Economic historian who popularised dependency theory with "the development of underdevelopment" and later turned to world-systems analysis
Born in Weimar Germany, Frank fled with his family when the Nazis came to power, was schooled in Switzerland and emigrated to the United States in 1941. After a PhD in economics at the University of Chicago he moved to Latin America in 1962 and, as professor at the University of Chile, took part in reforms under Salvador Allende's government. After the 1973 coup he fled to Europe and was professor at the University of Amsterdam from 1981 to 1994. Capitalism and Underdevelopment in Latin America (1967) became a formative text of dependency theory; in later works such as ReOrient he argued that Asia had been the centre of the global economy. He died of complications related to cancer in 2005.
Also known as: André Gunder Frank
Activities and affiliations
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1958–2005
Scholarship and theory
Career Timeline
- 1962Moved to Latin America
- 1967Capitalism and Underdevelopment in Latin America
- 1981–1994Professor at the University of Amsterdam