Soehnle Professional may have only 70 employees and a turnover of €12m, but when Stephan Gerster, its chief executive, chose the ornaments for the entrance to its new headquarters – an earth globe and an olive tree he says “stands for eternal life” – he showed no lack of self-confidence.

Foreigners have puzzled over Berlin’s relaxed reaction to the crisis wreaking havoc on the world’s economies. Yet a trip to the heart of industrial Germany shows the sanguine attitude is not the preserve of politicians in the capital.