Contemporary research suggests that economic marginalization of ethnic minorities remains a persistent trait in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. From a historical perspective, economic advantages and disadvantages were often determined along ethnic lines. This changed with the onset of nationalism and the formation of nation-states, where access to power and economic resources started to be reserved for ethnic majorities, crucially changing the status many ethnic economic elites had previously enjoyed. In the interwar period, the governments of the new nation-states were eager to take over their countries not only politically and culturally, but also with a focus on the economic sphere. This severely impacted the former elites, who were often members of ethnic minorities, as well as other ethnic groups, especially Jews, who, while usually not belonging to the elites, had previously still held crucial positions in the economic sphere.

This conference seeks to explore the intricate dynamics of ethnicity and economic development in Eastern Europe. By focusing on historical research with a special emphasis on the late imperial and the interwar period, this event aims to shed light on how identification and differentiation based on ethnicity have shaped economic experiences and outcomes in the region. The conference will address topics such as the unequal concentration of wealth across ethnic lines, the economic and social marginalization of certain ethnic groups, and the correlation between social and economic inequalities with ethnicity and majority-minority relations.

Key themes discussed at the conference include the relationship between ethnicity and entrepreneurship, the economic advantages of common ethnicity, and the impact of ethnic (as well as racial) discrimination, as well as the overall role of ethnicity in economic development.