Stories from History

1814

Goethe meets Hauck

Friedrich Michael Hauck is married to the daughter of the publisher Johann G. Fleischer, who published several works of the great German poet. As can be seen from Goethe's diary, he visits the Haucks, among others, in October 1814 on the occasion of his stay in Frankfurt. On the same day, the name "Hauck" is preceded in Goethe's diary by the aunt "Melber". During and after the Second World War, descendants of this aunt of Goethe are important contributors to the bank Georg Hauck & Sohn.

1837

Wedding in the best company

Georg Heinrich Hauck, who later gave his name to the banking house Georg Hauck & Sohn, marries Sophie Gogel. The Gogel family belongs to a family rich in tradition. Sophie Gogel's father was taught as a youth by the philosopher Friedrich Hegel. Hegel in turn maintained close contact with Friedrich Hölderlin. The marriage shows the excellent reputation that the Hauck family built up in Frankfurt in a short time.

1852

Foundation Bankhaus Lampe

On October 1, 1852 - at the beginning of the industrial age - the 24-year-old Hermann Lampe founded the company as a banking and forwarding business in Minden. With commercial skill, he developed the company - from very small beginnings - into a banking house that was able to make a good name for itself in the East Westphalian region, and Hermann Lampe's advice was soon valued everywhere.

1870

Foundation of Bankhaus Aufhäuser & Scharlach in Munich

On May 14, 1870, Heinrich Aufhäuser registered the operation of a banking business with the city of Munich. In Samuel Scharlach, he finds a partner who is a merchant and leaves the management to Heinrich Aufhäuser. In 1871, the bank was already making a profit of more than 34,000 gulden. In the next three decades in particular, securities trading was the mainstay of the bank.

Contact with wealthy customers was essential for successful business in the securities sector. These customers sought a profitable capital investment through the purchase of shares or private and public bonds. To do this, they needed the advice of a trustworthy and experienced banker.

1888

Hauck takes Hoechst public | Hauck is limited partner in the formation of BBC

After Georg Hauck's death, his son Alexander took over the bank's business. In the same year, he was elected to the supervisory board of Farbwerke Hoechst. The dye factory became a globally active chemical company, whose shares were traded on the stock exchange from 1888.

When the Swiss limited partnership Brown, Boveri & Cie (BBC) was founded, Georg Hauck & Sohn was one of the limited partners. In addition, Georg Hauck & Sohn is a banking partner of the German BBC subsidiary for many years.

The fact that private bankers maintain good relations with each other is demonstrated by the marriage of Otto Hauck, son of Alexander Hauck, to Mathilde Bertha Metzler, a descendant of the long-established Metzler banking family. Otto Hauck's father-in-law was the well-known Frankfurt city councilor Albert Metzler, who was appointed to the Prussian House of Lords at the beginning of the 20th century and raised to the peerage.

1899

H. Aufhäuser expands and moves into the Löwengrube

Heinrich Aufhäuser is appointed to the board of directors of the Münchener Handelsverein, which illustrates his significant position within the city. In addition, Bankhaus H. Aufhäuser is transformed from a bank specializing in securities commission business into a high-turnover credit institution. The expansion of the business makes a move unavoidable. In the same year, the bank moves into its new premises at Löwengrube 20, which have been extensively renovated over several years.

1905

Otto Hauck on several supervisory boards | Hauck in the founding consortium of MetallBank

Otto Hauck becomes a member of the Supervisory Board of Frankfurter Hypothekenbank AG. In addition, due to his good reputation in the Frankfurt business world, he also holds supervisory board mandates of companies with which the bank does not have a close business relationship, including Deutsche Bank as well as Allianz-Versicherungen.

Georg Hauck & Sohn is a member of the founding consortium of Berg- und Metallbank, which was established by Metallgesellschaft. Alexander Hauck is also a long-standing member of the advisory board of the "Centrale für private Fürsorge," which was founded in 1899 by Wilhelm Merton, strategic head of Metallgesellschaft.

This is not the only connection between the Merton and Hauck families. Wilhelm Merton marries Emma Ladenburg, a banker's daughter, in 1877. Bank E. Ladenburg is also a member of the founding consortium of the Mining and Metal Bank in 1906. In 1968, a descendant of the Ladenburg family, Richard Ladenburg, marries Maria Hauck, a sister of Michael Hauck. Richard Ladenburg is chairman of the shareholders' committee of Georg Hauck & Sohn for ten years from 1970.

