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.
Prvá senická banka, Senica
Prvá senická banka (First Senica Bank) was established in 1872 as Senický sporiteľničný spolok, účastinná spoločnosť (Senica Savings Society, joint-stock company; in Hungarian, Szenicei takarékpénztár eggyel, részvénytársaság) with a share capital of 60,000 guldens, which was converted to 120,000 Austro-Hungarian crowns (K) on the changeover to a gold-backed currency in 1900. The share capital was increased to K 300,000 in 1917 and K 600,000 in 1918. The bank grew its business gradually, focussing on retail clients such as local farmers, craft workers and merchants. It took deposits on passbooks and current accounts and provided relatively small loans secured by paper and mortgages.
After the establishment of the first Czechoslovak Republic and the adoption of the Savings Bank Act in 1920, it had to change its name and became Prvá senická banka. Although it made plans to expand throughout the Záhorie region and raise its share capital to 2 million Czechoslovak crowns (Kč) in 1922, the post-war economic crisis forced it to take a more modest path. It nevertheless posted relatively high net profits – for example Kč 62,000 in 1921 – and paid a dividend of 4%. It continued to focus on the credit needs of local merchants and farmers but also served landowners and local factories, as can be seen from the membership of the board of directors between 1932 and 1939. The chairman of the board was Pavel Adamiš, a lawyer from Senica, and the other members were Felix Schönfeld, a landowner from Senica, Leo Kohn, a merchant from Senica, Gustáv Nemečkay, a wholesaler from Senica, Alexander Brinzl, a landowner from Senica, Max Schlesinger, a private entrepreneur from Senica, Jozef Winter, the town doctor in Senica, Pavel Jamárik, a farmer from Senica, and Alexander Komjati, a factory owner from Senica.
The Great Depression hit the bank hard in 1931, mainly through losses on securities. It managed to cover these losses with its profits from 1932 to 1934 and in 1935 it was once again paying dividends of 3%. After the establishment of the Slovak state in 1939, the Ministry of Finance took steps to consolidate the financial sector in Slovakia, as part of which it ordered Prvá senická banka to merge with Myjavská banka (Myjava Bank) in 1940. The two banks were merged with effect from 1 January 1941 despite the protests of the board of directors of Prvá Senická banka.
The archives of Národná banka Slovenska holds a small number of documents arising from the activities of Prvá senická banka which may be of interest to scholars of the history of Slovak banking sector in the interwar period. The archival fonds was processed in 2012 and the inventory was revised in 2016.
Last updated: Friday, November 22, 2024