SOMBART, WERNER

born Jan. 19, 1863, Ermsleben, Saxony, Prussia died May 18, 1941, Berlin, Ger. German historical economist who incorporated Marxist principles, ultraconservatism, and Nazi theories in his writings on capitalism. Sombart, the son of a wealthy landowner and politician, was educated in Berlin, Pisa, and Rome, obtaining his Ph.D. at the University of Berlin in 1888. After teaching at the University of Breslau (18901906) he taught at the University of Berlin from 1918. Sombart was initially an enthusiastic supporter of Marxism but later became more conservative and strongly anti-Marxist. Nevertheless, his historical works on class and the evolution of society, particularly Der Moderne Kapitalismus (1902; Modern Capitalism), shows the influence of Marxist ideology in his methodological approach. What distinguishes this and later studies of capitalism is Sombart's view of capitalism as capable of evolutionary change and improvement. In spite of his attraction to the views of National Socialism, Sombart was unsuccessful in Nazi politics. His Die Juden und das Wirtschaftsleben (1911) harshly criticized the role of Jews in the development of the modern market system. Sombart was widely known in his day, but since his death, has fallen into obscurity.