Die Wirtschaftsgenossenschaften

[Title Page and Publication Details]: Title page of the second edition of Eugen Schwiedland's work on economic cooperatives, published in 1919 by Manz'sche Verlags- und Universitäts-Buchhandlung. [Definition and Legal Nature of Cooperatives]: Schwiedland defines cooperatives as associations of economic actors or entrepreneurs aimed at mutual promotion. He details the financial structure, including deposits and dividends, and explains the three types of liability: unlimited, unlimited with additional contributions (Nachschußpflicht), and limited. He notes a significant 1918 legal change in Austria regarding unlimited liability. [Purchasing and Consumer Cooperatives]: This section examines purchasing cooperatives (Bezugsgenossenschaften), which aim to eliminate middlemen and provide cheaper, high-quality goods to members. It highlights the historical importance of the Pioneers of Rochdale and the massive scale of British cooperative wholesale societies. It also discusses how small retailers use purchasing cooperatives to compete against large department stores and consumer unions. [Marketing, Machine, and Production Cooperatives]: Schwiedland analyzes marketing cooperatives (Absatzgenossenschaften) for agricultural and industrial goods, noting the difficulty of finding customers compared to purchasing. He also describes machine cooperatives (Werksgenossenschaften) for shared equipment and production cooperatives (Produktivgenossenschaften). He critiques the latter, noting that they often fail due to lack of capital, management skills, or internal discipline, often devolving into standard employer-employee structures. [Housing and Building Cooperatives]: This section focuses on building cooperatives (Baugenossenschaften) and their role in providing affordable housing by eliminating developer profits. Schwiedland discusses the differences between individual homeownership and rental cooperatives. He provides a detailed overview of state support in Germany and Austria, specifically the 1911 Austrian Housing Welfare Fund (Wohnungsfürsorgefond) and its mechanism for guaranteeing second mortgages. [Insurance and Credit Cooperatives]: Schwiedland describes mutual insurance and credit cooperatives. He contrasts the Schulze-Delitzsch urban credit unions with the Raiffeisen rural cooperatives, emphasizing the latter's focus on local solidarity, non-profit status, and personal credit based on character and purpose rather than collateral. He details the central banking structures (Zentralkassen) that support these local unions in Germany and Austria. [Miscellaneous Types and Mixed Forms]: The author lists specialized cooperatives, such as credit information bureaus and boiler inspection associations, and discusses mixed forms that combine purchasing, credit, and production. He concludes by praising cooperatives as a vital tool for social reform and self-help, allowing small actors to resist the power of large capital and monopolies through collective organization and economic democracy. [Table of Contents and Colophon]: A summary table of contents with page references for the various cooperative types discussed, followed by the printer's information.