What is "landesbank"

The Landesbanken in Germany are a group of state-owned banks of a type unique to Germany. They are regionally organised and their business is predominantly wholesale banking. They are also the head banking institution of the local and regional bases Sparkassen (= saving banks). Landesbanken and Sparkassen comprise one of the three pillars of Germany's banking system. The two other pillars are private commercial banks and cooperatives. Each has a different legal purpose, ownership structure, and governance model. Landesbanken and Sparkassen, as publicly owned entities, are charged by national and state banking laws to pursue an "öffentlichen Auftrag" or public purpose.

• Bayerische Landesbank (BayernLB), Bavaria
• Bremer Landesbank Kreditanstalt Oldenburg-Girozentrale ( Bremer Landesbank), Bremen

92,5 % owned by NORD/LB

• HSH Nordbank, Hamburg + Schleswig-Holstein
• Landesbank Baden-Württemberg (LBBW),
  • BW-Bank – Baden-Württemberg Bank ( Baden-Württemberg)
  • Sachsen-Bank (since April 2008) ( Saxony)
  • Rheinland-Pfalz Bank (since April 2008) ( Rhineland-Palatinate)
• Norddeutsche Landesbank - Girozentrale ( NORD/LB),

Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Saxony-Anhalt

• Landesbank Saar ( SaarLB), Saarland

75,1 % owned by BayernLB

• Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen ( Helaba)

Hessen and Thuringia

• Former Landesbank of North Rhine-Westphalia was the WestLB
• Landesbank Berlin (LBB), Berlin

owned by Landesbank Berlin Holding