Together with Prof. Dr. Sebastian Siegloch, head of the ZEW research area "Social Security and Distribution" and Assistant Professor Dr. Max Löffler (ZEW), Junior Professor Andreas Lichter of the Förderkreis Wissenschaft und Praxis e.V., Mannheim, was honoured for the best scientific work. In the award-winning study "The Long-Term Costs of Government Surveillance: Insights from Stasi Spying in East Germany", the three authors analyse how the surveillance activities of the Stasi have a long-term and negative impact on confidence-building, cooperation and political commitment of those affected. As the empirical study shows, the loss of social capital caused by Stasi surveillance has had negative consequences for economic performance in the new German states to date. The award-winning paper will soon be published in the "Journal of the European Economic Association".

The prize is awarded by the ZEW - Förderkreis Wissenschaft und Praxis e.V., Mannheim, for outstanding scientific achievements. The prize is endowed with 5,000 Euro.