Florian Brugger holds a PHD in Sociology and in Economics. His main research interests are in the field of financial markets, banking, technological change, economic sociology and the influence of ideas and interests on economic institutions. He works at the Institute for Sociology at the Karl-Franzens-University Graz.
Introduction.- Ideas, interests, institutions and banking revolutions.- Italian financial capitalism: The birth of modern banking.- Absolutism, mercantilism and banking revolutions.- The development of the European banking sector as we know it.- Conclusion.