The LSE Financial History (FH) Group brings together LSE researchers exploring key questions in money and finance in an historical and interdisciplinary perspective. The FH Group comprises a wide range of scholars working on topics including:
- the history of financial markets and investment
- the causes and consequences of financial market cycles, bubbles and financial crises across history
- long-term evolutions in monetary policy, exchange rate regimes, and the global monetary syste
- the historical development of government finance, public debt and sovereign defaults
- changes in the organisation of banking and financial regulation over time.
Our researchers cover historical periods from the Middle Ages to the present day and provide key insights into the factors that shape global financial markets, monetary policy, and financial crises in the long run. Their various research projects also provide historical perspectives on recent developments and contribute to better inform the current policy debate about the organisation of money and finance. You can find detailed information about our members’ research interests here.
Founded in 2024, the FH Group is directed by Olivier Accominotti and sponsored by the LSE’s Department of Economic History. The group runs an annual research workshop and other occasional academic conferences as well as events targeted at a broader audience. You can find information about the group’s events here.
Group members also teach a variety of courses in monetary and financial history at the LSE including in the dedicated Master programme in Financial History. Launched in 2022, this programme trains students who wish to acquire a deep understanding of the functioning of capital markets and of the conduct of monetary affairs through the study of financial history. FH Group members are also engaged in teaching the summer school course on Financial Markets and the Global Economy: The History of Bubbles, Crashes and Inflations (link), as well as various courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. You can find details about the courses offered in monetary and financial history here.
The group is happy to host academic visitors through the Economic History Department.
For general queries about the group, or about visiting, please contact Tracy Keefe at T.J.Keefe@lse.ac.uk in the first instance.