1913

Aufhäuser's balance sheet total exceeds 10 million

The balance sheet total of Bankhaus H. Aufhäuser exceeds the 10 million mark. Customer deposits amount to 2.4 million marks in the same period - in 1897, they were just 62,000 marks. Bank deposits increased from 88,000 to over 4 million. The bank thus became a high-turnover financial institution.

1917

Death of Heinrich Aufhäuser

After Heinrich Aufhäuser is laid to rest with great sympathy from the people of Munich, his eldest son Martin takes over the management of the bank. Three years into the war, the defeat of the German Reich becomes apparent. This is compounded by the general economic crisis and the economic blockade imposed by the Allies, as well as hunger crises among the population, which particularly affects Munich.

1921

O. Hauck becomes President of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce | E. Kraemer as a partner at Aufhäuser | Aufhäuser and Orbis-Film AG

After Friedrich Michael Hauck, Otto Hauck is the second of the family to become President of the (Frankfurt) Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

Siegfried Aufhäuser becomes a partner in Bankhaus H. Aufhäuser together with Emil Kraemer. Ernst Kritzler, a partner of S. Bleichröder since 1917, also joins the bank.

Munich becomes an important film metropolis. Among the major film studios are the Stuart-Webbs studios of Orbis-Film AG. When Orbis-Film AG is founded, the ordinary shares are taken over by a consortium led by Bankhaus H. Aufhäuser. In general, the financing of trade and industry increasingly becomes the focus of business activities, alongside business with wealthy private customers.

1923

Emergency money signed by O. Hauck | Extension of the lion's den

To overcome hyperinflation and regain a stable currency, emergency banknotes in gold or dollar currency are issued in Frankfurt - and signed by Otto Hauck in the first place.

The extensive remodeling and expansion work at Löwengrube 18-20 is completed. Until 2014, the premises in the immediate vicinity of the Frauendom remain the bank's Munich domicile.

1926

M. Aufhäuser becomes "Privy Councillor of Commerce" and member of the Board of Management of the Bavarian Stock Exchange

Martin Aufhäuser received the title of "Privy Councillor of Commerce," an honor bestowed only on the "most outstanding Bavarian managing industrialists and merchants. In the following year, he was also a member of the board of the Münchener Handelsverein and of the Bavarian Stock Exchange. Under Martin Aufhäuser's leadership, the Munich-based bank developed into one of the most renowned and largest private banks in Germany. The employees are also looked after: Martin Aufhäuser buys a large estate with a garden, which from then on serves as a popular excursion and vacation destination for the bank's employees.

1929

M. Aufhäuser helps Hellabrunn Zoo

In order to ensure the continued existence of the Hellabrunn Zoo in Munich, the "Münchener Tierpark Hellabrunn AG" is founded. Martin Aufhäuser is involved in the foundation as a shareholder. He also becomes a member of the first supervisory board. Today, the zoo is still one of the most popular destinations in Munich.

1933

O. Hauck und H. Aufhäuser suffer from "the boycott of jews"

Both the Frankfurt bank Georg Hauck & Sohn and, above all, the Munich bank H. Aufhäuser suffer under the Nazi regime. Only a few weeks after Hitler's seizure of power, the National Socialists stage the "Jewish boycott" on April 1, during which the Jewish banking house H. Aufhäuser is also blocked. On the same day, Otto Hauck is forced out of his office as president of the Frankfurt Chamber of Commerce.

1936

Loss of AR mandates

Bankhaus H. Aufhäuser has to gradually give up its supervisory board positions at other companies. Despite everything, Martin Aufhäuser can have hopes for the future of his bank. On July 16, 1936, he receives a guarantee from the Reich Ministry of Economics that "in the sense of the Reich government, dealings with the banking company are not subject to objection because of the non-Aryan character of the two owners." These assurances are unusual and show that the National Socialist regime cannot (yet) do without the Jewish banks economically - due to their economic significance as well as their good contacts abroad.

1939

Hauck takes over majority from J. Ph. Kessler | Martin Aufhäuser in exile

Since the National Socialist regime, Alexander Hauck and his 40 employees are faced with the question of whether he must give up the banking business due to customers staying away. Through his old schoolmate Adolf Melber, who runs the J. Ph. Kessler banking house with his father, a solution presents itself. Alexander Hauck agrees with him that Georg Hauck & Sohn will take over the majority of J. Ph. Kessler; at the same time, Adolf Melber becomes a personally liable partner of Georg Hauck & Sohn. This arrangement ensures the continued existence of the bank.

