Frankfurter Bank
Corporate brand
UnclaimedFrankfurter Bank was a Frankfurt bank founded in 1854 that issued regional banknotes before becoming part of the institution now known as ODDO BHF.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Frankfurter Bank was a German banking institution established in Frankfurt am Main in 1854. It was created primarily as a bank of issue for the then-autonomous Free City of Frankfurt, although its role later developed into that of a broader commercial and credit institution. The project had been discussed for some time, but the creation of Darmstädter Bank in 1853 helped accelerate its implementation. Frankfurt banking houses, including M. A. Rothschild & Söhne, Bethmann Bank, and Grunelius & Co., sponsored the institution, while the municipal council authorized it. The initial share offering was heavily oversubscribed, indicating strong confidence among investors and the local commercial community. Wilhelm Isaac Gillé served as its first general manager. In its early period, Frankfurter Bank issued notes denominated in guilders, the monetary unit then used in the South German area. Its notes were not legal tender, but they acquired a strong reputation and circulated beyond Frankfurt's political boundaries. Alongside the Bank of Bremen, Frankfurter Bank was regarded as relatively independent compared with many other German note-issuing banks, which were often closely connected to state authorities. Its standing in the commercial world was sufficiently strong that contemporary reference works described it as a particularly respected institution. The bank's note-issuing function gradually declined after the establishment of the Reichsbank in 1875. Nevertheless, Frankfurter Bank retained authorization to issue notes until 1901, when its remaining banknotes were withdrawn on 31 December. Its original premises were at Münzgasse 2 in Frankfurt's historic center. During the late nineteenth century, it constructed a substantial head office at Neue Mainzerstrasse 69, designed by architect Hermann Ritter. The building was destroyed during the Second World War, rebuilt in a simplified monumental form during the 1950s, and later demolished in connection with the construction of the Bürohaus an der Alten Oper complex in the early 1980s. Frankfurter Bank's institutional history continued through several changes in ownership, management, and business purpose. In 1925, the State Bank of Prussia acquired a 10 percent equity interest. Following the Second World War, surviving board member Hans Heinrich Hauck and former Reichs-Kredit-Gesellschaft board member Hermann Jannsen jointly initiated a reorganization in 1946. The bank was rebuilt as a credit institution, and its management increasingly incorporated former executives of the dissolved Reichs-Kredit-Gesellschaft. In 1962, it opened its first branch outside Frankfurt, marking a move beyond its traditional local base. The original institution ceased to exist as an independent bank on 1 January 1970, when it merged with Berliner Handels-Gesellschaft. The resulting organization was named Berliner Handels- und Frankfurter Bank and became widely known as BHF Bank. The BHF Bank identity remained in use for decades, but the business was subsequently integrated into the group that adopted the ODDO BHF name in 2017. Frankfurter Bank is therefore best understood as a historical German banking institution and predecessor organization rather than an active standalone consumer brand.
History
Frankfurter Bank was founded in 1854 in Frankfurt am Main to serve as a bank of issue for the Free City of Frankfurt. Its establishment followed a long-running local discussion about creating a Frankfurt note-issuing institution and was encouraged by the nearby foundation of Darmstädter Bank in 1853. The bank was sponsored by prominent Frankfurt banking houses, including M. A. Rothschild & Söhne, Bethmann Bank, and Grunelius & Co., and received authorization from the city's municipal council. Its first share subscription was substantially oversubscribed. Wilhelm Isaac Gillé became the first general manager. The institution initially issued notes in guilders, then the standard currency in the South German region. Although the notes lacked legal-tender status, they were trusted by merchants and accepted outside Frankfurt. Frankfurter Bank was considered comparatively independent among German banks of issue, alongside the Bank of Bremen. This reputation persisted after Frankfurt lost its status as an autonomous city-state in 1866. The bank's commercial standing was praised in contemporary reference literature. The creation of the Reichsbank in 1875 reduced the importance of private and regional banknote issuance. Frankfurter Bank nevertheless retained the right to issue notes until 1901. Its notes were finally withdrawn on 31 December of that year. The bank's first premises were located at Münzgasse 2. In the late nineteenth century, it built a major headquarters at Neue Mainzerstrasse 69, designed by Hermann Ritter. The structure was destroyed during the Second World War, reconstructed in a simplified form in the 1950s, and ultimately demolished during the redevelopment that produced the Bürohaus an der Alten Oper complex in the early 1980s. The bank remained active as a financial institution after its note-issuing period. In 1925, the State Bank of Prussia obtained a 10 percent stake. After the Second World War, Frankfurter Bank was reorganized as a credit institution through the joint efforts of surviving board member Hans Heinrich Hauck and Hermann Jannsen, a former board member of the defunct Reichs-Kredit-Gesellschaft. In the subsequent years, former Reichs-Kredit-Gesellschaft executives increasingly joined Frankfurter Bank's management. The institution expanded beyond its traditional Frankfurt base by opening its first branch outside the city in 1962. On 1 January 1970, Frankfurter Bank merged with Berliner Handels-Gesellschaft. The combined bank was named Berliner Handels- und Frankfurter Bank and was generally known as BHF Bank. Although the Frankfurter Bank name disappeared as the name of an independent institution, its corporate history continued through the successor organization. From 2017, the successor business operated under the ODDO BHF name. The historical Frankfurter Bank should therefore be treated as a defunct German bank and predecessor of a later banking group.
