Even more, that is nearly eight out of 10, believe there will be an improvement by 2011, according to a study by the international service firm Ernst and Young, to be published in Monday's edition of daily Die Welt.

54 percent of the 700 businesses surveyed throughout Germany said the country -- one of the world's top exporters -- was likely to emerge stronger from the crisis than it was before; only 17 percent said Germany would be weakened.

Ernst and Young also surveyed managers' trust in currencies, branches of industry and public institutions. The euro turned out to be the currency 68 percent of German managers trust very much. Only 27 percent of those polled had much faith in governments; 48 percent said there confidence in banks was rather low.

Just last week, a closely-watched poll by the Ifo institute, which regularly takes stock of the mood among German firms, rose for the fourth month running. The most recent Ernst and Young poll also appears to indicate that there is a growing optimism in Germany's business community that the country's worst economic downturn in decades could be relatively short-lived.

Ernst and Young polled mainly small and medium-sized firms, which are regarded as the backbone of the German economy.

db/ AFP/ Die Welt