sweden's first professor of economic history in 1929. He co-founded the liberal-conservative magazine *Svensk Tidskrift* in 1911 and served on government commissions during World War I and the Great Depression, advising on unemployment and monetary policy. His work on mercantilism and international trade, particularly the Heckscher-Ohlin theorem (developed with his student Bertil Ohlin), established him as a foundational figure in trade theory. ## Key Publications - *The Continental System* (1918): Economic interpretation of Napoleon's blockade - *The Effect of Foreign Trade on the Distribution of Income* (1919) - *Mercantilism* (1931) - *An Economic History of Sweden* (1954) ## Legacy Heckscher's intellectual legacy includes the Economic Policy Club (1916–1951), which fostered debates among economists like Ohlin and Wicksell. His theorem remains central to understanding comparative advantage in international trade. ## Personal Life He married educator Ebb Westberg in 1907, with whom he had two sons, including Gunnar Heckscher (1909–1987), a prominent political scientist. Heckscher died in Stockholm on 23 December 1952. ## Recognition Heckscher received honorary doctorates from universities including Copenhagen and Uppsala. His work is cited in modern trade theory and economic history literature.