The Bundesverband deutscher Banken (Federal Association of German Banks) is the association of private banks in Germany. In the traditional pillar system of the German banking industry this represents all banks that have evolved from merchant banks unlike the co-operative branch (like credit unions) or regional state banks (German public banks). Along with other branches the association is member of the Central Credit Committee governing the banking industry in Germany. The Bundesverband has taken the form of Eingetragener Verein.
The BdB was founded 1951 in Cologne as the successor of the pre-war "Centralverbandes des deutschen Bank- und Bankiergewerbes" (Central Association of the German Banking and Financing Industry). In 1999 it moved to Berlin while the subsidiary Bankverlag (bank publishing company) is still located in Cologne.
The association is led by a board of directors ("Vorstand") consisting of 12 members - the five big banks ("Großbanken") staff each 1 member, the small privately-owned banks ("Privatbankiers") collectively have 2 seats, the regional banks have 2 seats, the bond banks and foreign banks have each 1 seat. The board elects a president along with two secretaries - by tradition the presidential office should be held alternating between the big banks and the other members of private and regional banks but the rule is not followed strictly.
The actual banks are bound to the regional associations of the private banking industry
and the Verband deutscher Schiffsbanken