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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.
Gemerská ľudová banka, Rožňava
Gemerská ľudová banka, účastinná spoločnosť (Gemer People’s Bank, joint-stock company) began its life in 1903 as Gemerská sporiteľňa (Gemer Savings Bank), with ties to the Borsod Miskolc Credit Bank.
The bank had an initial share capital of 150,000 Austro-Hungarian crowns (K) which grew to reach K 300,000 in 1917. Shares were issued with a nominal value of K 100. The bank was authorised to provide universal banking services including taking deposits, providing loans and buying and selling real estate. As of 1907, deposits on savings books and provided loans totalled around K 1 million. Between 1913 and 1915 it had net profits of K 50,000, deposits on savings books reached K 2 million and it recorded over a K 1 million in loans.
The dissolution of Austria-Hungary and the establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic froze the Gemer Savings Bank’s funds in Budapest, causing the institution considerable problems. It managed to have a part of its funds that had been invested in war loans recognised as claims against the Czechoslovak Republic with help from the banking industry association Jednota peňažných ústavov na Slovensku a Podkarpatskej Rusi (Association of Credit Institutions in Slovakia and Sub-Carpathian Ruthenia) in Bratislava but it had to absorb a loss of 170,000 Czechoslovak crowns (Kč).
To comply with the Savings Bank Act (Act No 302/1920), it renamed itself Gemerská úverná banka (Gemer Credit Bank) in 1921. It renamed itself again in 1923, becoming Gemerská ľudová banka (Gemer People’s Bank). In the years 1924 to 1929, it stabilised its position, which was reflected in rising profits that reached Kč 54,000 in 1928. Deposits on savings books amounted to Kč 1.5 million and total loans were Kč 4 million. In 1928 the share capital was raised to Kč 500,000. The bank’s growth continued in 1929, with net profits reaching Kč 260,000, deposits reaching Kč 3 million and loans reaching almost Kč 9 million.
The members of the board included Miksa Weisz, Ede Grunvald and Ladislav Kathona amongst others. The chief accountant was Martin Gold and the treasurer was František Szilvászy.
The Gemer People’s Bank came under the influence of Banka československých légií, Prague (Bank of the Czechoslovak Legions, Legiobanka) and in 1929 it was decided that it would merge with two other banks in Legiobanka’s group – Tornaľská banka and Lučenecká úverná banka – to create Hospodárska úverná banka, Tornaľa, with branches in Lučenec, Rimavská Sobota and Rožňava.
The bank’s archival material was kept in the archives of Štátna banka československá (State Bank of Czechoslovakia) in Rožňava until 1962 when it was transferred to Štátna banka československá’s corporate archives in Košice. The fonds was moved to the archives of Národná banka Slovenska at 27 Krajná Street in Bratislava in 1995. It was transferred to its archive building at 8 Cukrová Street in Bratislava in 2003.
The most important preserved documents include books recording minutes of the supervisory board and general meeting. The fonds can be used by scholars studying the history and activities of a local Hungarian-German credit institution. An inventory of the fonds was made in 1963 and revised in the archives of Národná banka Slovenska in 2016.
Last updated: Monday, November 11, 2024