Rate My Professor Jonas Scherner

Professor Jonas Scherner is Professor of Modern European Economic History at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in the Department of Historical Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, a position he assumed in 2010. He earned his PhD and habilitation in Economic and Social History at the University of Mannheim prior to his appointment at NTNU. Scherner's scholarly work centers on modern European economic history, particularly the economic policies and structures during the era of the two World Wars.

His research interests encompass war economies in World War I and World War II, Nazi Germany's armament programs, autarky policies, strategic mobilization of raw materials such as non-ferrous metals and alumina, the effects of economic blockades, and industrial collaboration under Nazi occupation in Europe. Scherner has published extensively in prestigious journals and volumes. Key publications include "Preparing for the Next Blockade: Non-ferrous Metals and the Strategic Economic Policy of the Third Reich" (Economic History Review, 2022), "Incompetence or Ingenuity? Why Did Nazi Germany Not Totalize Its Economy?" (2022), "'Armament in depth' or 'armament in breadth'? German investment pattern and rearmament during the Nazi period" (Economic History Review, 2013), "The Role of Private Property in the Nazi Economy: The Case of Industry" (co-authored with Christoph Buchheim, Journal of Economic History, 2006), and "France's Occupation Costs and the War in the East: The Contribution to the German War Economy, 1940-1944" (co-authored with Marcel Boldorf, 2012). He co-edited "Industrial Collaboration in Nazi-Occupied Europe: Norway in Context" (2016) with Hans Otto Frøland and Mats Ingulstad. Additionally, he authored "Die Metallmobilisierung im Deutschen Reich 1939 bis 1945" (2018). At NTNU, he coordinates and teaches courses such as International Economic Contemporary History (HIST3295), Guns, Butter and Forced Labour: The Economic Policies of Nazi Germany (HIST3445), Economic History (HIST2008), The Political Economy of Integration (EUR3411), and Naturressursenes politiske økonomi, 1870-2000 (HIST3400). He supervises master's theses and PhD projects on war economies and serves as a member of the resources group at NTNU's Centre for Societal Security.