The Formation of Volunteer Fire Brigades in 19th Century Baden

Title: The Formation of Volunteer Fire Brigades in 19^th Century Baden (w/ Tristan Stahl)

Abstract: Using detailed historical panel data from 19th century Baden, an autonomous state in Germany, we investigate private public-good provision on the municipality level. The development of voluntary fire brigades, a powerful and widespread organizational system of fire protection, offers a unique opportunity to study the development of organizations and understand the determinants of municipality-level capacity to self-organize. Results show the importance of experiencing a large fire and pre-existing social capital in the form of gymnastics and singing clubs.