In March, Martin Aufhäuser goes into exile in London with his penniless wife Auguste; in early summer, his path takes him to The Hague, and later to Amsterdam. His assets are frozen due to the anti-Jewish measures and confiscated in the course of his expatriation.

1944

Death and Destruction

Martin Aufhäuser dies in the USA at the age of 68, a broken man. Both the Frankfurt bank Georg Hauck & Sohn and the Munich bank Seiler & Co. are largely destroyed by bombing in 1944. In March, a phosphorus firebomb hits Neue Mainzer Strasse 30 and completely destroys the Frankfurt bank. A few weeks later, on the night of April 24-25, the Munich bank Seiler in Löwengrube is severely damaged. Nevertheless, business operations can be continued on a provisional basis.

1946

Death of A. Hauck

Alexander Hauck dies in early September shortly after his son Michael returns from French captivity. Michael and his mother Anne Marie Hauck assume personal liability at Georg Hauck & Sohn. In 1946, Anne Marie Hauck's brother, Dr. August Oswalt, also becomes a personally liable partner of Georg Hauck & Sohn. He had already joined the bank in the 1930s and was instrumental in rebuilding the bank after the war.

1949

Bankhaus Lampe becomes limited partnership

Although the two world wars did not leave Bankhaus Lampe unscathed, the bank survived inflation and economic crises comparatively well. This provided the prerequisite for being able to initiate a new development after the currency reform.

On July 1, 1949, the company was converted from its previous legal form as a general partnership into a limited partnership. Banker Hugo Ratzmann, formerly of Hardy & Co., took over the management of the bank as sole general partner. Rudolf August Oetker, Bielefeld, C. A. Delius & Söhne, Bielefeld, and Reese Gesellschaft mbH, Hameln, joined as limited partners. As a result, the bank's capital base was broadened to such an extent that in the next few years it grew in importance far beyond the scope of its previous area of interest. According to the opening balance sheet, the equity capital amounted to DM 250,000 with one branch office and ten employees.

1951

Opening of Bankhaus Lampe branch office in Bielefeld

In May 1951, the opening of the newly constructed bank building on the Alter Markt in Bielefeld took place. At the same time, the company's headquarters were also moved to Bielefeld. The Minden building remained as a branch. After 100 years, on October 1, 1952, the balance sheet total was DM 54.7 million. The number of employees had grown to 53 in both houses.

1956

Hauck in the founding consortium DWS

Michael Hauck, already a general partner of Georg Hauck & Sohn since 1950, now actively joins the management. He is responsible for stock and bond trading as well as servicing institutional and private customers.

In the same year, the "Deutsche Gesellschaft für Wertpapiersparen mbH" (DWS) is founded. Georg Hauck & Sohn sits in the founding consortium of the investment company along with 13 other banks - and remains involved in the institute until the end of 2004.

1960

Bankier Ratzmann and his work

On December 8, 1960, the banker Ratzmann died as a result of a serious car accident. Beyond his death, however, the bank remained marked by his work, which played a far-reaching role in the bank's future.

1964

Dr. Hans Heuer and Rudolf von Ribbentrop become managing directors of Bankhaus Lampe

This marked a fundamental change in the bank's course, as the previous limited partner, Rudolf-August Oetker, became a general partner on January 1, 1964. Dr. Hans Heuer and Rudolf von Ribbentrop were appointed as managing directors. Total assets amounted to DM 286 million; 200 people were employed in 4 branch offices.

In the 1960s, branches were opened in Dortmund (1966), Halle in Westphalia (1966), Herford (1967), Gütersloh (1969) and finally Wuppertal (1971). The bank also had a presence in Frankfurt through Bank für Brau-Industrie AG, which was part of the Oetker Group's sphere of influence.

1968

Bankhaus Erich Sültz becomes the Hamburg branch office of Bankhaus Lampe

In 1968, the takeover of Bankhaus Erich Sültz and transformation into the Hamburg branch took place.

1970

Hauck in Kaiserstraße | H. Aufhäuser opens branch office in Frankfurt

Bankhaus Georg Hauck & Sohn moves from Neue Mainzer Strasse to Kaiserstraße 24 in Frankfurt, where the bank is still headquartered today.

