The financial market crisis is likely to prove to have been the key trigger for the long overdue consolidation of the German banking market. There is much to suggest that the German banking market will emerge strengthened from the crisis. There is growth potential both on the investment and the financing side. A winning formula for banks in Germany could lie in the provision of various forms of capital to SMEs. In the wake of the financial crisis the subject of “security” is gaining in importance; this favors risk-oriented and conservative business models. For the German banks with a large stock of valuable claims the backdrop is therefore better than in recent years when product innovations mushroomed. / Only available in German.