Wiegand-Glas ranked 4th among oldest family businesses
The oldest family businesses in Germany: nine of the most robust companies have been in family hands for more than 400 years.
Wiegand-Glas takes the 4th place for the oldest family businesses in Germany
The Stiftung Familienunternehmen has for the first time presented a list of "The oldest family businesses in Germany". The oldest family businesses, which have been owned by a single family for the longest time and have been economically active throughout, are thus The Coatinc Company Holding GmbH from Siegen, founded in 1502, William Prym Holding GmbH (1530) from Stolberg and Freiherr von Poschinger Glasmanufaktur e. K. (1568) from Frauenau. Nine of the oldest German family-owned companies have been in family hands for more than 400 years.
The basis of the extensive data collection are relevant databases, publicly accessible sources, company chronicles as well as the study series "The economic significance of family businesses", which is being prepared on behalf of the Stiftung Familienunternehmen. In the "Haus des Familienunternehmens", located in Berlin, the foundation maintains the largest collection of chronicles of family businesses in Germany.
The importance of family businesses
"The survey impressively shows that family businesses have always been an integral part of our society. Basically, they are the original form of doing business in general," says Stefan Heidbreder, managing director of the Stiftung Familienunternehmen. "The corporate landscape in Germany, which is characterised by strong family businesses, is a fascinating place. It cannot be compared with any other nation. A national or European industrial strategy should therefore neither be one-sidedly geared towards 'national champions' and anonymous large corporations, nor should it neglect our corporate landscape, which is characterised by family businesses."
More than 90 per cent of all companies in Germany are family businesses. The non-profit Stiftung Familienunternehmen is committed to the preservation of this family business landscape. It is the most important promoter of scientific research in this field and is the point of contact for politics and media in economic, legal and tax issues. Established in 2002, the foundation is now supported by over 500 companies from the circle of the largest German family-owned businesses.