History - overview

Established in 1930, the Bank for International Settlements is the oldest international financial institution. From its inception to the present day, the BIS has played a number of key roles in the global economy, from settling reparation payments imposed on Germany following the First World War, to serving central banks in their pursuit of monetary and financial stability.

On 17 May 2020, the BIS marked 90 years since it first opened its doors for business. The book Promoting global monetary and financial stability: the Bank for International Settlements after Bretton Woods, 1973-2020 (Cambridge University Press), reviews the Bank's role and contributions over the past 50 years.

The timeline below outlines the BIS's history.

The following also details the history of the BIS: