WesWorld

Algemene Spaar- en Lijfrentekas
The General Savings and Pensions Fund (CGER ) was founded in 1865 as a public institution as a merger with the Pensions Fund (Caisse de Retrait ) by Liberal Finance Minister Walthère Frère-Orban to improve the material situation of the people and attracting dormant capital to reinvest in the economy.

Almanij
Almanij, or Algemene Maatschappij voor Nijverheidskrediet, was founded in 1931 as an initiative of the Catholic Algemeene Bankvereeniging, a bank founded by the Leuvense Volksbank in Antwerp in 1921. This was done in order to regroup its industrial holdings in Belgium and Hungary. In 1935, Almanij took a shareholding in the Middenkredietkas bank. The Catholic Boerenbond (Belgian Farmers’ Union) created its own network of savings banks, CERA, instead of relying on the Middenkredietkas and Almanji gained a shareholding in CERA too. In 1949, the Kredietbank Luxembourgeoise was founded in Luxembourg, which specialized in private banking.

Antwerp Diamond Bank
Founded as the Comptoir Diamantaire Anversois by the Société Belge de Banque in partnership with French Banque Transatlantique, the Kongo Investment Company and the De Beers Group. The company was the first financial institution to focus entirely on the needs of the diamond industry. Its registered office is in the very heart of Antwerp's diamond district. In 1937, under bank reform legislation, the company became a bank and adopted its current name. It also took the opportunity to double its equity base to BEF60 million by bringing in Kredietbank and Compagnie Financière et Industrielle (Confindus)-Banque de Bruxelles as shareholders. In 1941, the American Chemical Bank helped the bank establish an agency in New York.

BAC
The bank of the Christian labour movement in Belgium. The General Workers Christian Association was founded in 1921 to give more organization and centralisation to the various Catholic cooperative movements. In 1924, the Coopération Belge Ouvrière (CDE) set up an umbrella body to organised the cooperative activities. The CDE is the main shareholder in the Belgian Workers Bank (Banque Ouvrière de Belgique) founded in 1925. It was renamed the Savings Bank of Christian Workers (SCW) in 1926. In 1935, it became a savings bank under new banking reforms as the BAC Central Depositokas or COB Caisse Centrale de Dépôts. The former functions of the CDE were taken over by the National Association of Christian Cooperatives (LVCC), which had been formed the same year. The LVCC is also a shareholder of Catholic organisations such as the Welvaart (Prosperity) group of cooperative shops and the Antwerpse Volksspaarkas, De Volksverzekering and the Centre for Insurance for working-class families. LVCC has also acquired shares in publishing, printing, and travel companies.

Bank J. Van Breda & Co.
Founded in 1930, by brothers Jos and Maurice Van Breda, in Lier. The brothers also opened an insurance office, J. Van Breda & Co., in 1937. In 1946, the companies moved to Antwerp.

Banque de Bruxelles
Founded in 1871, it grew during the ensuing six decades, acquiring interests in other banks in Belgium's major cities. In 1931, these interests were combined in a single business. Following the reform of the Belgian banking sector in1937, the commercial banking activities were transferred to a new company formed under the same registered name.

Coopération Ouvrière Belge (COB)
Founded in 1924, as a co-operative bank.

Crédit Agricole / Landbouwkrediet
Bank founded in 1937 as an agricultural credit union.

Bank Degroof
A private and investment bank founded in 1871 in Brussels.

Gemeentekrediet van België / Crédit Communal de Belgique
Founded in 1860, for the financing of local authority investments. Municipalities seeking to borrow are obliged to purchase shares equal in value to at least 5% of the borrowings. In 1947, the bank began to develop a network of retail branches and savings accounts for the general public.

Generale Belgian Bank
Established by the Generale Bank in Hong Kong in 1935, but incorporated in Belgium.

l'Association du Petit Crédit Professionnel de la Province du Hainaut
Bank founded in 1930 in Tournai, at the initiative of some small business owners.

