No, Kurzarbeit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_time) was one preeminent mechanism saving our economy.
Other countries without that mechanism suffered much more.
In Germany we basically loosened the rules for Kurzarbeit (not officially, I think, but the authorities were much more lenient than usual about the legal requirements), because it was a mechanism already in place.
That last part is important. A mechanism that only works okay, but is already implemented everywhere is much better than the perfect mechanism, specifically tailored to your needs, but impossible to roll out on short notice.