Author:  Alex Martin Affiliation:  Independent Researcher Executive Summary Over the past year, Germany’s automotive sector has experienced one of the most acute contractions in its modern history, reportedly shedding roughly 51,500 jobs  as the broader industrial base continues to tighten amid faltering exports, rising costs, and an uneven transition to electrification. Beyond cyclical softness, the evidence points to a structural shock : the collision of an incumbent indust