Apprenticeship in the German lands (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) was firmly attached to urban corporate structures, i.e. guilds. From the fourteenth to the nineteenth century it was regulated by craft rules. In many ways apprenticeship in Germany resembled that of other nations, but three features stand out. There were more exclusionary rules, affecting women, religious minorities and people with ‘irregular’ backgrounds. German apprentices were required to travel to other places after their initial training; hence we see a lot of migration in the world of the artisans. And finally, completion rates for apprenticeship were remarkably high in Germany. If and how these three features were connected is as yet unclear.