History Department

The ABN AMRO Historical Archives Foundation was established on 15 May 1992. It aims to gather, archive and document material pertaining to the history of all the major companies that have joined through the years to form today's ABN AMRO. The Foundation also aims to make this information available for (art-)historical research.

The History Department (HD) has three major spheres of activity:

Historical Objects - The HD administers the historical collection of ABN AMRO. The collection includes a vast array of items such as antique maps and atlases, books, coins, furniture, photos, paintings, office machines and securities all spanning from the 17th -21st century. The HD is responsible for the collection's conservation, restoration, registration and acquisition.

Services - The HD conducts the documentation, i.e. the recording and description, of the main elements of the bank's business management. These are matters that are likely to remain items of interest in the future and are recorded in a systematic manner so as to create an accessible source for research in the field of corporate history. Based on the selected documentation, the HD functions as an encyclopaedia for all aspects in the field of banking history, also regarding the local, regional and international history of the bank and related art historical subjects.

Historical Records - The HD catalogues all non-current, policy-related documents and records of ABN AMRO and its most important legal predecessors. These cover the records of: ABN Bank, Amro Bank, Amsterdamsche Bank, Nederlandsche Handel-Maatschappij (Netherlands Trading Society), Nederlandsch-Indische Handelsbank (Netherlands India Commercial Bank), Rotterdamsche Bank and Twentsche Bank. Archives of subsidiaries and take-overs are included in the archives of the parent company. For instance, all records of Incasso-Bank are added to the archives of Amsterdamsche Bank and all records of Hollandsche Bank-Unie are added to the archives of ABN Bank. The HD as a rule does not keep personnel records or records and documentation of Dutch branch offices past and present, or records of non-Dutch subsidiaries, branch offices or predecessors.