FOLIO I · THINKER · GEN. 04 · N° 031

Stephanie Martha Braun

Works
3
Articles
2
Generation
4.
Portrait of Stephanie Martha Braun
FOL. 04 · N° 031 · Stephanie Martha Braun
BIOGRAPHY

Life and Work

After studying in Freiburg im Breisgau, Stephanie Martha Braun (later Martha Steffy Browne) earned her doctorate in political science in Vienna in 1921, as one of the first women to do so, and afterwards worked as a freelance economic journalist. As a participant in Mises's private seminar she regularly wrote reviews, contributions on banking and monetary matters, and pieces on questions of economic policy, and eventually published her Theorie der staatlichen Wirtschaftspolitik (1929; Theory of State Economic Policy), the first attempt in the German language to give economic policy a theoretical foundation and theoretical limits. After the Anschluss she emigrated to the United States, where she held a professorship at Brooklyn College from 1947 to 1969. After her retirement she taught for a further twelve years as a visiting professor at New York University.
Metadata
Born
12. Dezember 1898
in Wien
Died
2. März 1990
in New York
Generation
Generation 4
Life stations

Stations

  1. 1898
    1898
    Birth · Wien
    Birth

    Born on 12 December 1898 in Vienna.[2]

  2. 1917
    1917
    School · Wien
    Matura at a Realgymnasium

    Realgymnasium Matura in Vienna in 1917 (after the Abitur in 1915).[2]

  3. ⁦1918–1919⁩
    ⁦1918–1919⁩
    Career · Wien
    Work at the Kriegs-Getreide-Anstalt (War Grain Agency)

    Work at the Kriegs-Getreide-Anstalt (War Grain Agency) from 1918 to 1919; during this time also an auditing student of Max Weber.[2]

  4. ⁦1919–1920⁩
    ⁦1919–1920⁩
    Studies · Freiburg/Breisgau
    Studies in Freiburg im Breisgau

    Winter semester 1919/20 as an auditing student at the University of Freiburg im Breisgau.[2]

  5. ⁦1920–1934⁩
    ⁦1920–1934⁩
    Conference · Wien
    Mises Private Seminar— approximate

    A participant in Ludwig von Mises's private seminar at the Vienna Chamber of Commerce, together with Hayek, Haberler, Morgenstern, and others.[3]

  6. 1921
    1921
    Doctorate · Wien
    Doctorate in Political Science

    Received a doctorate in political science in 1921, as one of the first women to do so at the University of Vienna.[2]

  7. 1921
    1921
    Career · Wien
    Freelance Economics Journalist— approximate

    After her doctorate she worked as a freelance economics journalist; she wrote reviews on a regular basis, contributions on banking and monetary matters, and pieces on questions of economic policy.

  8. 1923
    1923
    Publication · Wien
    Work on Currency Policy— approximate

    Publications on currency policy (1923) as a freelance economics journalist.[1]

  9. 1929
    1929
    Publication · Wien
    “Theorie der staatlichen Wirtschaftspolitik” (Theory of State Economic Policy)

    Publication of “Theorie der staatlichen Wirtschaftspolitik” (Theory of State Economic Policy) – the first attempt in the German language at a theoretical foundation and delimitation of economic policy.[2]

  10. 1939
    1939
    Emigration · USA
    Emigration to the United States

    After the Anschluss, Braun emigrated to the USA.

  11. ⁦1944–1947⁩
    ⁦1944–1947⁩
    Career · Washington, D.C.
    State Department economist

    Economist at the US State Department from 1944 to 1947.[2]

  12. ⁦1947–1969⁩
    ⁦1947–1969⁩
    Academic post · New York
    Professorship at Brooklyn College

    Professorship at Brooklyn College in New York from 1947 to 1969.

  13. ⁦1969–1981⁩
    ⁦1969–1981⁩
    Academic post · New York
    Visiting professorship at New York University

    After becoming professor emerita, she taught for twelve years as a visiting professor at New York University.

  14. 1989
    1989
    Award · Wien
    Honorary Doctorate from the University of Vienna

    Honorary doctorate in economics from the University of Vienna in 1989.[4]

  15. 1990
    1990
    Death · New York
    Death

    Died on 2 March 1990 in New York.[2]

Relationships

Influences

Influenced by · 2
  1. ⁦1918–1919⁩
    ⁦1918–1919⁩
    Academic influence
    Max Weber⁦(1864–1920)⁩ · Heidelberger Schule

    Attended Max Weber's lectures during her work at the Kriegs-Getreide-Anstalt in Vienna (1918-1919).[2]

  2. ⁦1921–1921⁩
    ⁦1921–1921⁩
    Doctoral advisor

    Received her doctorate in 1921 as one of the first women in the political sciences at the University of Vienna; the dissertation "Die Anweisungstheorie des Geldes" (The Assignment Theory of Money) was supervised by Ludwig von Mises.[2]

Private seminar, colleagues, Mont Pèlerin · 4
  1. ⁦1920–1934⁩
    ⁦1920–1934⁩
    Private seminar

    Fellow participant in the Mises-Privatseminar in Vienna.

  2. ⁦1920–1934⁩
    ⁦1920–1934⁩
    Private seminar

    Fellow participant in the Mises-Privatseminar in Vienna.

  3. ⁦1920–1934⁩
    ⁦1920–1934⁩
    Private seminar

    Fellow participant in the Mises-Privatseminar in Vienna.[3]

  4. ⁦1920–1934⁩
    ⁦1920–1934⁩
    Private seminar

    Participant in Ludwig von Mises' Privatseminar at the Vienna Handelskammer, together with Hayek, Haberler, Morgenstern and others.[3]

Stephanie Martha Braun in the context of the School as a whole: five generations, their teacher-student lineages, circles and collegial ties.

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SOURCES ON STATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS15 citations · 2 sources
Topography

Places of Activity

CATALOGUE OF WORKS · CHRONOLOGICAL

The Books

1920s
1923
25 yrs.
Die Doppelnote. Währungspolitische Projekte der Nachkriegszeit (1918 – 1922)
Book
OriginalGerman
1929
31 yrs.
Theorie der staatlichen Wirtschaftspolitik
Book
OriginalGerman
1930s
1930
32 yrs.
Frauenbewegung, Frauenbildung und Frauenarbeit in Österreich [Hrsg.]
Book
OriginalGerman
ARTICLES · 2 CATALOGUED

Essays, Reviews, Lectures

1920s
1923
25 yrs.
Die Doppelnote. Währungspolitische Projekte der Nachkriegszeit, in Schriften des Vereins für Sozialpolitik
Article
OriginalGerman
1980s
1981
83 yrs.
Erinnerungen an das Mises-Privatseminar, in Bundeskammer der gewerblichen Wirtschaft
Article
OriginalGerman
Cite this page

Three copy-ready formats with the canonical URL and access date.

APA
Stephanie Martha Braun. (n.d.). Edited by mises.at and scholarium. Accessed July 20, 2026, from https://mises.at/en/denker/stephanie-martha-braun
Chicago
“Stephanie Martha Braun.” n.d. Edited by mises.at and scholarium. Accessed July 20, 2026. https://mises.at/en/denker/stephanie-martha-braun.
German historical style
Stephanie Martha Braun, edited by mises.at and scholarium, https://mises.at/en/denker/stephanie-martha-braun (accessed July 20, 2026).