- 2017
Successor adopts the ODDO BHF name
[1]The successor banking business is identified under the ODDO BHF name, ending the long period in which the BHF Bank identity was commonly used.
- 1970
Merger with Berliner Handels-Gesellschaft
[1]On 1 January, the two banks combine to form Berliner Handels- und Frankfurter Bank, later widely known as BHF Bank.
- 1962
First branch outside Frankfurt
[1]The bank opens its first branch beyond Frankfurt am Main.
- 1946
Postwar reorganization as a credit institution
[1]Frankfurter Bank is reorganized after the war, with former Reichs-Kredit-Gesellschaft personnel becoming increasingly represented in management.
- 1925
State Bank of Prussia acquires a minority stake
[1]The State Bank of Prussia takes a 10 percent equity interest in Frankfurter Bank.
- 1901
Banknotes are withdrawn
[1]Frankfurter Bank's remaining banknotes are withdrawn on 31 December, ending its note-issuing function.
- 1875
Creation of the Reichsbank reduces the role of regional note issuers
[1]The establishment of the Reichsbank makes Frankfurter Bank's note-issuing activity increasingly marginal.
- 1854
Frankfurter Bank is founded
[1]Frankfurt banking houses establish the institution as a bank of issue for the autonomous Free City of Frankfurt.
- 1854
Gillé becomes first general manager
[1]Wilhelm Isaac Gillé is identified as the bank's first general manager.
Products and positioning
A respected Frankfurt-based commercial bank with an early regional note-issuing role and a later identity as a reorganized credit institution.
Banknotes · 1854
Frankfurter Banknotes
Frankfurter Bank issued its own notes, initially denominated in guilders, for circulation in and beyond Frankfurt. These notes were not legal tender, but they gained acceptance through the bank's commercial reputation. Their importance declined after the Reichsbank was established in 1875, and the final notes were withdrawn at the end of 1901.
Banking services · 1946
Commercial and Credit Banking
After its postwar reorganization, Frankfurter Bank operated as a credit institution rather than primarily as a note issuer. Its banking activities included the commercial and lending functions associated with a German credit institution, supported by a growing branch presence outside Frankfurt.
Brand decisions
1970
Merger creating Berliner Handels- und Frankfurter BankM&ABackground
Frankfurter Bank and Berliner Handels-Gesellschaft were both established German banking institutions with postwar operations centered in Frankfurt.
Action taken
The banks merged on 1 January 1970 to create Berliner Handels- und Frankfurter Bank.
Aftermath
The combined institution became commonly known as BHF Bank and later formed part of the succession leading to ODDO BHF.
1946
Postwar conversion into a credit institutionStrategyBackground
Following the Second World War, the bank needed to reconstitute its organization and business activities.
Action taken
Frankfurter Bank was reorganized as a credit institution, with former Reichs-Kredit-Gesellschaft executives increasingly entering its management.
Aftermath
The reorganization placed the bank on a modern commercial-credit footing and preceded its later geographic expansion.
1901
End of note issuanceStrategyBackground
The Reichsbank's creation had made the bank's regional note-issuing activity increasingly marginal, although Frankfurter Bank retained authorization until 1901.
Action taken
The bank's outstanding notes were withdrawn on 31 December 1901.
Aftermath
Frankfurter Bank continued as a banking institution, with its later identity centered on credit and commercial banking rather than banknote issuance.
Sources1 sources
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