Postbank is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2009. On January 1, 1909, its success story was launched with the establishment of 13 postal check offices and the introduction of giro transfer and check transactions by means of the former Reichspost national postal authority. With 14.0 million clients today, Postbank is Germany’s largest retail bank. Dr. Wolfgang Klein, chairman of Postbank’s management board, commented: ”We’re proud of our 100-year history in which Postbank has succeeded in becoming one of Germany‘s favorite commercial banks due to its reliability and customer proximity.“

For the first time ever, the Reichspost authority’s postal check offices enabled every owner of a postal check account to transfer money nationwide and to receive credits as well – which amounted to a bit of a revolution in the banking business at that time. Until then, financial institutes provided this service exclusively to business clients and financially strong customers. Upon the opening of nine postal check offices which were scattered throughout the Reich's territory as well as three in Bavaria and one in what was the Kingdom of Württemberg at the time, an unparalleled success story began in January 1909. After only one year of business, the Reichspost had already conducted 29 million transactions and opened 44,000 accounts by the end of 1909. In comparison: today, Postbank boasts roughly five million customer checking accounts and carries out approximately seven billion transactions each year. Klein commented: “We still feel bound by and committed to our history. Throughout its past, Postbank constantly played a pioneering role regarding the introduction of ambitious banking services for broad segments of the population.“ For example, as Germany’s first large, nationwide-operating bank, Postbank introduced the no-fee checking account in 1998. “And we want to be gauged by that in the future as well,“ said Klein.

Postbank savings celebrates 70th anniversary
2009 also marks another Postbank anniversary: In 1939, the Reichspost authority expanded upon the postal checking account’s success by establishing the postal savings bank service and by introducing what later became the extremely popular postal savings account. After World War II, the postal savings bank developed into the bank for the “man on the street.” Above all, generations of families and students became familiar with the “little blue book“ as a secure and convenient companion during travels in European countries outside of Germany. Today, 70 years later, the savings volume of Bonn-based Postbank has grown to over 90 million euros. Meanwhile, the good, old “postal savings passbook“ is now called a savings card and, while yielding favorable interest, accompanies clients on their travels in 190 countries.

Over the decades, the range of services has been expanded gradually:
1950 Introduction of automatic funds transfer
1951 Money transfers to foreign countries
1955 The age of automation begins
1969 The option of withdrawing cash at post office locations (postal cash check procedure)
1969 Employment of electronic data storage media
1983 Money transfers by means of interactive videotex (Btx) for Postbank customers

Even though Postbank and its services boast a long history, it was not until Germany’s first phase of postal reform that the company became an independent institute in 1989. When the German Federal Postal Authority was split to form three independent operations, the “Deutsche Bundespost Postbank” (German Federal Post Postbank) was established. In 1990, the East German postal bank operations of the German Democratic Republic were integrated with those in West Germany. It was not until the second phase of Germany’s postal reform was completed that Postbank received a banking license upon its incorporation as a joint-stock company on January 1, 1995. For the first time, this enabled the bank to expand its range of services considerably – for example, with regard to personal loans, construction financing and investment funds. For this reason, most of the Postbank services to which customers now are accustomed are fairly new: it was not until 1991 that Postbank introduced overdraft limits as well as the “Postbank Card.” Since 1993, Postbank customers have been able to conduct their banking business by phone, and since 1998 by means of online banking via the Internet. With 14.0 million active clients, roughly 21,000 employees and total assets amounting to 241 billion euros, the Postbank Group is one of Germany's largest financial service providers today.

Further milestones in Postbank’s history:
1999 Deutsche Post purchases 100% of Postbank’s shares from the Federal Republic of Germany
2000 Postbank acquires DSL Bank
2004 Initial public offering
2006 Acquisition of BHW – a provider of terminating deposits and mortgage loans
2006 Acquisition of the 850 largest branch locations from Deutsche Post
2006 Inclusion in the DAX stock market index
2008 Deutsche Post announces the sale of 29.75% of its Postbank shares to Deutsche Bank

Klein commented: “Today’s Postbank is a young bank with a century-old history of which we are proud. In principle, however, nothing has changed with regard to Postbank's philosophy in the course of the past century. Without interruption, it has advanced its down-to-earth tradition and is dedicated above all to its retail banking clients in Germany. At the same time, as a matter of tradition, we also have a sense of dedication to our corporate clients and business customers. We intend to maintain this business model because it reflects a success story with regard to our customers, our shareholders and our employees.”

