The European Association for Banking and Financial History (eabh) e.V.
16 Nov 2023
Barcelona , Spain
eabh in cooperation with Banco de España
The role of digital archives for our cultural heritage. Preservation and conservation: Challenges and opportunities for the management and use of digital archives in the financial sector. How to ensure long term access to corporate information and records?
30 Jun 2023
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Join us for an eye-opening in-person lunch talk about reconstruction of countries and economies after war and disaster.
History is full of examples of reconstruction efforts and initiatives. Some succeeded (rebuilding of Europe after WW2), some were talked about but never took off (Syria), others started well, but failed (Afghanistan).
This panel is about the preconditions required for a reconstruction program to succeed. Which are the right questions to ask?
Join us to discuss with financial history and practice experts!
30 Jun 2023
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
A financial history conference organised by eabh
sponsored by Deutsche Bank AG
This meeting will look at historical precedents of financing reconstruction after war and catastrophe. Can historical insight help?
Which are the right questions to ask to successfully reconstruct the infrastructure and economy of a country or region? Should there be a Marshall Plan for Ukraine? Are grants or loans the more effective way to rebuild? Who should pay how much and how? Which is the most effective way to use any given aid to achieve productive development? How much should be organised by the state or international organisations?
In history, how were financial sectors revived? How did banks rebuild their operations once they were bombed out? Where did they find qualified staff? Who created the initial equity? Which was the role of multi-lateral institutions (International Monetary Fund, World Bank, …) Which was the role of the state?
The past offers many examples of cases: Europe after 1945, Afghanistan and Irak in the 1990s, Haiti after the Earthquakes, Syria, the Middle East after the Arab Spring, to name just a few. We aim to bring together as many examples as possible in order to look at financing reconstruction comparatively.
29 Jun 2023
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
29 Jun 2023
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
A financial archives workshop organised by eabh
sponsored by Deutsche Bank AG
In this workshop, we are looking for collections, databases and archival projects that shed light on the link of financial institutions as builders.
In history, financial institutions have always played major, often pioneering roles when new countries were built, independence was established, or peacetime re-building started. They initiated state and infrastructure building by helping other companies (re-)start their businesses in new legislations or after disruptive periods.
In the framework of this meeting, we would like to look at archival evidence in and about financial institutions’ ‘building’ roles. The connections between banking and building, finance, cities, and countries may be wide range – and unexpected. The examples of historical experiences are global and manifold: the building of US infrastructure after independence (railways), specialising US financial infrastructure in the process, re-building Europe after WWI, after WWII and during the Eastern extension of the EU, nation building in Central and South America, African independence, …, to name just a few…
The evolution of a country or economy is always reflected in the records banks, exchanges and insurers hold: if you look at what’s traded and insured and how successfully, you can see the state an economy is in. More and beyond, finance plays a major role in building cities and infrastructure during ‘normal’ times; the sector’s importance for architecture, urban planning and building of all kinds is undenied.
10 May 2023
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
eabh in cooperation with Allianz Global Investors
The event is in person and will be followed by a networking lunch.
Inflation is here. Asset prices have dropped. The financial system is under stress.
What is going on? Can financial history insight give advice?
Otmar Issing (Honorary President, Center for Financial Studies, Frankfurt)
in conversation with
Moritz Schularick (President, Institute for the World Economy, Kiel*)
moderated by
Carmen Hofmann (Secretary General, eabh)
& Stefan Hofrichter (Head of Research, AllianzGI)
Talking about the world economy today means talking about imbalances and inflation. Price levels as much as debt levels are on the rise. Central Banks from Atlanta to Zürich raise interest rates, though will they control inflation anytime soon? Will higher rates trigger yet another financial crisis?
Are there any lessons to be drawn from the past? How to re-balance the world economy and financial markets? Which are the implications of steadily growing imbalances for growth, asset markets, monetary policy and society?
Is there advice for investors?
Join this eabh lunch for a unique opportunity to discuss inflation amongst financial history experts!
*starting June 2023
4 Nov 2022
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
eabh in cooperation with the European Central Bank (ECB)
What is new for historical archives under the GDPR regime? In particular in a Post-Covid environment?
This workshop aims to look at the impact of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) on historical archives, in particular, but not exclusively, in the financial sector.
Since May 2018, the GDPR has set common standards of data protection within the European Union and, to a certain extent, beyond. This regulation received critical acclaim by the public and scholars alike, however not without facing wide criticism for the severity of the changes it requires to implement.
6 Jul 2022
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
eabh in cooperation with Allianz Global Investors
Where is inflation headed? Can we tell by looking at precedents from the past?
Gunther Schnabl (Leipzig) and Paul Schmelzing (Harvard) will discuss structural changes of the world economy and their effect on inflation and interest rates. Together, we will take a long view back in the history of both phenomena in order to set a historical context for the inflationary environment that has been created in Europe and the world right now.
What’s the role of monetary and fiscal measures? Do we live through another ‘Volcker moment’ in monetary policy?
Are interest rates historically declining? Is there a bottom line? Or should we expect an unprecedented rise in interest rates within the next years?
Join in the discussion with the experts!
1 Jul 2022
1504 Sofia, Bulgaria
eabh in cooperation with the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB)
This conference will discuss the phenomenon of currency unions in a global historical context with a special focus on the challenges brought about by trends of isolationism and confrontation.
Motivation, design and factors explaining the resilience (or the lack thereof) of currency unions will be among the themes to discuss; – against a backdrop of captivating historical, geographic and institutional experiences.
As history continues into modern-day initiatives like the Economic and Monetary Union in the EU, a glimpse into the future of currency unions may also engage the conference agenda.
A platform to distil academic and policy insights, the event should attract scholars as well as central bankers interested in both the theory and historical experience of currency unions.
Registration is open!
30 Jun 2022
1504 Sofia, Bulgaria
eabh in cooperation with the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB)
Central banks and other financial institutions have longstanding histories and rich archives. These contain extensive sets of historical information and hence are an extremely valuable source of knowledge about the evolution of financial institutions’ functions and mandates; as much as the trajectory of financial systems and the economic development of countries and regions.
In this workshop we will check up key quantitative historical financial data, historical dataset accessibility and IT tools and innovation.
Registration is open!