My research focuses on the history of credit markets, non-bank lending, and the development of banking and financial institutions in Scandinavia. I am particularly interested in the transition from traditional, relationship-based credit networks to modern banking systems, and in how different forms of lending coexisted during this transformation.
My doctoral research examines the development of credit markets in Denmark and Norway over the long nineteenth century, with a particular focus on the persistence of private mortgage lending alongside the expansion of modern financial institutions. Drawing on digitised mortgage registers, historical financial statistics, and institutional archives, I investigate the scale and structure of non-bank credit markets, the relationships between private lenders and borrowers, and the role of legal and informational institutions in facilitating financial development.
I hold a BA in History and an MA in Economic History from the University of Oslo. My master's thesis, From Informal Credit to Institutional Lending: The Credit Market in Christiania, 1818–1860, was published by Norges Bank in its Occasional Papers series (No. 59, 2025).
Following my master's degree, I received a research grant from Bedriftshistorisk Forskningsstiftelse to extend my research on non-bank lending and historical credit markets in Norway. I have also worked as a research assistant at BI Norwegian Business School, where I am currently a Visiting Research Fellow at the Centre for Business History.
Supervisors: Professor Catherine R. Schenk and Professor Martin Ellison.
Personal website: www.karljoachim.com
