Insurance Workshop

Historical Comparative Perspectives on Insurance

Freie Universitaet Berlin, JFK Institute, Lansstr. 7-9, May 29-30, 2025

The insurance sector annually collects about 7% of world GDP as premium income, holds about half of total banking assets and becomes increasingly important in times of rising climate and catastrophe risks. Despite its importance, however, most disciplines in the social sciences tend to understudy this pillar of financial systems, particularly when compared to research on banks or public insurances. This workshop aims at bringing together these few scholars with insurance interest from different disciplines (econ history, economics, sociology, geography) to foster a conversation about the the historical comparative development of the insurance sector in different time periods and countries.

Workshop Program

Historical Comparative Perspectives on Insurance

May 29-30, 2025

at the John F. Kennedy Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Organizer: Prof. Dr. Sebastian Kohl, Dr. Matthias Römer

We gratefully acknowledge funding by German Research Foundation

Thursday, May 29

12:30 – 12:45 Welcome and Introduction

Sebastian Kohl

Session 1: Macro-perspectives of insurance

Chair: Nils Röper

12:45 – 13:30 From Stability to Uncertainty: Insurance in the Age of Crisis

Vanessa Endrejat, European University Institute, Florence

13:30 – 14:15 Homeowners Insurance and the Transmission of Monetary Policy

Jakob Ahm Sørensen, Universita Bocconi, Milan

14:15 - 14.30 Coffee Break

14.30 – 15:15 Insurance and Capital Markets: Financialization à l’assurance (1880-2020)

Matthias Römer, Freie Universität, Berlin

15.15 – 16.00 The Rise and Fall of Public Insurance? A historical genealogy of an alternative-economy model in the insurance sector, 1820-2020
Derek Hattemer, University of Basel

Session 2: Sociology of insurance: climate change and financial stability

Chair: Waltraud Schelkle

16:15– 17:00 Between solidarity and responsibility: the crafting of the French CatNat regime

Laurence Barry, PARI, Paris

17:00 – 17:45 Disasters and Property Insurance in the US

Joyce Ho, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

17:45 - 18:00 Coffee Break

18:00– 18:45 A History of the Individualization of Risk

Greta Krippner, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Conference Dinner: Miss Vu

(Königin-Luise-Straße 71, 14195 Berlin)

19:00

Friday, 30 May

Session 3: Econ history of insurance: branches of insurance

Chair: Matthias Römer

09:00 – 09:45 Evolution of Accident Insurance: A Panel Study

Lars-Fredrik Andersson, Umeå universitet

09:45 – 10:30 Women's Health in Historical Health Insurance Data

Liselotte Eriksson, Umeå universitet

10:30 – 11:15 The influence of financial capital on health insurance business.

Jerònia Pons Pons, Universidad d Sevilla

11:15 – 11:45 Coffee break

11:45 – 12:30 Insurance, indigenisation and imperialism in the long 19th century

Robin Pearson, University of Hull

12.30 – 13:15 History of Mutualism

Bernard Harris, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow

13:15 Closing remarks and Farewell Lunch (at the JFKI)

End of workshop

Accommodation: Motel One Tiergarten