Den 29 september i år avtäcktes en plakett på 13 Academician V. Hnatiukgatan i Lviv, Ukraina. Det var nämligen på denna adress som Mises växte upp innan familjen flyttade till Vien och Mises, ytterligare något senare, utvecklades det ekonomiska geni han numera är känd som. Lviv borde givetvis vara stolta över sin son, men så är minsann inte fallet. Nej, den uppsatta plaketten ska nämligen tas ned av den byråkratiska del av den lokala staten som går under namnet Lvivs stadsfullmäktiges stående kommitté för kultur, befrämjande, media och turism. Uppenbarligen skäms man över att vara staden Mises kom ifrån (!).
Med anledning av detta organiserar nu ett antal misesianer en protest i form av öppna brev, som översätts till ukrainska och skickas till borgmästaren och kommittén för att få dem att ta tillbaka beslutet. Undertecknad har givetvis också författat ett sådant brev. Det lyder:
To whom it may concern:
Lviv has an enviable history with many great sons and daughters. One of the greatest is no doubt the world renowned economist Ludwig von Mises. Born and raised in Lviv before the family moved to Vienna, Mises is known for many important breakthroughs in economic, monetary, and business cycle theory, the methodology of the social sciences, and for being one of the leading voices in the historically significant socialist calculation debate in the 1920s and 1930s. The numerous and voluminous works of Ludwig von Mises have shaped much of modern economic theory and his many theoretical advances have greatly contributed to both economic and political thinking.
Considering the great historical and contemporary impact of Ludwig von Mises’s work, and the recent renewed global interest – indeed, a surge – in his work, one would expect the City of Lviv to organize annual festivities to commemorate this great man and his achievements, dedicate the town library in his name, or establish a Mises museum to celebrate and document his life. The City of Lviv has much to be proud of, and being the birth town of Ludwig von Mises should make the very core of the town’s pride and glory.
Yet the actions of the Standing Committee on Culture, Promotion, Media and Tourism of the Lviv City Council are in stark contrast to this great Lvivian heritage. Instead of celebrating their great son of Lviv, the committee has shamefully decided to forcefully remove the plaque that commemorates Mises’s birth home. Such petty-mindedness of bureaucratic ideologues is hard to beat; the action should make the whole city shiver in shame, as the world’s eyes are fixed upon thee. It is a pure outrage and the lack of honor and respect shown by the committee is a disgrace beyond words.
Per Bylund
senior fellow, The Ludwig von Mises Institute in Sweden
Om det gör någon skillnad återstår att se. Den som vill se plaketten gör rätt i att å det snaraste bege sig till rätt adress i Lviv. Snart kan det vara för sent.
