Question 1

What is Evangelische Bank?

Accepted Answer

Evangelische Bank is Germany's largest cooperative church bank (Genossenschaftsbank) specializing in sustainable financial services. Headquartered in Kassel, the bank serves Protestant churches, diaconal organizations, healthcare institutions, social economy entities, and private customers with Christian values. With approximately 8.7 billion EUR in total assets (2024), Evangelische Bank ranks as the 113th largest bank in Germany and holds a Fitch credit rating of AA-.

The bank is a member of the German cooperative banking network and participates in the BVR Institutssicherung protection scheme.

Question 2

When was Evangelische Bank founded?

Accepted Answer

Evangelische Bank was established in 2014 through the merger of two pioneering church cooperative banks: Evangelische Kreditgenossenschaft eG (EKK) and Evangelische Darlehnsgenossenschaft eG (EDG).

EKK was founded in December 1969 by representatives of the Evangelical Church of Kurhessen-Waldeck, officially commencing banking operations in January 1970 in Kassel. The bank expanded beyond its regional origins, opening offices in Frankfurt (1970), Eisenach (1990), and eventually merging with Acredobank eG in Nuremberg (2005).

EDG was founded on February 9, 1968, in Kiel by evangelical churches and diaconal institutions in Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg. It began operations on July 1, 1968, addressing urgent financing needs for post-World War II reconstruction and refugee support.

The 2014 merger combined over 45 years of church banking expertise from both institutions.

Question 3

Where is Evangelische Bank headquartered?

Accepted Answer

Evangelische Bank is headquartered at Ständeplatz 19, 34117 Kassel, Hesse, Germany. The city of Kassel serves as the bank's legal seat and main operational center.

Question 4

Where does Evangelische Bank operate?

Accepted Answer

Evangelische Bank operates nationwide throughout Germany. The bank maintains a network of advisory offices in major cities including:

Berlin (Georgenkirchstraße, in the Evangelical Center), Eisenach, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg (Ökumenisches Zentrum), Hannover, Kiel (former headquarters location), Köln, Munich (Karlstraße), Nuremberg, Schwerin, Speyer, and Stuttgart.

The bank closed its traditional retail branch network for private customers, transitioning to a fully digital service model while maintaining specialized advisory locations for institutional clients across Germany.

Question 5

What services does Evangelische Bank offer?

Accepted Answer

Evangelische Bank provides comprehensive universal banking services with a strong sustainability focus:

Retail Banking: Current accounts, savings accounts, time deposits, debit and credit cards, consumer loans, car loans, mortgage financing, pension plans, and investment accounts.

Institutional Banking: Specialized financing for churches, healthcare facilities (hospitals and rehabilitation clinics), social housing projects, educational institutions, and diaconal organizations. Project financing for sustainable real estate development in the social and healthcare sectors.

Asset Management: Through its subsidiary EB – Sustainable Investment Management GmbH (EB-SIM), the bank offers sustainability-oriented investment funds based on strict exclusion criteria and ESG standards, aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Digital Services: Comprehensive online banking platform, mobile banking application with PSD2-compliant authentication, telephone advisory services, and the EB-Finanzportal for business clients.

Additional Services: Payment processing, securities custody and brokerage, insurance advisory (through cooperative partners R+V Versicherung), building society savings (Bausparkasse Schwäbisch Hall), and wealth management.

The bank also operates the Change Hub in Berlin, a collaborative workspace for healthcare and social economy enterprises, social startups, and research institutions.

Question 6

What makes Evangelische Bank unique?

Accepted Answer

Evangelische Bank distinguishes itself through several exceptional characteristics:

Values-Driven Banking: As a church-affiliated cooperative bank with over 50 years of heritage, the bank explicitly integrates Christian values and creation stewardship (Bewahrung der Schöpfung) into all business decisions. All investment funds comply with strict ethical guidelines exceeding the Evangelical Church in Germany's sustainability standards.

Specialized Expertise: The bank possesses unparalleled knowledge of church, diaconal, healthcare, and social economy sectors, offering tailored financial solutions addressing sector-specific challenges like cost pressures, skilled labor shortages, and sustainability transformation requirements.

Sustainability Leadership: Evangelische Bank has been certified under EMASplus (Europe's most demanding environmental management standard) since 2011. The bank is a signatory to the UN Global Compact and measures its business activities' direct impact on SDGs. Through its subsidiary EB-SIM, it actively engages in shareholder dialogues promoting corporate sustainability improvements.

Climate Commitment: The bank committed to the German banking sector's climate protection declaration (2020), pledging to align credit and investment portfolios with the Paris Agreement's goal of limiting global warming to well below 2°C.

Digital Pioneer: Evangelische Bank successfully transformed from traditional branch banking to a digital-first model, closing all 16 retail branches while retaining 97% of customers and improving service quality. This bold transition demonstrates innovative customer relationship management.

Collaborative Networks: Active member of the Arbeitskreis Kirchlicher Investoren (AKI) and participant in European sustainable finance initiatives, advocating for social taxonomy frameworks at the EU level.

Question 7

What type of financial institution is Evangelische Bank?

Accepted Answer

Evangelische Bank is a Genossenschaftsbank (cooperative bank) and operates as a Universalbank (universal bank) under German law. As a credit institution (Kreditinstitut), it holds full banking licenses from the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) and Deutsche Bundesbank.

The cooperative structure means eligible customers can become members with voting rights at the general assembly. This democratic governance model aligns with the bank's community-oriented mission. The bank falls under the category of Kirchenbank (church bank) or faith-based financial institution, serving the Protestant church community and organizations sharing its values while offering universal banking services to all customers.

As a specialized institution within Germany's three-pillar banking system (private banks, public savings banks, and cooperative banks), Evangelische Bank belongs to the cooperative banking sector and collaborates with central institutions like DZ Bank, Union Investment, and DZ Hyp.

Question 8

How does Evangelische Bank integrate sustainability into its operations?

Accepted Answer

Evangelische Bank implements a comprehensive three-dimensional sustainability approach encompassing economic, ecological, and social-ethical value creation:

Sustainability Principles: The bank's business strategy explicitly prioritizes financing the transformation toward a low-emission, climate-resilient economy. All products and services undergo sustainability assessments aligned with exclusion criteria and ESG integration.

Transparency and Reporting: The bank publishes annual sustainability reports following GRI standards and reports as a UN Global Compact signatory. EB-SIM provides transparent engagement reporting documenting active ownership activities.

Stakeholder Engagement: Through pooled engagement initiatives with ISS ESG and collaborative efforts via AKI, the bank engages portfolio companies on human rights, deforestation, climate action, and social issues. The bank also advocates for policy changes, including addressing financial challenges in Germany's hospital sector.

Operational Excellence: The bank maintains EMASplus certification, demonstrating commitment to minimizing its environmental footprint through resource-efficient processes and responsible supply chain management.

Question 9

What customer segments does Evangelische Bank serve?

Accepted Answer

Evangelische Bank serves two primary customer segments with specialized expertise:

Institutional Clients: Protestant churches at all levels (parishes, dioceses, national church bodies), diaconal organizations, welfare associations (Freie Wohlfahrtspflege), hospitals and rehabilitation clinics, care facilities and nursing homes, institutions serving elderly and disabled persons, child and youth services, educational institutions and universities, social housing providers, and healthcare real estate developers.

The bank serves over 60,000 satisfied customers who value its deep understanding of sector-specific challenges and sustainable financing solutions aligned with their social missions.

Private Customers: Individuals with affinity for Christian values and sustainable banking practices, seeking responsible financial services from checking accounts to mortgage financing and ethical investment options.

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