Development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in Inter-war Germany.

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In the German economic history it was much said about 'Handwerker" and "Mittelstand". But there has been almost no economic analysis of development of the small and medium-sized enterprises in Germany. This research aimed to analyze the development of small and medium-sized capitalistic enterprises and very small handicrafts from the World War I until the time of National Socialism in Germany. In the "finishing" industries (Fertigindustrie) such as metal-working industry, wood-working industry, leather-making industry, building, etc., a large number of small factories and workshops with 10 to 200 workers arisen from small business before and after the World War I. They were important in German economy in this period not only because of the number of enterprises and workers, but also because of their social position in the Weimar Republic. But toward the end of 1920s the economic situation of these small and medium-sized industries was lessened, and the National Socialists were attracting political support of those impoverished small capitalists and handicrafts.