This important new book examines the growth of continental European multinationals over the last one hundred years. It includes new material on the evolution of multinational firms owned in Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden and other countries. The contributors are all leading European economists and business historians, and their essays provide new information previously unavailable in English.The Rise of Multinationals in Continental Europe provides a much-needed European dimension to the literature on the multinational enterprise, which has hitherto been focused on the Anglo-Saxon experience. Continental European firms were dynamic pioneers of multinational enterprise. Before 1914, Germany was probably the home of the majority of the world's multinationals. German and other European multinationals often grew and organized in quite different ways from their American equivalents. This innovative book will be used widely in courses on international business, comparative management and business history.