Bank-note band from the inflation years, around 1922/23
- In 1870 a number of merchants, merchant bankers and private bankers founded the Commerz- und Disconto-Bank in Hamburg. As of around 1900, its business focussed increasingly on Berlin. It became one of the country's leading big banks with an extensive branch network.
- Milestones along the way include the merger in 1920 with the Mitteldeutsche Privat-Bank, a regional bank based in Magdeburg, and in 1929 with the Mitteldeutsche Creditbank based in Frankfurt am Main. In the wake of the crisis in the banking sector, the government ordered the merger in early 1932 of Commerzbank with the Barmer Bank-Verein Hinsberg, Fischer & Co. in Düsseldorf. In 1940, the name Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft, by which the bank was generally known, was officially adopted.
- With the division of Europe after the war, Commerzbank lost some 45 % of its premises. The process of decentralisation of the big banks in West German resulted in a breakdown into three regional banks, which were united in 1958 as 'Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft', which had its headquarters in Düsseldorf. Commerzbank stepped up its retail banking activities and built up a nationwide network. At around the same time, it started expanding around the globe. From 1970 onwards, the bank's administrative activities were shifted to Frankfurt am Main, which has been its legal domicile since 1990.
- What events have occurred along the way? What is the significance of the bank's logo? Who have been its chairmen? We have addressed these and other questions in a number of historical articles, with details of bibliography and sources. For further details on Commerzbank's history, please contact our archive department in the corporate communications department.
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