Passing over the history of Germany prior to the Thirty-years war, a history of wars, feuds, successions and religious contentions, we find the country at the close of that conflict almost depopulated in its rural districts, its commerce destroyed, its people burdened with taxes, and its territory divided into a multitude of small states. This war had been one of religion, and was characterized by all of the bitterness which usually accompanies religious disputes. The only cities that survived the general ruin were Lubec, Hamburg and Bremen, and these had suffered severely. Seeing the decline of their commerce, these latter two cities took up new lines of trade and kept up an active commerce with western Europe, providing the whole of North Germany with foreign and colonial products, while Lubec continued to be the chief seaport of the Baltic trade. Little progress was made by Germany in commerce or the industries during the next hundred years, owing to its continual wars with France, Spain and other nations. Nearly all of the articles then considered as luxuries by the people, such as silk, glass, porcelain and gloves, were either imported from England or France or manufactured through government aid. The spinning and weaving of linen, however, was engaged in to a considerable extent, as well as the manufacture of woolen cloth. Prussia endeavored to encourage the revival of the arts and industries by importing artisans. Gradually agriculture and cattle raising increased to a considerable extent in the most fertile districts and a small export trade grew up.

German Commerce after the Thirty Years' War

About the middle of the eighteenth century (1750) commerce showed a decided awakening, and it became necessary to improve the banking and commercial facilities of the country. Banks and trading companies were organized, and roads, canals and harbors were built. Manufactures multiplied, and the volume of the exports and imports was greatly augmented. The consumption of coffee, tea, rice and tobacco largely increased, and the liberality of the German court encouraged the importation of luxuries. Hamburg handled the bulk of the imports from England and farther countries, and Bremen wheat from France. The Rhine and the Elbe became great highways of commerce again, and the towns on their banks once more began to grow and prosper. Each city usually developed some peculiar industry. Thus Cologne monopolized the trade in Rhine wines; Leipsig the publishing and book-selling trade; Frankfort-on-the-Main was the chief financial center of North Germany. Thus we see that by the middle of the eighteenth century Germany had reached a high degree of prosperity and commercial importance. Then came the war of the American Revolution, which made a demand for German products in England, and this was followed soon after by the French Revolution and the Napoleonic wars, so that large quantities of German agriculture and manufactured products were exported and the country continued prosperous until it fell under the iron heel of the Great Napoleon.

Immediately upon the invasion and subjugation of Germany by Napoleon in 1805, he issued a decree that no more wheat should be sold or shipped to England. This lost Germany a good customer. Under Napoleonic rule (1805-1815) German ports were in a state of semi-blockade, but this was not an unmixed evil, for it caused the people to turn their attention to raising many products which they had heretofore imported. The war in America had cut off the supply of tobacco, and now its cultivation was begun and continued very successfully. Many of the raw products heretofore imported to supply the factories of Germany and for home consumption had now to be raised at home. Flax was largely grown; beets were raised and the beet sugar industry commenced. Cotton and wool for the home mills were extensively produced, and the manufacture of cloth was given a new impetus. German mines so rich, were developed especially in iron, coal and silver, and the people learned to rely upon and develop the resources of their own country. Now that the American colonies had become independent and England no longer enjoyed a monopoly of their trade, a considerable commerce sprang up between them and Hamburg and Bremen. These cities continued to reach out after the commerce of the world with characteristic enterprise, and their ships carried on a profitable trade with the West Indies and South America.

After the abdication of Napoleon in 1815 peace returned to Europe, and German ports were thrown open to the manufactured products of England. The English had more improved machinery and were able to turn out goods at less cost than the factories of Germany. As a result English goods flooded the German markets, and for a time produced a general depression and stagnation in the industries of Germany. Hard times prevailed, the cotton, iron and steel industries especially being depressed. To remedy the difficulty, tariff laws were enacted. Germany at that time was a loose confederation of independent states, and hence there was very little uniformity in the tariff laws. Several states would form themselves into a league and enact uniform tariff laws, then other leagues of states were formed, and finally after several years the tariff laws became uniform through the efforts of the Customs Union or Zollverein. Treaties of commerce were made by the Zollverein with England, France and other European countries, and the industries of Germany became prosperous again.

By the year 1830 the revival of trade and industries in Germany had fully set in. New machinery had replaced old methods in the silk, woolen and cotton factories, and now woolen goods formed a very important part of the export trade. Iron and steel industries sprang up, incident to the advent of the age of machinery. Glass, paper, pottery, porcelain and hardware became extensive products, as well as chemicals, dyes, sugar and beer, all of which were largely exported. After the Franco-Prussian War, the German states including Prussia were united into a compact government, and King William was crowned Emperor of Germany in the Palace at Versailles. This event brought unity to an incoherent collection of petty states, and under the skillful leadership of Prince Bismarck the new empire has steadily grown in power and influence until it now ranks as the second nation of Europe in wealth and commercial importance. Germany is rapidly changing the character of her industries and becoming a manufacturing and commercial, rather than an agricultural nation.

In the past fifty years the manufactures of Germany have nearly doubled, its commerce trebled, its shipping increased five fold, and its mining six fold. Her production of iron has increased ten fold in fifty years. Her mines give employment to over a half million men. By the use of labor-saving machines one man can now produce as much as three men could produce fifty years ago. Germany has 750 factories devoted to the making of machinery alone. One of these, the Krupp Gun Works at Essen, is the largest in the world, employing 20,000 men and covering a space of one thousand acres. Hamburg and Bremen still lead as ports of entry. Dantzig is the chief seat of its great export trade in timber, grain, flax, hemp and potatoes. Leipsig is the greatest fur market in the world, and the seat of the book publishing trade. Frankfort as a financial center has been

The Present Commerce of Germany compelled to take a place second to the capital, Berlin. Dresden is noted for its porcelain and Nuremburg for its clocks and watches.

Germany has given considerable attention to the practical education of her people, especially in the field of commercial education. Her commercial success is no doubt attributable in a large degree to her system of education. Her artisans are not only skilled in their trades, but a large proportion of them are men of high scientific attainments in the branches pertaining to their work. Since the learned professions and official positions are the exclusive preserves of those born to social rank, the educated commoner must of necessity betake himself to manufacture, trade or commerce, and it follows that much of the best brains of the empire is devoted to business pursuits.