In the summer of 2007, the financial world was thrown into severe turmoil, the dramatic consequences of which are still being felt today. Every day we read new bad news in the press. Alexandra Schneider looks back at the origins of the financial crisis, explains its causes and effects, and draws a comparison to the financial crisis of 1929. Furthermore, she focuses on the impact of the crisis on small and medium-sized enterprises, as around 70 percent of all companies in Germany are small and medium-sized businesses. Through three practical examples, she illustrates the effects of the crisis.