ABSTRACT
Whatever their aim and organisational structure, co-operatives play an important role in the economic and social life of industrial and agrarian states. De facto co-operatives and so-called pre-co-operatives, including autochthonous co-operatives in the guise of culturally specific working parties and residents’ associations etc. (cf. Dülfer 1994 for several key words for forms of co-operation similar to co-operatives) are present in almost every culture: The institution of the co-operative is found all over the world with a variety of aims and organisational structures.
