Since the Second World War – and with an accelerating speed since the 1970s and again the 1990 – transnational economic interdependencies increased. How did entrepreneurial and business decisions as well national and international economic policies influence this process, which is often referred to as globalization? And which consequences did it have for business and politics? How did historical actors react to ensuing crises, structural changes and new political circumstances? The projects in this research area address these and other questions at the micro- and meso-level with a particular focus on Germany but also in comparative perspective.