Deutsche Bank AG
Company History
Deutsche Bank History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1870 in Berlin, Germany
When was Deutsche Bank founded?
Deutsche Bank was founded in 1870 in Berlin, Germany by Adelbert Delbrück and Ludwig Bamberger, making it 156 years old.
- Founded
- 1870
- Founding place
- Berlin, Germany
- Founders
- Adelbert Delbrück and Ludwig Bamberger
- Headquarters today
- Frankfurt, Germany
- Milestones documented
- 12 (1870–2026)
- Current CEO
- Christian Sewing
- Acquisitions
- 6
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1870 | Foundation in Berlin |
| 1873 | London branch opens |
| 1929 | Merger with Disconto-Gesellschaft |
| 1957 | Reunification in Frankfurt |
| 1989 | Acquisition of Morgan Grenfell |
| 1999 | Acquisition of Bankers Trust |
| 2001 | NYSE Listing |
| 2010 | Postbank takeover |
| 2018 | Christian Sewing Becomes CEO |
| 2019 | "Compete to Win" restructuring |
| 2025 | Record profit |
| 2026 | Scaling the Global Hausbank |
- Where was Deutsche Bank founded?
- Deutsche Bank was founded in Berlin, Germany in 1870. wikidata.org
- Who founded Deutsche Bank?
- Deutsche Bank was founded by Adelbert Delbrück and Ludwig Bamberger.
- When did Deutsche Bank start?
- Deutsche Bank was founded in 1870.
- How old is Deutsche Bank?
- Deutsche Bank is 156 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
In 1870 German merchants still relied on British banks in London to finance their foreign trade. Berlin private banker Adelbert Delbrück and liberal politician and monetary expert Ludwig Bamberger led the founding of Deutsche Bank, which received its banking licence on March 10, 1870, with a statute to promote trade between Germany, other European countries and overseas markets. Branches in Shanghai and Yokohama (1872) and London (1873) followed quickly.
Founders
Adelbert Delbrück
Adelbert Delbrück (1822-1890) was a Berlin private banker who took the initiative in founding Deutsche Bank in 1870. With Ludwig Bamberger and a consortium of private banking houses, he set up a joint-stock bank whose statute focused on financing trade between Germany and overseas markets, so German exporters no longer had to depend on London. Delbrück chaired the bank's supervisory board in its early years, while Georg von Siemens, a member of the management board from 1870 to 1900, built its operations and early international branches in Shanghai, Yokohama and London. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Ludwig Bamberger
Ludwig Bamberger (1823-1899) was a banker, economist and National Liberal member of the Reichstag. He co-founded Deutsche Bank in 1870 alongside Adelbert Delbrück and helped draft its founding concept as a bank for foreign trade. In parliament he was a leading advocate of the gold-backed German Mark and the creation of the Reichsbank in the 1870s. Bamberger was born on July 22, 1823 and died on March 14, 1899. He was an economist, politician and writer. Ludwig Bamberger was born in 1823.
Key Milestones
Foundation in Berlin
Deutsche Bank receives its banking licence on March 10, 1870, with a mandate to finance German foreign trade.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgLondon branch opens
After opening in Shanghai and Yokohama in 1872, the bank opens a London branch, putting it in the world's main trade-finance centre.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgMerger with Disconto-Gesellschaft
Deutsche Bank merges with Disconto-Gesellschaft, then Germany's largest bank merger.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgReunification in Frankfurt
After the Allies split it into regional banks following World War II, the three successor banks merge back into Deutsche Bank AG, headquartered in Frankfurt.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAcquisition of Morgan Grenfell
Deutsche Bank buys the London merchant bank Morgan Grenfell, its first big step into international investment banking.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAcquisition of Bankers Trust
Deutsche Bank completes its roughly $10 billion takeover of New York's Bankers Trust, building a large U.S. markets business.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgNYSE Listing
Deutsche Bank listed its shares on the New York Stock Exchange in October 2001.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgPostbank takeover
Deutsche Bank gains majority control of Postbank, adding millions of German retail customers and a large deposit base.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgChristian Sewing Becomes CEO
Christian Sewing replaced John Cryan as chief executive in April 2018.
