photo collage: river in the rainforest (left) and children learning with computers (rights)
75 years of KfW

75 years of KfW

Breaking new ground

The transformation to a sustainable and resilient Germany has begun. KfW has been supporting the changes in the economy and society on behalf of the federal and state governments since 1948.

To the series technolgies of the future - Climate and environment
Icebergs in the arctic

Dossier

Climate and environment

Protecting the climate and the environment is also the dominant theme of the World Climate Conference (COP29) in Baku (11 - 23 November 2024). How can we combat global warming and achieve the international climate targets? In our dossier "Climate an Environment"" we shine a spotlight on people who contribute with their ideas.

Read more
To the dossier energy security
The NordLink cable is rolled up in a cable drum on the ship NKT Victoria.

Dossier

Resilience & Sovereignty

The security of energy supply and the increased use of climate-friendly energies are among the central tasks for Germany in the future. In our dossier "Resilience & Sovereignty" we present various projects and companies that are already making a contribution to this today.

Read more
To the dossier
Young teacher sitting at mobile computer in TUMO Center Berlin

Dossier

Digitalisation & Innovation

Innovations are the lubricant for progress in the economy and society. In our dossier "Digitalisation and Innovation", we introduce people and projects whose ideas will change our lives.

Read more

Testimonials on KfW's 75th anniversary

Well-known personalities from the worlds of politics, business, science and culture have expressed their views on the contribution KfW can continue to make in the future to the transformation towards a more climate-friendly society.

Decades of decisions

photo collage: historic photo of a house construction with a billboard refering to the Marshall Fund (left) and a space craft above planet earth (right)
75 years of KfW

The 1950s

Time for reconstruction

Read article
photo collage: historic photo of a construction (left) and giraffes in savannah (right)
75 years of KfW

The 1960s

Entering the world stage

Read more
photo collage: historic photo of an office scene (left) and a hand in security gloves holding a can with crystals (right)
75 years of KfW

The 1970s

Reorientation towards domestic promotion

Read more
photo collage: historic photo of the construction of ERP refugee housings (left) and solar panels and wind power plants (right)
75 years of KfW

The 1980s

Developing key German and worldwide priority areas

Read more
photo collage: historic photo of people on the Berlin wall (left) and a portrait of Nicolas Roehrs, CEO Cloud&Heat (right)
75 years of KfW

The 1990s

German reunification and Aufbau Ost

Read more
photo collage: outside shot of the KfW-IPEX buidling (left) and a robotic arm holding a smart phone testing Authentic Network's app (right)
75 years of KfW

The 2000s

KfW restructures itself

Read more
Collage: Solar panels in a field (left) and man close-up (right)
75 years of KfW

The 2010s

KfW - responsible banking

Read article
Collage: Corona measures (left) and double portrait Nikutta-Wintels (right)
75 years of KfW

The 2020s

The digital transformation and promotional bank

Read article

Further information about the history of KfW

Image-Reference

On our website, pictures taken, among others, by the following photographers/photo agencies are used:

Agentur photothek.net, Deutsche Messe Hannover, Andreas Arnold, Jörg Böthling, Dominik Butzmann, Carsten Costard, Susanne Esche, Charlie Fawell, Rendel Freude, Torsten George, Gaby Gerster, David Greedy, Peter Himsel, Barbara Högner, Frank Homann, Fred Hoogervorst, Steffen Jagenburg (BRANSCH EUROPE), Thomas Klewar, Studio Kohlmeier , Florian Kopp, Georg Lopata, Jürgen Lösel, Kirsten Milhahn, Rüdiger Nehmzow, Rolf Obertreis, Rubén Arnaldo Farina Ortiz, Holger Peters, Joachim Röttgers, Mika Schmidt, Bernhard Schurian, Jens Steingässer, Pietro Sutera, Uwe Tölle, Jan Zappner.

Fotolia.com: amandare, Yuri Arcurs, Kitch Bain, Ingo Bartussek, Sergio Donà, drizzd, Dmitry Ersler, eyewave, Zoltán Futó, Eric Gevaert, Fotolia XXV, Friedberg, goodluz, Dirk Hoffmann, imageteam, Christian Jung, Abdelhamid Kalai, Sergej Khakimullin, Vladimir Kolobov, krizz7, Kzenon, lumen-digital, marog-pixcells, Mindwalker, Miredi, mirpic, Nebuto, Tino Neitz, Christian Pedant, Franz Pfluegl, prognone, Gina Sanders, Henry Schmitt, spree berlin, SVLuma, Kheng Guan Toh, tom, Torbz, typomaniac, VRD, Joachim Wendler, Sreedhar Yedlapati.

75yearsOfKfWhistory of KfWenvironmenteconomysocietyinnovationinfrastructuremobilitystart-upsenergy efficiencydigitalisationtransformation

Our recommendations to you

Learn more
null

Impact

A boost from the USA

On June 5, 1947, in a speech he delivered at Harvard University, United States Secretary of State George C. Marshall announced a financial aid programme for Europe. One year later, KfW is founded to finance the reconstruction of Germany after the Second World War with funds from the European Reconstruction Programme (ERP).

Read article
Learn more
High points and turning points at KfW, 1948–2018

Dossier

German Reunification

9 November marks the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The dossier ‘German Unity’ shows how we have mastered and are still mastering the major challenges together. A video produced five years ago traces the epochal events of 1989/90 and the role of KfW.

Read more
Full story
Collage of a portrait by Stefan Wintels with a photograph by Hermann Josef Abs from the Historical KfW Archives

75 years of KfW

Impressions of KfW's history

KfW Group has always acted like a mirror, reflecting German and international events. Our photo gallery will guide you through the high points and turning points between 1948 and 2023.

Read article