Crafts And Trades : Germany

In comparison to industry, the crafts and trades in Germany have a much longer and richer tradition. They flourished particularly in the Middle Ages, a fact to which the mighty cathedrals and elaborately ornamented guild houses throughout the country attest. But today as well they are a considerable economic factor. In 1995 about 563,000 independent firms were engaged in the 127 occupations of the crafts and trades, employing about 6.1 million people (old states: 454,000 firms with 4.9 million employees; new states: 109,000 firms with 1.2 million employees). In the new federal states, the crafts and trades rank ahead of industry as the most important economic sector.