1870

Bank Handlowy w Warszawie SA was founded in 1870 by a group of people from the financial environment, land owners and intelligentsia. It is the oldest commercial Bank in Poland and one of the oldest European Banks acting without any interruption.

1914

Before World War I, Bank Handlowy was the largest privately owned bank in Poland and one of the few ensuring financial processing of the trade with Russia and Western Europe. It has survived two world wars without disrupting its business.

1945

After 1945, Bank Handlowy became the main Polish correspondent of foreign banks. In 1964 it was granted the official monopoly on Polish foreign trade transactions. As a result, the largest network of correspondent banks was created. A London branch, representative offices in New York, Moscow, Belgrade, Rome and Berlin as well as affiliates in Vienna, Luxembourg and Frankfurt were opened.

1989

1989, a turning point in Polish economy, also began a new chapter in the history of Bank Handlowy. The bank lost its monopoly on foreign transactions but it gained a bigger freedom in the field of all banking services. A quick expansion of the network of branches and the development of new financial services enabled a significant increase in the volume of both local and international operations of the bank.

1997

In 1997, after almost 60 years, Bank Handlowy returned to Warsaw Stock Exchange.