Career
He is known primarily for the so-called Lautenbach Plan. The Plan was discussed at a secret conference on September 16 and 17, 1931 and first rejected but parts of it later implemented by German governments Papen and Schleicher. He has been called "a pre-Keynes Keynesian".
The German economist Wolfgang Stützel who developed the Balances Mechanics (german: Saldenmechanik) appreciates Wilhelm Lautenbach in regard to „his" cr theory of money ("Kreditmechanik"), calls it „Lautenbachsche Kreditmechanik".