ABSTRACT
In the first half of the twentieth century, Germany played a prominent role in the development of accounting theory (Mattessich and Küpper 2003: 106, 112; Evans 2005: 230). Numerous researchers, popular academic teachers, and interpreters of law built up Germany’s reputation for competence in this field. Some of them were consigned to oblivion. However, the early theories of the lawyer Simon and the accounting professors Schmalenbach and Schmidt endured over time (Ballwieser 2010: 79). They are well known in Germany to this day, and their findings are still taught at German universities. The period beginning in the 1930s is marked by consolidation. German authors primarily endeavored to reach a deeper understanding of the original accounting theories, to develop them further, and to understand their impact on the practice of accounting. German researchers dwelled on the interpretation of existing theories instead of developing new ones.
