Official figures show that German manufacturing orders leapt 4.3% in January from December, the biggest monthly jump since June 2007.
The Economy Ministry said the rise compared with a drop of 1.6% in December 2009 - revised from a previously reported fall of 2.3%. The January figure was far better than most economists' forecasts.
Domestic orders drove January's strong performance, rising 7.1% month-on-month compared with an increase of only 1.9% in foreign orders.
The figures painted a slightly brighter picture of the German economic situation, after recent figures showed that the country's economic recovery stalled in the fourth quarter of 2009.