Exactly 100 years after its foundation in 1870, the Munich-based Bankhaus H. Aufhäuser opens a branch in Frankfurt am Main. In the anniversary year, the balance sheet total is 312 million marks and customer deposits amount to 220 million marks.

1972

Mr. von Ribbentrop becomes Spokesman of the Executive Board

On December 31, 1972, Mr. von Ribbentrop was appointed spokesman of the management board and the balance sheet total exceeded the billion mark for the first time. At the same time, the number of employees reached a temporary peak at 377, as did the number of operating sites at 10.

1974

Bankhaus Lampe leverages refinancing power

On January 1, 1974, the then Deutsche Genossenschaftskasse, now DZ BANK, acquired a nested shareholding as a limited partner in Bankhaus Lampe. This partnership enabled Bankhaus Lampe to leverage the funding power of the leading cooperative institution.

The Dortmund, Gütersloh, Herford, Minden, Halle/Westphalia and Wuppertal branches were closed in 1974/75.

1979

Leasing and forfaiting transactions

Bankhaus H. Aufhäuser recognized the opportunities offered by the leasing business at an early stage and acquired a majority stake in BAV-Leasing GmbH in 1979. With the beginning thaw between East and West, the Munich-based bank also turned to cooperation with the national and foreign trade banks of the Eastern bloc countries in the 1970s. A wide range of forfaiting transactions were handled for Hungary, Bulgaria and Poland.

1980

Hauck becomes a partnership limited by shares

In 1980, Georg Hauck & Sohn is converted into a partnership limited by shares (KGaA). In addition to Allianz, Wüstenrot Lebensversicherungs AG, Crestwood GmbH and Bayernwerk AG are added as institutional limited shareholders in the course of the following years. After Dr. Rudolf Brinckmann and Richard Ladenburg, Dr. Heinrich Irmler became Chairman of the Supervisory Board in 1980. He had previously been a long-standing member of the Board of Directors of Deutsche Bundesbank.

1987

Opening of the Bankhaus Lampe branch in Frankfurt

In October 1987, the bank opened a branch in Frankfurt, giving it a direct presence in the center of Germany's most important financial center. With its focus on securities business and asset management, the bank is thus responding to the developments on the capital markets, which are characterized by a large number of financial innovations.

1990

Repurchase of the 25% stake in DG Bank by the Oetker Group

On July 1, 1990, DG BANK's 25% stake was reacquired by the Oetker Group. While other private banks increasingly came under the influence of financial service providers or became subsidiaries of large banks, Bankhaus Lampe is thus one of the few classic private banking houses. As a universal bank with national and international operations and a balanced share of on-balance-sheet lending and deposit business on the one hand and service business on the other, Bankhaus Lampe was able to master even difficult banking years such as 1987 with its stock market crash.

1992

Review of financial services activities of the Oetker Group

Under Christian Graf von Bassewitz, who was appointed bank spokesman in May 1992, the Oetker Group's financial services activities were reviewed with a view to synergy effects and reorganized in order to maintain a leading position among all banks. However, the intended closer cooperation with Frankfurter Bankgesellschaft gegr. 1899 Aktiengesellschaft, which had emerged from Bank für Brau-Industrie, did not focus solely on technical issues. Rather, the personal integrity of professionally qualified employees was recognized as the essential key to the market. Bankhaus Lampe therefore set itself the goal - despite the size it had achieved in the meantime - of always remaining true to its inner location.

1998

Merger to Hauck & Aufhäuser

On January 1, the Frankfurt-based bank Georg Hauck & Sohn and the Munich-based bank H. Aufhäuser merge to form Hauck & Aufhäuser Privatbankiers KGaA. The first meeting of senior executives took place in 1997 in Feuchtwangen, midway between the two locations. In the course of the merger, Allianz-Versicherungs AG, a former shareholder, left the company a short time later. The share of Bayerische Landesbank as the practical sole shareholder of H. Aufhäuser is reduced to 10 percent. The personally liable partners of the merged banking institution are Prof. Dr. Jörg-E. Cramer and Peter Gatti as well as Helmut Schreyer and Dr. Alfred Junker.

2001

Shares in Bastei Privatfinanz AG

As of October 31, Hauck & Aufhäuser Privatbankiers acquires the shares in Bastei Privatfinanz AG and thus becomes the sole shareholder. The Swiss subsidiary, which has been based in Zurich since 1995, advises and serves an international clientele, particularly in the area of financial consulting. In November 2010, the company merges with Dr. Höller Vermögensverwaltung AG to form Hauck & Aufhäuser (Schweiz) AG.

