The British officials who coined the phrase “Made in Germany” intended it as an insult. In 1887, alarmed at an influx of low-priced German products, the British government required goods imported from Germany to be labeled as such. Back then, Germany was to Britain something like China is to Europe or the United States today. It was an aggressive emerging economy with a large store of cheap labor and ambitions to become an economic superpower. But Britain’s attempt to shield domestic companies from competition backfired. Made in Germany became a synonym for quality.1 The story of how Germany succeeded within a few decades still tells us something about the German mindset and tradition.