Hypotheek- en Spaarmaatschappij van Antwerpen (HSA)
The Mortgage and Savings Society of Antwerp was established on July 7 1938, with a registered capital of 5 million francs. It was a subsidiary of the Almanij. The gal was to gain savings that were reinvested in government securities and mortgage loans. Gradually it has become a savings bank with various kinds of services and products.

Kredietbank
Formed in 1935 by the merger of the Catholic Volksbank van Leuven, Bankverein Bremen AG and the Algemeene Bankvereeniging. Kredietbank is the largest Flemish bank (the third largest in Belgium) and Fernand Collin, who became president in 1938, conceived a business strategy which would sustain the growth of the bank. He defined the Kredietbank as an independent bank with a decidedly Flemish character which would be an instrument to further Flemish economic growth. Since 1942, several new branches have been opened and a new growth strategy has seen the development of portfolio-management services for investors. The bank expanded into Luxembourg in 1949, founding the Kredietbank S.A. Luxembourgeoise.

Banque Lambert
Founded by the Lambert family, financiers in Belgium since the country's independence in 1830. Banque Lambert in recent years has rapidly developed its services and network, notably through the merger of a number of privately-owned banks

National Bank of Belgium (Nationale Bank van België, / Banque nationale de Belgique)
The National Bank of Belgium was established with private capital by a law of 5 May 1850 as the Société Anonyme (SA). It has been the central bank of Belgium since 1850. The current Governor is Maurice Frère, originally he graduated as a commercial engineer at the École de Commerce Solvay but today is a noted civil servant and he lectures at the Free University of Brussels.

National Institute for Agriculture (NILK)
Bank founded in 1937 by the Belgian government in Brussels to support the agricultural and horticultural sector by providing state-guaranteed credits.

Bank Roeselare
On 19 December 1924, EH Arthur Dumortier, provost of the Christian middle class organisation Roeselare, and architect and Senator Alfons Van Coillie founded the Bank of the Middle Class SM Interests for Rousselare (Roeselare Middenstandsbank). The bank started its activities on January 12 1925 with a capital of 100,000 francs. The young, but experienced banker, Camerlynck Joseph joined in 1927. In1932, the bank was reformed as the Bank of Roeselare with offices in Moorslede, Ardooie, Ledegem, Shop, Dadizele and Staden. From 1941, the first branches outside the Roeselare region wer eopened in Furnes, Ypres and Bruges. The deposits by 1943 had risen to 235 million francs.

Société Générale de Belgique / Generale Maatschappij (SGB)
Founded in 1822 by William I to administer the Belgian Ducal Estates, which amounted to a third of the country, with the goal of increasing the welfare of the country, but also with the covert objective of covering these costs. However, in 1826 the aim of the company changed to the delivery of 500,000 NFL a year as a pension to the King's personal account. After the Belgian Revolution of 1830, the company became Belgian, gained its current name and retained the Estates, which were sold off at low prices to the immediate circle of the Board. It then served until 1850 as the National Bank of Belgium. The Société Générale was an important provider of capital for industrialisation during the 19th century. The company invested in roads, railroads and canals and was also the main operation in the Belgian Congo until the death of King Leopold I when all its African assets were taken over by the Dutch-run Kongo Investment Company. The company split off its banking segment in 1934 to form the Generale Bank, but remained its largest stockholder. Majority-owned subsidiaries include;
Ateliers de Construction Electrique de Charleroi, Distrigas, Electrabel, Fabrique Nationale de Herstal, Générale de Banque, La Brugeoise et Nivelles and Tractebel.

Volksdepositokas (VDK)
A savings bank founded in 1926 was set up by the Christian Workers Movement ( ACW ) in Ghent under the original name People's Savings Being. It adopted its current name in 1934. who in 1934 went under the name. Under agreement with BAC, the bank restricts its operations around Ghent.