 

September 2008	Deutsche Post sells 29.75 per cent stake in Postbank to Deutsche Bank In addition to the minority stake acquisition, Deutsche Post has granted Deutsche Bank an option to acquire an additional 18.0 per cent of Postbank. Furthermore Deutsche Bank and Postbank agree close cooperation
January 2007	Postbank takes over payment transactions for HypoVereinsbank In line with this agreement, Postbank is further expanding its market leadership with regard to payment transactions and is ensuring a good starting position for further expansion following the standardization of the European payment transaction market.
September 2006	Inclusion in the DAX Within only two years of its IPO, Postbank has gained entry into the DAX, Germany’s most important stock market index. As the Postbank share price has more than doubled since June 2004, Postbank now meets the market capitalization requirement in addition to the trading volume criterion.
January 2006	Postbank acqires BHW and 850 branches of Deutsche Post The purchase of BHW Holding AG by Deutsche Postbank AG is definitely concluded. Postbank also acquires the 850 most attractive branches of Deutsche Post.
November 2005	Migration to SAP software concluded On November 5 and 6, following checking, loan and savings accounts, deposit accounts are to be migrated to SAP "Deposits Management" software. By using standard software across the company, Postbank saves considerable costs.
October 2005	Postbank acquires BHW On October 25, Postbank announced its intention to acquire the 76.4 percent stake in BHW owned by the union participation companies Beteiligungsgesellschaft der Gewerkschaften (BGAG) and Deutscher Beamtenwirtschaftsbund (BWB). Subject to anti-trust and supervisory approval, Postbank intends to implement the legal transition for BHW on January 1, 2006.
January 2005	Ten years of Deutsche Postbank On January 1, 1995, the Federal Minister of Post of the day, Wolfgang Bötsch, launched Postbank as an independent successor company to Deutsche Bundespost Postbank.
June 2004	Postbank is at the stock exchange On June 23, 2004, the Postbank share is offered on the trading floor as well as in XETRA. Thus the Postbank IPO is the first large stock market launch in Germany since 2 years.
March 2004	Postbank floats on the stock exchange before the summer break At the balance sheet press conference on March 24, 2004, the Chairman of the Management Board, Prof. Dr. Wulf von Schimmelmann, announces the IPO of Deutsche Postbank AG.
December 2003	Postbank increases number of customers Postbank has more customers than any other bank in Germany at 11.5 million.
October 2003	Switch to new software for checking accounts The program, developed in conjunction with SAP, processes payment transactions and account management for just under five million internal and external accounts held at the Bank.
April 2003	Figures for 2002 With earnings before taxes of € 399 million for fiscal 2002, Postbank unveils the best result in the history of the Bank.
September 2002	Branch office in Frankfurt Postbank opens a branch office in Frankfurt am Main/Germany which is tasked with the strategic development of Postbank's securities business and risk management activities in Germany's banking capital.
May 2002	First rating of Standard & Poor's Postbank is rated by Standard & Poor's for the first time, and receives a top rating in the peer group comparison.
April 2002	Financial statements for 2001 Postbank presents its financial statements for 2001, the highest profits ever in the history of the bank. Pre-tax profits rose by almost 47 percent over the previous year.
July 2001	Postbank purchases BHF (USA) Holdings Inc. Postbank purchases BHF (USA) Holdings Inc. and its operating units from BHF-Bank in Frankfurt. This gives it a strategic platform to enter into logistics financing at international level, particularly on the US market.
November 2000	Postbank accompanies IPO of Deutsche Post Postbank subsidiary easytrade is co-lead manager for the successful IPO, and is already one of Germany's leading online brokers by the end of 2000.
September 2000	Entry into direct brokerage Postbank subsidiary easytrade offers stocks and funds via internet, telephone and Deutsche Post branches.
June 1999	Postbank acquires DSL Bank Postbank and the German Federal Ministry of Finance reach agreement on the sale of the government's shares in DSL Bank to Postbank.
January 1999	Deutsche Post becomes owner of Postbank Both companies adopt a joint sales strategy.
January 1995	Postbank becomes a joint stock company It is permitted to extend its operating areas and grants loans for the first time four months later. In the same year, it sets up collaborations in the insurance and home savings areas. The foundations for the conversion of Postbank to a joint stock company were set back in February 1994 with new postal reform legislation (Gesetze zur Postreform II).
January 1990	Postbank established The German Postal Services Restructuring Act (Poststrukturgesestz) paved the way for Postbank's independence. It came into force in July 1989, and regulates the division of Deutsche Bundespost into three companies: Post, Telekom and Postbank. In 1990, Deutsche Post Postbank of the former East Germany is also merged with Postbank.