Provincial Aid Fund Westphalia

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The Provinzial-Hülfskasse Westfalen was founded on January 5th, 1832 with its seat in Münster . Their mission was to promote the communities and the economy of Westphalia. It is the forerunner of the “Landesbank der Provinz Westfalen”, from which in 1969 the Westdeutsche Landesbank Girozentrale (WestLB for short) emerged together with the “Landesbank der Rheinprovinz” .

history

During the Wars of Liberation (1813-1815) the inhabitants of Westphalia were heavily burdened by the marching troops of Sweden, Denmark, Prussia and Russia. In 1818 the Swedish king paid 160,000 thalers as a lump sum compensation to the province of Westphalia, and in the end this sum increased to a total of 300,000 thalers. In order to use the funds appropriately, the President of the Province, Ludwig Freiherr von Vincke , suggested setting up an "Aid Fund". The fund should serve charity and promote the economy.

It took some time for the proposal to be approved by all concerned. Johann Hermann Hüffer , who played a key role in the development and design of the idea, drafted the statute on which the fund was later based. Finally, the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III approved . the statute of the institution on August 4, 1831. Baron von Vincke was appointed first curator of the Hülfskasse, and Johann Hermann Hüffer was appointed chairman. From 1842 to 1866 Ferdinand Dominicus Niedieck was director of the Aid Fund.

The business of the Hülfskasse consisted primarily in the granting of loans to municipalities for the implementation of infrastructure measures as well as to companies for expansion projects and to large landowners for measures to increase agricultural yields.

In 1890, the Provinzial-Hülfskasse Westfalen was converted into the Landesbank of the Province of Westphalia .

See also

literature

  • The Landesbank of the Province of Westphalia and the former Westfälische Provinzial-Hülfskasse, 1832–1907. J. Bredt, Münster 1907 (commemorative publication for the 75th anniversary).
  • Simon Peter Widmann: Johann Hermann Hüffer . In: Otto Leunenschloß (ed.): Westfälische Lebensbilder , Vol. 4. Verlag der Aschendorffschen Verlagsbuchhandlung, Münster 1934, pp. 229-252.
  • Norbert Reimann: Sparkassen and Provinzial-Aülfskasse in Westphalia. For the creation and development of an idea . In: 150 years Stadtsparkasse Dortmund . Stadtsparkasse, Dortmund 1991, pp. 37–61.
  • Sibylle Backmann: Aid funds, state bank institutes and giro centers in Westphalia and the Rhineland. A workshop report on the development of the predecessor provenances of WestLB . In: Archive maintenance in Westphalia-Lippe . No. 88 . LWL archive office for Westphalia , 2018, p. 30-35 . ( online ).

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Sibylle Backmann: Auxiliary funds, Landesbankinstitute and Girozentralen in Westphalia and in the Rhineland. A workshop report on the development of the predecessor provenances of WestLB . In: Archivpflege in Westfalen-Lippe , Heft 88, Münster 2018, pp. 30–35, here pp. 31–32.