Person

Ludwig Erhard

1897–1977 · 20th century

Ludwig Erhard was a German economist and politician of the Christian Democratic Union who, as director of economics in the western zones, ended price controls alongside the currency reform of 1948. As economics minister of West Germany from 1949 to 1963 under Konrad Adenauer he promoted the social market economy and is credited with the Wirtschaftswunder. He succeeded Adenauer as chancellor from 1963 to 1966.

Ludwig Erhard
Image: Eric Koch for Anefo · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Federal Republic of Germany

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Ludwig Erhard. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/ludwig-erhard
MLA
“Ludwig Erhard.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/ludwig-erhard. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Ludwig Erhard.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/ludwig-erhard.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Ludwig Erhard’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/ludwig-erhard (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