List of banks in Germany

Historical background

Germany stands out for the uniquely extensive development of its public banking sector,^[6]: 16 whose origins can be traced back to the late 18th century and which acquired some of its current features with the development of savings banks (German: Sparkassen) during the 19th century.^[7]: 28 Germany was also where a cooperative banking sector flourished first under leaders such as Franz Hermann Schulze-Delitzsch and Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen.^[8] Starting in the 1850s, joint-stock banks took momentum in various German states and developed rapidly into so-called Grossbanken, universal banks with connections with numerous industrial ventures forming loose conglomerates.

As a result, the banking sector in Germany has long been described of consisting of three "pillars", respectively public-sector banks, cooperative banks, and commercial banks - the latter including the Grossbanken and other joint-stock banks sometimes referred to as regional banks (Regionalbanken), as well as non-listed private banks (Privatbanken). These pillars are still represented by separate trade bodies — respectively the VÖB, BVR and BdB — and rely on separate deposit guarantee schemes unlike in most other EU countries where a single scheme covers all deposits.

Policy framework

European banking supervision distinguishes between significant institutions (SIs) and less significant institutions (LSIs), with SI/LSI designations updated regularly by the European Central Bank (ECB). Significant institutions are directly supervised by the ECB using joint supervisory teams that involve the national competent authorities (NCAs) of individual participating countries. Less significant institutions are supervised by the relevant NCA on a day-to-day basis, under the supervisory oversight of the ECB.^[9] In Germany's case, the NCA is the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority, known by the German shorthand BaFin.^[10]

The EU framework provides for the possibility of institutional protection scheme that bind together networks of local banks into idiosyncratic risk-sharing arrangements.^[11] Of the EU's eight IPSs as of 2022,^[12]: 12 two are in Germany, namely the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe (SFG) and German Cooperative Financial Group. The latter corresponds exactly to the cooperative pillar of the German banking system, whereas the SFG is only a subgroup of the public-sector pillar which also includes public development banks (Förderbanken).

Recent developments

In recent years, the number of credit institutions in Germany has gradually declined, primarily due to consolidation among cooperative banks and savings banks. This trend has been driven by competitive pressures, regulatory requirements, and increasing investment needs in digital infrastructure.

As of 2026, Germany's banking sector comprises approximately 1,160–1,170 institutions, including both significant and less significant institutions under European Central Bank supervision. Total assets of the banking system are estimated at around €9.8 trillion.^[13]

High-impact LSIs

Of these, 27 were designated by the ECB as "high-impact" on the basis of several criteria including size, including 4 in the cooperative IPSs and 12 in the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe IPS:

Of the above, Eurex Clearing AG meets the criteria for SI designation, but has been classified by the ECB as a LSI by special derogation together with a handful of other financial market infrastructures.^[14]

Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe

In addition to the above-listed 8 SIs and 12 high-impact LSIs, the ECB list included 336 LSIs (334 credit institutions and 2 financial holding companies) that were members of the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe IPS. Among these, the following ones are specifically documented on Wikipedia in English:

Cooperative Financial Group

In addition to the above-listed 3 SIs and 4 high-impact LSIs, the ECB list also included 653 entities (652 credit institutions and one financial holding company) that were members of the German Cooperative Financial Group IPS. Among these, the following ones are specifically documented on Wikipedia in English:

Other domestic German LSIs

The 95 other domestic German LSIs are listed below, based on the ECB list of supervised entities as of 1 September 2025.

Non-euro-area-controlled LSIs

Based on the same ECB list, the following 35 LSIs were controlled by financial groups based outside the euro area. They include 22 subsidiaries, and 13 branches of banks based in the European Economic Area (EEA) but outside of the euro area.

European level

• European Central Bank in Frankfurt, an EU institution

Federal level

• Deutsche Bundesbank in Frankfurt, Germany's national central bank
• Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau in Frankfurt
• Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank in Frankfurt

State level

Former central banks & banks of issue

The Hamburger Bank had attributes of a central bank despite not issuing its own paper money.^[22] In the 19th century, Germany's political fragmentation led to the establishment of numerous banks of issue until monetary unification in the 1870s. Even after that, multiple banks kept their issuance privilege until the Reichsbank eventually acquired a monopoly in 1935.

The Oldenburgische Landesbank was a private bank of issue from establishment in 1868 until end-1875.^[23]: 57 The Deutsche Golddiskontbank (1924-1945) and Liquidity Consortium Bank (1974-2015) had purposes related with monetary policy even though they were not themselves money-issuing or central banks.

Other defunct banks headquartered in present-day German territory

Several of these banks came to an end in 1945 when the Soviet Forces in Germany decided to terminate existing banking activity in their occupation zone.

Defunct German banks headquartered outside present-day Germany

This list includes former banks of issue as well as commercial banks, in the former eastern territories of Germany and its temporary conquests during World War I and World War II.