ABSTRACT
In order to facilitate the assessment of the West German deindustrialization process from an international point of view, this chapter begins with a comparison of structural change and economic development features of the Federal Republic and the United States. It offers a comprehensive quantitative description of the spatial differences in economic development. The chapter summarizes and assesses qualitatively the variety of 'hard' and 'soft' factors influencing the spatial particularities of the deindustrialization process, using primarily the states of Nordrhein-Westfalen and Baden-Württemberg as spatial reference. It also summarizes the efforts undertaken to adjust continuously the regional economic base in the two states. The socio-political and economic climate of regional economic development is another decisive location factor for both local and foreign investors. The complex institutional structure of a federal state like the Federal Republic renders it difficult to describe briefly regional policy responses to deindustrialization.