2006

Foundation of HAAM | Hauck & Aufhäuser in Düsseldorf

In order to expand the core business area of asset management, the wholly owned subsidiary Hauck & Aufhäuser Asset Management GmbH is founded. It is headquartered in Munich and focuses on advising and managing special fund mandates for institutional clients as well as managing its own public funds and for third-party fund initiators. In 2014, this activity will be integrated into the bank and the company will be dissolved.

In addition, Hauck & Aufhäuser opens a representative office in Düsseldorf, which is expanded into a branch in 2009.

2008

Hauck & Aufhäuser Kulturstiftung established

With the establishment of the Hauck & Aufhäuser Cultural Foundation, the bank is continuing its traditional commitment of over two hundred years. In particular, the foundation honors extraordinary achievements in the fields of art, music and literature as well as science and education.

2009

Acquisition of Dr. Höller Vermögensverwaltung | Michael Bentlage joins partner group

Hauck & Aufhäuser acquires all shares in Dr. Höller Vermögensverwaltung AG. Founded in 1982, the Swiss company is one of Europe's most renowned asset managers with an ethical-ecological focus. In November 2010, the company merges with Bastei Privatfinanz AG to form Hauck & Aufhäuser (Schweiz) AG.

Michael Bentlage joins the partner circle of Hauck & Aufhäuser as a non-liable partner.

2011

Hauck & Aufhäuser in Cologne-Bonn and London | Wolfang Deml Chairman of the Supervisory Board

A branch office will be opened in Cologne at the beginning of the year. The geographical focus of the new location is the southern part of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Hauck & Aufhäuser opens an office in London in May. From there, the research business with major international fund addresses is to be driven forward. In 2016, the existing representative office in London will be converted into a branch.

Wolfgang Deml succeeds Prof. Hans Tietmeyer as Chairman of the Supervisory Board. Wolfgang Deml was Chairman of the Board of Management of BayWa AG until 2008 and headed the Munich-based trading and services group for two decades.

2012

Bankhaus Lampe Private & Corporate Banking

The Private Customers and Corporates business areas are combined. The bank's capital market business will be further expanded.

2013

Foundation Lampe Privatinvest Management GmbH

In 2013, a further subsidiary, Lampe Privatinvest Management GmbH, was founded in Hamburg. Lampe Privatinvest provides private equity for German SMEs and accompanies companies on a long-term basis.

2015

Fosun purchase offer

In July, the internationally active Chinese investment company Fosun submits an offer to the owners of Hauck & Aufhäuser to buy the bank - a new milestone in our corporate history. The Shareholders' Committee, in which the majority of the owners are represented, accepts the purchase offer.

2017

Hauck & Aufhäuser is transformed from a KGaA into a stock corporation.

2018

Foundation of Kapital 1852 Beratungs GmbH

Founding of Kapital 1852 Beratungs GmbH as a subsidiary in Düsseldorf and as a central and focused platform whose offering includes private equity, venture capital, real estate and private debt.

2019

New opening of the Bankhaus Lampe branch in Bielefeld

In November, the bank will reopen in Bielefeld at the Alter Markt after a five-year core renovation. Behind the familiar monument facade, an infrastructure was created that combines the traditional business of a private bank with contemporary impulses. The construction work was delayed by archaeological discoveries: under the bank's foundation, archaeologists found not only medieval shards and vessels, but also traces left there by people as far back as 600 to 800 years before Christ.

2020

Agreement between Hauck & Aufhäuser and the Oetker Group on the acquisition of Bankhaus Lampe

On March 05, 2020, Hauck & Aufhäuser reaches an agreement with the Oetker Group to acquire Bankhaus Lampe. The merger creates one of Germany's leading private banks with a strong market position in the four core business areas of private banking, asset management, asset servicing and investment banking.

2022

Hauck & Aufhäuser and Bankhaus Lampe become Hauck Aufhäuser Lampe

We are very pleased to start the new year with a very positive message for us: The merger of Hauck & Aufhäuser and Bankhaus Lampe will create the new bank HAUCK AUFHÄUSER LAMPE on January 1, 2022. The merger will create one of Germany's leading private banks with assets under management and administration of over 200 billion euros, total assets of over 12 billion euros and more than 1,300 employees. The new bank's growth trajectory is also reflected in the composition of its Board of Management.