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History of the company/bank and archive description for DG BANK Deutsche Genossenschaftsbank AG
History of the
company/bank:		 Company History:
DG BANK, the central financial institution of the German co-operative system, was established in Frankfurt in May 1949 under the name of "Deutsche Genossenschaftskasse". DG BANK's roots, however, go back to "Preussische Zentralgenossenschaftskasse", which was founded in Berlin in 1895. Transformed into "Deutsche Zentralgenossenschaftskasse" in 1932, DG BANK's functional predecessor was closed after World War II by the Soviet occupying power. Two new branches were established in the American and the British occupied zones. They existed until the foundation of "Deutsche Genossenschaftskasse".
In 1976 "Deutsche Genossenschaftskasse" was renamed "DG BANK Deutsche Genossenschaftsbank". Between 1985 and 1989 four regional co-operative central banks of Northern Germany, Hesse and Bavaria transferred their ongoing banking business to DG BANK. After the reunification of Germany in 1990 DG BANK reassumed central bank business for the eastern German co-operative banks and took over the central business functions of the former "Bank fuer Landwirtschaft und Nahrungsgueterwirtschaft der DDR".

Legal position:
Originally a public corporation established by federal law, DG BANK was transformed into a joint-stock company in 1998. Its share-holders are the German co-operatives.

Current profile:
Today DG BANK is one of Germany's top-ten banks. Its services cover all fields of lending business, money and foreign exchange dealing, securities business, investment advice, payment systems/electronic banking, and all aspects of foreign business as well as investment banking. DG BANK runs no retail banking. Its target clients are the German co-operative banks, other institutional customers, and corporate customers with the stress on Germany's Mittelstand sector of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Archive description DG BANK's historical archives were established in 1998, and are still in the phase of construction. The collected material amounts to approximately 65 shelf metres.

There are records of the following companies:

  • Preussische Zentralgenossenschaftskasse 1906-1932 (0,3m)
  • Deutsche Zentralgenossenschaftskasse 1932-1948 (0,6m)
  • Deutsche Genossenschaftskasse / DG BANK since 1947 (10m)
  • Bayerische Raiffeisen-Zentralbank and predecessors 1893-1985 (20m)
  • NG BANK Norddeutsche Genossenschaftsbank and predecessors 1890-1990 (30m)
  • Raiffeisen-Zentralbank Kurhessen 1930-1962 (0,2m)
  • Bank fuer Landwirtschaft und Nahrungsgueterwirtschaft der DDR 1952-1990 (0,4m)
  • Zentralkasse Sächsischer Volksbanken 1906-1946 (1m)
  • Deutsche Gewerbe- und Landkreditbank AG 1923-1978 (0,3m)
  • Deutsche Pachtbank eGmbH 1926-1976 (2,5m)

    • The collections of DG BANK's historical archives include e.g. photos, posters and other advertising media, historical stocks and shares as well as saving books.

    For the most part the records of DG BANK's predecessors "Preussische" and "Deutsche Zentralgenossenschafts-kasse" got lost during and after World War II. Fortunately, a great number of files dealing with those banks can be found in the Bundesarchiv and the Geheimes Staatsarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz in Berlin.

    Available Finding aids: Computer-database and lists.
    Publications
  • Die Preußische Zentralgenossenschaftskasse 1895 - 1920, Berlin 1922 (reprinted 1981).
  • 50 Jahre Raiffeisen 1877-1927, Neuwied 1927.
  • Loest, Johannes, Die Deutsche Genossenschaftskasse. Vorgeschichte, Aufbau und Aufgaben, Neuwied 1952.
  • Faust, Helmut, Die Zentralbank der deutschen Genossenschaften. Vorgeschichte, Aufbau, Aufgaben und - Entwicklung der Deutschen Genossenschaftskasse, (Veroeffentlichungen der Deutschen Genossenschaftskasse; 1), 1967.
  • A History of DG BANK (brochure), Frankfurt 1999.
  • Wehber, Thorsten, Das Historische Archiv der DG BANK, in: Bankhistorisches Archiv, 2/1999 (in progress)
    • .
    Conditions of use On request, the archives are accessible to researchers. Access to some records may be restricted for reasons of confidentiality.

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