Bram van Besouw

I am an economist and economic historian interested in the dynamics of income and wealth inequality, and their relationship with democratization and economic growth in the long run.

My current research is on the the distribution of income and wealth in the Netherlands during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and how this dynamically interacted with regional patterns of economic growth and the ongoing process of democratization. I do so using newly constructed historical micro-data, historical analysis of long-term trends and contextual developments, and modern econometric techniques. I am co-applicant in the Rags2Riches project, which constructs a new database on individual wealth holdings from inheritance tax records in the Netherlands during the 19th and 20th centuries. I combine this line of research with more theoretical inquiries into the roots of inequality in the distribution of wealth and political power, using game-theoretic models.

Together with four other colleagues, I initiated a monthly seminar series that aims to bring together applied economists and economic historians. Starting in October 2026, the Cliometrics Seminar provides a platform for the discussion of econom(etr)ic methods applied to historical data, based on a keen knowledge of the historical contexts that produced the data and that inform the identification strategies used.

Contact: b.vanbesouw@uu.nl