Which Is the Oldest Swiss Bank?

June 18, 2025 - Ralf Beyeler

Find a list of the oldest Swiss banks, organized by their dates of founding.

Switzerland is a banking capital. From private banks to cantonal banks, the country hosts countless financial services providers. Many of these financial firms have been in operation for centuries. The oldest Swiss banks are listed in table 1.

Table 1: Oldest Swiss banks by year of founding

Year of founding	Name of bank	Kind of bank
1750	Rahn and Bodmer	Private bank
1796	Lombard Odier & Cie	Private bank
1805	Pictet & Cie (originally De Candolle, Turrettini & Cie)	Private bank
1812	Sparkasse Schwyz	Regional bank
1813	Dreyfus Sons & Co	Private bank
1814	Caisse d'Epargne Riviera	Regional bank
1815	Bank Bonhôte & Cie	Private bank
1816	Clientis Sparcassa 1816 (originally Ersparungs-Cassa Wädenschwil)	Regional bank
1817	Ersparniskasse Schaffhausen	Regional bank
1819	Ersparniskasse Speicher	Regional bank
1819	Mirabaud & Cie	Private bank
1819	Regiobank Solothurn (originally Ersparniskasse der Stadt Solothurn)	Regional bank
1820	Bank Zimmerberg (originally Ersparnis Kasse für die Gemeinde Horgen)	Regional bank
1820	Burgerliche Ersparniskasse Bern	Regional bank
1821	Bank EEK	Regional bank

What does Cie mean?

Cie is the abbreviated form of the French word Compagnie (company). The term indicates that the company has additional partners apart from the one whose name is represented in its title. The term “& Cie” was commonly used in German in the past, which is why it often appears in the names of long-established companies. Today, the English term & Co. (and company) is more commonly used in Switzerland. The meanings of the terms “& Cie” and “& Co.” are identical.

When was UBS founded?

The largest Swiss bank, UBS, came into being through a long series of mergers and acquisitions over many decades. The bank's roots can be traced back to the nineteenth century.

The Schweizerische Kreditanstalt/Credit Suisse, which was established in 1856 by politician and railway pioneer Alfred Escher, is the oldest component of today's UBS.

The Schweizerische Bankgesellschaft (SBG)/Union de banques suisses (UBS) resulted from the merger of the Bank in Winterthur (established in 1862) and the Toggenburger Bank (1863). The Schweizerische Bankverein (SBV)/Société de banque suisse (SBS) was founded in 1872. The Schweizerische Volksbank (SVB)/Banque populaire suisse (BPS) was established in 1869.

In 1993, CS Holding - of which the Schweizerische Kreditanstalt/Credit Suisse was a subsidiary - acquired the Schweizerische Volksbank (SVB)/Banque populaire suisse (BPS). From 1996, the bank operated exclusively as Credit Suisse.

UBS was formed in 1998 when the Schweizerische Bankgesellschaft (SBG)/Union de banques suisses (UBS) merged with the Schweizerische Bankverein (SBV)/Société de banque suisse (SBS). UBS acquired Credit Suisse in 2022.

When were the biggest Swiss banks founded?

The biggest Swiss banks are relatively young compared to the oldest Swiss financial firms. The years in which the largest Swiss banks were established are shown in table 2.

Table 2: Biggest Swiss banks by year of founding

Name der Bank	Gründungsjahr
UBS	1856
Zürcher Kantonalbank	1870
Raiffeisen	1899 *
Postfinance	1906
Julius Bär	1890
Banque cantonale Vaudoise	1845
Migros Bank	1958
Luzerner Kantonalbank	1850
Basler Kantonalbank	1899
Pictet & Cie.	1805