The Phantom of the Opera: Cultural Amenities, Human Capital, and Regional Economic Growth

Oliver Falck, Michael Fritsch () and Stephan Heblich

No 88, ifo Working Paper Series from ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich

Abstract: We analyze the extent to which endogenous cultural amenities affect the spatial equilibrium share of high-human-capital employees. To overcome endogeneity, we draw on a quasinatural experiment in German history and exploit the exogenous spatial distribution of baroque opera houses built as a part of rulers’ competition for prestigious cultural amenities. Robustness tests confirm our strategy and strengthen the finding that proximity to a baroque opera house significantly affects the spatial equilibrium share of high-human-capital employees. Then, a cross-region growth regression shows that these employees induce local knowledge spillovers and shift a location to a higher growth path.

JEL-codes: H41 J24 R11 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (15)

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Related works:
Journal Article: The phantom of the opera: Cultural amenities, human capital, and regional economic growth (2011)
Working Paper: The phantom of the opera: Cultural amenities, human capital, and regional economic growth (2011)
Working Paper: The Phantom of the Opera: Cultural Amenities, Human Capital, and Regional Economic Growth (2010)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ces:ifowps:_88

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