The NBS Archives are open to the public at the following times:
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
9 a.m. to 12 noon /
12:45 p.m. to 3 p.m.
In July, August and September the Archives are closed to the public.
The Archives will be closed on 18 and 25 February 2025.
Galantská úverná banka, Galanta
From its establishment in 1873 to 1921 this institution operated under the name Galantai takarékpénztár, részvénytársaság (Savings Bank of Galanta, joint-stock company). Its initial share capital was 25,000 Austro-Hungarian guldens. It changed its name to Galantská úverná banka, účastinná spoločnosť (Galanta Credit Bank, joint-stock company) to comply with the savings-bank act of 1920.
In 1894, after the currency changed to the Austro-Hungarian crown (K), the bank’s registered capital was over K 100,000. The oldest known list of management dates from 1895. At this time, Ede Jandy was chairman, Ede Fehér and Július Zsigárdy were his deputies. Július Horvath was director. The supervisory body (overseers) consisted of Dávid Kolisch, Mór Neumann and Samuel Roth. The legal representative was Július Zsigárdy, the chief accountant was Viliam Pausz and the treasurer was Michal Schrompf.
In 1909, the savings bank broadened its activities to all sectors of the bank business and the purchase and sale of real estate. By increasing its share capital, providing mortgage loans with high interest rates and acquiring deposits, it strengthened its position while continuing to make a profit. It got through the economic crisis of 1912-1913 without going into a loss.
It concentrated its commercial activities in the agricultural area around Galanta. Most of its clients were farmers and its commercial results reflected the current situation in agriculture in the district. This determined whether the balance of deposits and mortgage loans, and the overall turnover would rise or fall.
The savings bank provided loans for real estate with a six-month notice period. The value of shares rose from K 260 in 1898 to K 432. The bank increased its share capital when necessary by issuing new shares. Net annual profits had a rising trend: in 1909 they were K 79,164 and in 1918 they were K 154,616.
The bank continued to flourish as a lending bank in the first Czechoslovak Republic. In 1925 the Ministry of Finance authorised it to raise its share capital to 1.2 million Czechoslovak crowns (Kč) by issuing 4,000 new shares at a price of Kč 150 each (taking the total number of shares to 8,000).
In 1929 there was a poor harvest in the Galanta district and the price of grain was low, which created difficult conditions for the farmers who were the bank’s main business partners. Deposits increased by three quarters of a million Czechoslovak crowns year on year to a level of Kč 16,900,408. The net profit was Kč 427,275. The bank’s reserve fund was increased to Kč 1 million.
The bank was controlled by local business owners, in 1929 the bank’s top management consisted of Raoul Kuffner (chairman), chairman of the sugar refiners’ association Zemská jednota slovenských cukrovarov, member of the board of the Diosek industrial sugar refinery and distillery, joint stock company, Diosek (now Sládkovičovo), and Gejza Ardo (vice-chairman). Other members of the management included Arpád Adler, wholesaler, Ján Bálent, civil servant, Jakub Brichta, chief executive of the Springer estate, Štefan Folkman, former county head, notary public, Gustáv Hyža, civil servant, Otto Jamnický, former county head, attorney general of the town, Jozef Keppert, entrepreneur, Leopold Lichtmann-Stern, entrepreneur, Oskar Pfeffer, director general of Diosek industrial sugar refinery and distillery, joint stock company, Diosek, Samuel Polotzer, director of the Sereď sugar refinery, M. Pressburger, merchant, and Dávid Sommer, merchant. The members of the supervisory board were Vojtech Reichenberg, chief inspector of Diosek industrial sugar refinery and distillery, joint stock company, Diosek, František Pakoszta, chief veterinary officer, Alexander Schwitzer, authorised signatory of the Sereď sugar refinery, and Ľudovít Nagy, vet.
Galanta was part of the territory transferred to Hungary after the Vienna Arbitration of November 1938. The bank continued to thrive in the new conditions. It continued to post net profits.
After the liberation of Czechoslovakia in 1945, Galanta once again became part of Czechoslovakia and the bank was placed in national administration. Jozef Krč, the manager of the Galanta branch of Sedliacka banka, was appointed administrator. Liquidation of the bank was ordered in 1946. After the appointment of a series of liquidators, the financial oversight authorities put Slovenská Tatra banka, national enterprise in Bratislava, in charge of the liquidation in Order No. 7709/49-VI/18 of 30 June 1949. In 1950 the bank was merged with Slovenská všeobecná úverná banka (Slovak General Credit Bank) in Bratislava by Decree No. 256/50 of the Ministry of Finance of 13 April 1950. In 1965 the fonds was processed in the Archive of the Bratislava city branch of Štátna banka československá (State Bank of Czechoslovakia) and an inventory was drawn up, which was subsequently, in 2015, amended and revised in the Archives of Národná banka Slovenska at 8 Cukrová Street in Bratislava.
Only a few of the bank’s documents have survived and they are mainly written in Hungarian. According to a notice from Ústredná likvidačná kancelária (Central Liquidation Office) in Bratislava in 1948, most of the bank’s files were destroyed when the front line passed through Galanta in WWII.
Last updated: Thursday, January 26, 2023