In this paper, we investigate the claim that German banks are special compared to banks in other industrialised economies. We show that banks are of particular importance to the German economy?as financial intermediary, as lender to the corporate sector, and as part of the corporate governance...

The introduction of the euro is expected to increase capital mobility in Euroland. While, as in the US, a common monetary policy is now performed, institutional structures are inherently more heterogenous. This paper argues that experience of the US with financial market integration can...