This year’s Hermann Heinrich Gossen Prize was awarded to Christopher Roth (University of Cologne).

Christopher Roth has been recognised for his outstanding contributions at the intersection of behavioral economics, macroeconomics, political economy, and psychology. Using innovative empirical methods, he examines how information, expectations, and beliefs shape economic and political decisions. His work combines academic originality and methodological innovation with a strong international profile.

The prize is endowed with €10,000 and was presented to Christopher Roth by Klaus M. Schmidt (Chairman of the VfS) on the afternoon of 15 September 2026 at the University of Innsbruck.

The Gossen Award is awarded every year to honor a German-speaking economist working in central Europe, whose work has gained international recognition.

The aim of the award is to promote the internationalization of economic research by residents of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The most important criterion for the prize is publications in internationally recognized journals.

The award is named after the Prussian lawyer Hermann Heinrich Gossen (1810 – 1858). Although hardly noticed at the time due to its mathematical nature, his article “Die Entwicklung der Gesetze des menschlichen Verkehrs, und der daraus fließenden Regeln für menschliches Handeln” (“The Development of the Laws of Human Interaction and the Resulting Rules of Human Behavior”) is considered to be the most important precursor of modern marginalist theory.

The winner, who may not be older than 45 years of age in the year the award is given, is chosen by the Verein für Socialpolitik.