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

75 years of KfW

The 1970s

Back then

The 1970s
Oil crisis

The German economy is in jeopardy. Two oil crises and a sustained period of high interest rates are causing considerable economic upheaval. The readjustments needed to maintain Germany's international competitiveness demand fresh approaches, including for promotional policy. Energy-saving and innovation are the order of the day. People are clamouring for KfW and its loan programmes.

Further information

The export of German machinery and systems has been considered particularly worthy of economic promotion since the beginning of the Federal Republic of Germany. Export financing is therefore even anchored in the KfW Law. In the 1970s, “Made in Germany” was boosted by KfW loans.

Today, KfW IPEX-Bank is an expert in tailored export and project finance around the world. It also possesses many years of expertise in financing that has a positive effect on the environment and climate, and also finances solutions for the mobility of the future.

Today

Underground power cable building site
Resilience and sovereignty

The green electricity highway

The expansion of renewable energies plays an outstanding role for Germany in the energy transition and in achieving the national climate goals. By the end of the decade, their share is expected to have risen to up to 80 percent. KfW supports the sustainable transformation in the energy sector in a variety of ways.

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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