On 10 January 1950, four groups of banks in Denmark founded the organisation, Danske Bankers Fællesrepræsentationen. The aim was to support good cooperation between banks and promote the safeguarding of interests with regards to the rest of Danish society. The idea of a collaboration between banks was not new. Prior to Danske Bankers Fællesrepræsentationen the association De Københavnske Hovedbanker existed and since the previous turn of the century, severeal smaller banks were united under the name Provinsbankforeningen. The new Danske Bankers Fællesrepræsentationen’s main office was on Gl. Strand 44 in Copenhagen, but due to a lack of space the organisation bought a property on Amaliegade 7 in 1966, which is still used today as the address for Finance Denmark.
In 1973-74, Danske Bankers Fællesrepræsentationen went through a larger organisational restructuring. Banks became direct, individual members and not through their group membership of the older organisations. The name was changed to Den Danske Bankforening, and in the new rules all Danish banks were invited to become members, as long as their operations were in accordance with honest business practice.
Establishing the Danish Bankers Association in 1990 was a logical consequence to the largest members of the previous associations carrying out large bank and savings banks mergers in 1989 that resulted in the establishment of Unibank, which is part of Nordea and Danske Bank today. As banks and savings banks were and still are regulated by the same legislation, members were best served with a joint association that could speak on behalf of all of Denmark’s banks and savings banks. In those days, the tasks included introducing electronic data processing in the banking sector, the Euro cheque scheme and the forerunner to PBS (financial institutions’ payment service), PBC. In the 1990s a course department and PR duties were set up, and, together with the economic department, a tradition where banks in Denmark have a joint line in dialogue with authorities and other organisations began.
In 2008, the Danish Mortgage Banks’ Federation was set up as part of the Danish Bankers Association. In 2016, members decided to dissolve the Danish Mortgage Banks’ Federation and let the activities in the Danish Bankers Association continue under a new organisation, Finance Denmark, together with the Association of Danish Mortgage Banks at Amaliegade 7 in Copenhagen.
