Translations are always a matter of context, and this term is a perfect example as it has two main definitions. The most common definition, often found in the former East Germany and in rural (agricultural) areas, refers to a simple cooperative or combine.
When talking about business forms however, the term Genossenschaft stands for "cooperative society", a business form commonly found in Switzerland, where the legal aspects are slightly different and allow for a wide range of different cooperative forms. Although there are other business models based on different forms of legal regulation in Germany, a special form - the eGmbH - is very similar.
© 2004-2026 C.S.Marshall, all rights reserved