Banks are an integral part of the political and economic world. Banks mediate capital between investors and borrowers. This article introduces the largest banks in the Federal Republic of Germany.
The main functions and tasks of banks can be described as:
- Financial intermediation: Money is used efficiently in the economy, and economic growth is promoted through intermediary functions between capital providers and borrowers.
- Central point for international payments: Every economic process is supported by payment interfaces, various account management options, cashless money transfers, interim credit functions through overdrafts or credit cards, and connections to international payments. Banks are key institutions in the national and international economic cycle.
- Capital provision: Consumption and the acquisition of luxury and high-priced goods, such as real estate, are made possible by banks. Banks do not differentiate between private individuals and businesses in their role. Business investments would be difficult to achieve without banks.
- Deposit management: Banks are increasingly offering more instruments and investment options through custody accounts. This keeps investments in companies or funds, as well as trading financial derivatives, accessible to everyone. Traditionally, banks offer numerous other deposit models, such as checking accounts, call accounts, and fixed-term deposit accounts.
- Monetary policy: Central banks control the money supply through banks and stabilize the economy. They control interest rates on loans and deposits.
- Other services include risk management and accompanying insurance. Trust functions in international trade. Also, the development of future payment technologies and their security. Support for social projects, such as the financing of social housing. Also, the sustainable promotion of the energy industry, especially renewable energies.
Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank1 is the largest bank in Germany and one of the largest in the world. The bank is headquartered in Frankfurt am Main. Deutsche Bank maintains offices worldwide, including in New York, Sydney, Hong Kong, and Singapore. It is a public limited company (ISIN DE0005140008) and listed on international stock exchanges. The company has a market capitalization of approximately €50 billion and total assets of approximately €1.3 trillion. Deutsche Bank is considered a universal bank with a focus on the investment sector. It employs approximately 90,000 people.
DZ Bank
DZ Bank AG2 - complete name: Deutsche Zentral-Genossenschaftsbank - is also headquartered in the German financial metropolis of Frankfurt am Main and is the leading institution of the Volksbanken/Raiffeisenbanken financial group. As the central bank of the Federal Association of German Volksbanken and Raiffeisenbanken, DZ Bank also has total assets of over one trillion euros. It employs well over 30,000 people. As a stock corporation, it uses shares only as a hedging instrument. To avoid conflicts of interest, it does not exercise voting rights on these securitized investments. DZ Bank is the second-largest bank in Germany.
KfW Bank
The Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau3 (KfW) is not a branch bank. As a development bank, it does not operate with customer deposits, but rather finances its offerings through investment returns on international financial markets. This public-law institution (AöR) is also headquartered in Frankfurt am Main. It is considered one of the largest development banks in the world, but not a conventional commercial bank. With over 8,000 employees spread across numerous locations, KfW offers funding to individuals, organizations, and companies worldwide for the benefit of society as a whole. Its funding for energy-efficient modernization and energy-efficient conversion and new construction has proven particularly popular and useful in Germany. Excluding promotional expenses, KfW achieved an average annual result of €2 billion in the last two fiscal periods.
Commerzbank
Like other major banks, the universal bank Commerzbank AG4 is headquartered in the financial metropolis of Frankfurt am Main. The stock corporation (ISIN: DE000CBK1001) posted a net profit of over €2.5 billion last fiscal year and total assets of €555 billion (2024). As a leading bank for medium-sized businesses, it manages assets of approximately €400 billion in its business with private and corporate customers. The bank also operates under other names, such as Comdirect, and employs approximately 39,000 people at various locations.
Unicredit Bank
Unicredit S.p.A.5 is a major Italian bank headquartered in Milan. The public limited company (ISIN: IT0005239360) also has a strong presence in Germany under the name HypoVereinsbank. The international public limited company has a market capitalization of approximately €92 billion and total assets of €784 billion. The bank employs over 70,000 people worldwide.
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1 Internet presence of theDZ Bank: db.com/what-we-do/ ff. [Retrieved 07.2025]
2 Internet presence of the DZ Bank: dzbank-de/content/dzbank/de/home/die-dz-bank.html [Retrieved 07.2025]
3 Internet presence of thenternetpräsenz der KfW Bank: kfw-de/Über-die-KfW/ | kfw-de/%C3%9Cber-die-KfW/Newsroom/Aktuelles/Pressemitteilungen-Details_844544.html [Retrieved 07.2025]
4 Internet presence of thenternetpräsenz der Commerzbank: commerzbank-de/konzern/ | commerzbank-de/konzern/wer-wir-sind/zahlen-fakten/ [Retrieved 07.2025]
5 Internet presence of thenternetpräsenz der Unicredit S.p.A.: unicreditgroup-eu/en/worldwide/our-worldwide-presence/europe/germany.html ff. [Retrieved 07.2025]
further company figures from morningstar-com unter der entsprechenden ISIN [Retrieved 07.2025]