Mittelstand
English meaning: Small and medium-sized enterprises (German SME sector)
German Definition
(Deutsch)Der Rückgrat der deutschen Wirtschaft — kleine und mittelständische familiengeführte Unternehmen, oft hoch spezialisiert.
English Definition
The backbone of the German economy — small and medium-sized family-owned businesses, often highly specialized (Weltmarktführer — world market leaders in niche products). Germany's Mittelstand comprises over 3 million companies employing two-thirds of the workforce. Their apprenticeship-based training, engineering excellence, and export orientation are often cited as models for India's MSME sector.
Example
“Der Mittelstand ist das Rückgrat der deutschen Wirtschaft und Exportstärke.”
In English: “The Mittelstand is the backbone of the German economy and export strength.”
Synonyms
- KMU
- kleine und mittlere Unternehmen
Antonyms / Opposites
- Großkonzerne
Literary Heritage
“Erst kommt das Fressen, dann kommt die Moral.”
“First comes feeding, then comes morality.”
Images
CC-licensed · free to useVideo
Language information
- Language
- Deutsch
- German
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Germanic
- Speakers
- 135M