04Oct 2025 by Milan Ignjatovic
The Oldest Private Banks in the World (1472–1903)

The history of modern finance is built on centuries of continuous trade, prudent wealth management, and absolute trust. At the very foundation of this system lie institutions like Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (1472) and Berenberg Bank (1590), with roots that antedate the Age of Enlightenment.

The 20th century was an era of unprecedented financial upheaval, marked by the two World Wars, economic downturns, nationalizations, and widespread consolidation. To have survived this upheaval and to continue operating today in some form is testimony to remarkable longevity, prudent management, and the power of brand name. This roll challenges the world’s oldest merchant and private banks (dating from 1472 up to 1914) not merely to have survived the First and Second World Wars but also to have continued with their original names, family affiliations, or operating identities, even when acquired by bigger financial houses. They are the true bedrock of European finance.

Below is a list of the oldest European banks still operating today that were founded before World War I.

Bank NameCountryYear EstablishedDetail
Banca Monte dei Paschi di SienaItaly1472The oldest bank in the world, it survived by operating primarily as a regional bank in Italy.
Berenberg BankGermany1590World’s oldest merchant/private bank, continuously owned by the founding family descendants.
C. Hoare & Co.United Kingdom1672Oldest independent, family-owned bank in the UK, still managed by the founder’s direct descendants.
Metzler BankGermany1674Germany’s second-oldest bank with an unbroken tradition of family ownership.
Coutts & Co.United Kingdom1692Founded by Thomas Coutts, it’s one of the oldest and most famous private banks in the world. While acquired by National Provincial Bank in 1920 (now part of the NatWest Group), it has consistently maintained its distinct private banking brand and operational identity to the present day, satisfying the “operated in some form” criteria.
DrummondsUnited Kingdom1717Founded by a Scottish goldsmith in London. Acquired by the Royal Bank of Scotland in 1924 but, like Coutts, it has been maintained as a separate private banking brand within the larger group to this day.
Van Lanschot KempenNetherlands1737The oldest independent bank in the Netherlands and the entire Benelux region.
Banque NagelmackersBelgium1747The oldest bank in Belgium. It has survived numerous political upheavals, including both World Wars, although its ownership structure has changed over the centuries (it is currently owned by the Chinese HNA group).
Rahn+Bodmer Co.Switzerland1750Zürich’s oldest private bank, remaining independent and run by the founding families.
Glyn, Mills, Currie & Co.United Kingdom1757A prominent private bank that served as London agent for many provincial banks. It merged into Williams & Glyn’s in 1970 and fully absorbed into the Royal Bank of Scotland (now NatWest Group) in 1985.
Banque CourtoisFrance1760France’s oldest regional bank in continuous operation. While it is now part of the Crédit du Nord group (Société Générale), it has maintained its distinct identity and brand throughout the World Wars and nationalizations, offering a rare example of French provincial banking resilience.
Baring Brothers & Co.United Kingdom1762Historically one of the “five great merchant banks” and a global powerhouse. It survived both World Wars under private ownership (and famously the crisis of 1890), but its original structure collapsed in 1995. While it exists today in various forms (e.g., Baring Private Equity), its banking operations post-WWII were ultimately absorbed, which may be a more marginal inclusion.
Weatherbys Private BankUnited Kingdom1770Founded to manage the finances of the horse racing industry, it remains a unique, family-owned private bank specializing in clients with ties to racing and breeding.
Fürstlich Castell’sche BankGermany1774Germany’s oldest bank that has been in continuous, unbroken family ownership.
Landolt & CieSwitzerland1780A prominent, independent private bank in Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
Trinkaus & BurkhardtGermany1785A Düsseldorf-based private bank with a long history of independence. While it has been owned by major international groups since the 1980s (Midland Bank, then HSBC), its survival as a distinct private banking entity through both World Wars.
Hottinger & CieSwitzerland / France1786Established in Paris, this historic Franco-Swiss private bank was a major financial player in the 19th century. Although the French entity was nationalized in 1945 and eventually reformed/closed, the Swiss private banking arm survived as an independent firm. This Swiss bank was placed into liquidation by the Swiss regulator FINMA in 2015 due to financial issues related to losses and capital requirements.
Lombard Odier & CieSwitzerland1796One of the most prominent and oldest Swiss private banks (known as a Banque Privée).
Hauck & AufhäuserGermany1796A Frankfurt-based private bank formed from the merger of two historic banking houses from 1796 and 1870.
M. M. Warburg & Co.Germany1798A private bank in Hamburg that managed to survive the 20th century conflicts and economic turmoil.
Donner & ReuschelGermany1798A Hamburg-based private bank resulting from the merger of two historic German houses, similar in structure to M.M. Warburg & Co.
Rothschild & Co.France / United Kingdom1798A leading global financial services group with two main hubs (Paris and London), it is the continuation of the historic London and French banking houses. The French branch was nationalized in 1981 and rebuilt in 1982. The firm was delisted from the stock exchange in 2023 to return to full private family ownership
Pictet GroupSwitzerland1805One of Geneva’s most prestigious and largest private banks, structured as a partnership and managed by its owners.
VontobelSwitzerland1808Though slightly later than Pictet, it’s a major, independent Swiss bank (originally a stock brokerage) and still primarily family-owned and listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange.
Brown ShipleyUnited Kingdom1810Began as a merchant house in Liverpool and remains a highly-regarded private bank and wealth manager; though part of a larger European group (KBL epb) today, its deep history and independent identity are notable.
MirabaudSwitzerland1819A prominent Swiss private bank and founding member of the Geneva Private Bankers Association, emphasizing partnership and full independence.
Gonet & CieSwitzerland1845An independent Geneva private bank, part of the Banque Privée tradition, still family-owned.
Close BrothersUnited Kingdom1878Began as a merchant bank specializing in corporate finance and lending. It remains an independent bank, specialist financial institution that maintained its core activities through both wars and economic crises, distinguishing itself from large universal banks.
Rothschild & Co Bank AG (Zurich Branch)Switzerland1903While part of the larger Rothschild & Co Group, the Zurich office’s roots in the Swiss city date back to this pre-WWI era.

✓ Verified: This entry was personally compiled and reviewed by Milan Ignjatovic using primary sources.

Founder & Sole Curator, Bankinfobook | Master Manager of ICT · Graduated Economist

Last Data Review: October 4, 2025