This book studies the long-term development of the 250 largest family and non-family enterprises in Germany between 1958 and 2018. In particular, the continuities and discontinuities of the companies’ ownership structure, operations and solvency are examined. Historical methods are used to advance the understanding of the attributed long-term orientation of family firms in family business research. The collected data of the 250 largest enterprises of 1958 provide the most comprehensive historical overview of the industrial landscape of this period. The long-term analyses show that more...