A generalized Lagrangian for the description of hadronic matter based on the linear SU(3)L × SU(3)R -model is proposed. Besides the baryon octet, the spin-0 and spin-1 nonets, a gluon condensate associated with broken scale invariance is incorporated. The observed values for the vacuum masses of the baryons and mesons are reproduced. In mean-field approximation, vector and scalar interactions yield a saturating nuclear equation of state. We discuss the di culties and possibilities to construct a chiral invariant baryon-meson interaction that leads to a realistic equation of state. It is found that a coupling of the strange condensate to nucleons is needed to describe the hyperon potentials correctly. The effective baryon masses and the appearance of an abnormal phase of nearly massless nucleons at high densities are examined. A nonlinear realization of chiral symmetry is considered, to retain a Yukawa-type baryon-meson interaction and to establish a connection to the Walecka-model.