Source: en.wikipedia.org"Compete to Win" restructuring
CEO Christian Sewing announces the exit from equities sales and trading, about 18,000 job cuts and a Capital Release Unit for non-core assets.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgRecord profit
Profit before tax reaches a record ~$11 billion (€9.7 billion) and net profit ~$8.02 billion (€7.1 billion) on ~$36.3 billion (€32.1 billion) of net revenues; all 2025 targets met.
Source: db.comScaling the Global Hausbank
The 2026-2028 plan targets RoTE above 13% and a cost/income ratio below 60% by 2028; H1 2026 post-tax profit reaches a record ~$4.63 billion (€4.1 billion).
Source: db.comMajor Acquisitions
Morgan Grenfell
1989To buy a respected London merchant bank (about $1.25 billion (£950 million)) as the base for an international investment bank.
Bankers Trust
1999To build a large U.S. investment banking and markets presence.
Postbank
2010To add a large German retail customer and deposit base, acquired in stages from 2008.
Sal. Oppenheim
2010To expand wealth management among wealthy German families by buying the Cologne private bank.
Numis
2023To add a leading UK corporate broker and advisory boutique (about $541 million (£410 million)).
Norisbank
2006Deutsche Bank AG acquired Norisbank in 2006.
Keep researching Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank Company History FAQ
What is the chronological history of Deutsche Bank from 1870 to the present day?
Founded in Berlin in 1870, Deutsche Bank financed 19th-century German industrialization. Divided after WWII into regional institutions, it reunited in Frankfurt in 1957, expanded globally across London and New York in the 1980s, 1990s, survived the 2008 crisis, and completed a major restructuring under Christian Sewing starting in 2019.
How was Deutsche Bank restructured after World War II?
In 1947 to 1948, Allied authorities broke Deutsche Bank into ten regional banks across West Germany. In 1952, these were consolidated into three institutions (Norddeutsche Bank, Rheinisch-Westfälische Bank, and Süddeutsche Bank), which finally reunified as Deutsche Bank AG in Frankfurt in 1957.
What role did Deutsche Bank play in the reconstruction of post-war West Germany (Wirtschaftswunder)?
Led by well-known board spokesman Hermann Josef Abs, Deutsche Bank served as the primary financial architect of the German 'Economic Miracle', providing long-term industrial loans, advising the government on London Debt Agreements, and financing major manufacturing exporters.
When did Deutsche Bank list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange?
Deutsche Bank listed its shares on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on October 3, 2001, cementing its status as a global financial institution following its landmark acquisition of Bankers Trust.
How did Deutsche Bank handle the 2008 global financial crisis?
Unlike many US and European peers, Deutsche Bank avoided direct government recapitalization or state equity bailouts during the 2008 crisis, although it subsequently faced severe earnings pressure and regulatory litigation penalties in the post-crisis era.
What was the Capital Release Unit (CRU) established in 2019?
The Capital Release Unit was a special internal restructuring division created in 2019 to de-risk and liquidate over $73.5 billion (€65 billion) in non-core assets and discontinued equities derivatives books. The CRU completed its de-risking ahead of schedule and was successfully closed in 2022.
How did Deutsche Bank celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2020?
In March 2020, Deutsche Bank marked its 150th anniversary, reflecting on its evolution from a specialized Berlin foreign trade bank in 1870 to a leading European universal bank serving global commerce in the 21st century.
What is Deutsche Bank's strategy for 2026-2028?
Under "Scaling the Global Hausbank", Deutsche Bank targets a post-tax RoTE above 13% and a cost/income ratio below 60% by 2028, a CET1 ratio of 13.5-14.0% and a 60% payout ratio from 2026. It expects around $37.3 billion (€33 billion) of revenues in 2026.
How did Deutsche Bank start?
It was founded in Berlin in 1870 with explicit permission from the King of Prussia. Its foundational mandate was to aggressively finance the massive expansion of German foreign trade and industrialization, deeply backing projects like the Baghdad Railway and the Krupp steel empire.
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