100 families that changed the world

This book aims to contribute to research on family businesses and European industrialization. We believe that through the study and analysis of the historical development of family businesses we can better understand the phenomenon of industrialization. We hope to introduce a work method that will allow for effective collaboration between economic historians and management scholars. Hence, we have briefly compiled a history of 100 long-standing European and U.S. companies. Their stories help us explore the centuries in which Europe led the international economy. Watching the trajectory of said businesses as a whole will not only help us deepen our knowledge of industrialization, but also gain insight into the role family businesses have played in such a complex process and how they have been able to adapt under continuous change. All the companies studied in this book are currently active, which refutes the notion that family businesses are a thing of the past.