Switzerland and its Banks: A Short History

This book provides a history of Swiss banking not confined to stereotypical opinions about secret numbered accounts. Instead, the presented history covers other intriguing events and developments beyond the famous issue of banking secrecy and the corresponding scandals. Topics covered in the book include the early financial innovations by banks in Geneva to handle the sovereign risk on bonds issued in pre-revolutionary France, the monetary chaos that led to the creation of the Swiss franc, the rather peculiar banknote competition and free-banking system in Switzerland during most of the nineteenth century, how the country and its currency became a financial safe haven after World War I, the golden age of Swiss banking when Zurich was briefly one of the largest financial centres in the world, and the exceptional shocks during and after the recent global financial crisis. In sum, a fascinating story emerges about an internationally important banking centre in one of the most unlikely places in the world. This book is a must-read for students, scholars, and researchers of economics and finance, as well as practitioners interested in a better understanding of economic history in general, and Swiss banking in particular.