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Meštianska banka, Trenčín
Meštianska banka, účastinná spoločnosť (Townspeople’s Bank, joint-stock company), Trenčín, was founded in 1905 on the initiative of Karol Štúr, who had opened a law office in Trenčín. It was also registered under the Hungarian name Polgári bank, r. t. Its initial share capital was 100,000 Austro-Hungarian crowns (K). This was increased for the first time to K 200,000 in 1909 and again to K 400,000 in 1911.
The board and officers of the bank were Slovaks. According to the Compass year book for 1913, the institution took over a cooperative called Vzájomná pomocnica (Mutual Help) in Malé Stankovce near Trenčín. This society had been established on the initiative of Cyril Bodický, a Lutheran pastor and a member of the board of Meštianska banka, which then created a sub-branch in Malé Stankovce with Cyril Bodický as manager.
In 1914–1915 the members of the bank’s board of directors were chairman Jozef Stanek, a private citizen in Trenčín, vice-chairman Mikuláš Konček, a merchant in Trenčín, members Miloš Adel, a miller in Drietoma, Cyril Bodický, Lutheran pastor in Malé Stankovce, Ondrej Cvinček, Catholic priest, Zigmund Križan, Lutheran pastor in Trenčín, Pavel Blaho, doctor and MP in Skalica, Vladimír Makovický, bank director in Ružomberok, Ján Palic, clergyman, Alexander Prchálek, baker in Trenčín, Václav Urbánek, butcher in Trenčín, Ľudovít Vanovič, bank director in Martin, Martin Červeňanský, accountant in Staroturanský úverný spolok (Stará Turá Credit Society), Stará Turá.
The supervisory board consisted of chairman Anton Thomes, director of a bank in Ružomberok, and members Štefan Pobežal, baker in Trenčín, Koloman Konček, merchant in Trenčín, and Vladimír Fábry, director of the spa in Trenčianske Teplice. The officers were Igor Pietor as chief accountant, Ivan Porubský as bookkeeper and Jozef Mikeska as treasurer. Karol Štúr served as the bank’s attorney.
The financial institution did not achieve significant growth in the Austro-Hungarian period. The balance sheet total fell from K 2,249,000 in 1911 to K 1,873,000 in 1915 and the net profit declined from K 37,000 in 1911 to K 17,000 in 1916. On the other hand, savings book deposits increased from K 959,000 in 1911 to K 1.5 million in 1916, War loans amounted to K 500,000 in 1917, which was equal to the whole share capital and the reserve fund. Between 1914 and 1918, dividends were paid at rates between 3% and 6%.
The bank experienced rapid growth after the establishment of the first Czechoslovak Republic, which was reflected in increases in the share capital. It was raised to 2 million Czechoslovak crowns (Kč) in 1919 and Kč 5 million in 1921. According to the balance sheet for 1919, the reserve fund had grown to Kč 1,576,000, deposits had reached Kč 10,355,000 and the net profit was Kč 113,000; the bank paid a 10% dividend. In 1920, the bank was managing Kč 20 million in passbook deposits. The net profit grew to Kč 360,000.
On 14 December 1921, the general meeting of Meštianska banka approved a merger with Tatra banka, Martin, after which the bank was integrated into the branch that Tatra banka had opened in Trenčín in July 1921.
The main surviving records of the bank’s activities are the account books from 1905 to 1933. From 1956, these documents were kept in the corporate archive of Štátna banka československá in Marianka, where a basic register was made of them. From 2003, the fonds became part of the Archives of Národná banka Slovenska kept at 8 Cukrová Street in Bratislava. The archival fonds was processed in 2016 and an inventory was made.
The documents of Meštianska banka, Trenčín, are written in Slovak and can contribute to research on the history of banking in the Považie region and the consolidation process in Slovak banking in the interwar period.
Last updated: Friday, December 29, 2023