Germany’s new pfandbrief law was designed to end anomalies arising from the ending of state guarantees for Landesbanken. Many hope that it will also reinvigorate the pfandbrief market in the face of growing international competition. Michael Marray reports.

German open-ended property funds are in crisis, yet Anglo-Saxon players are doing well in the country’s real estate investment market.
Jan Wagner reports.

DZ Bank
Ulrich Brixner, Chairman of the board of managing directors

When Dietrich Hoppenstedt, president of the German Sparkassen Association (DSGV), retires at the end of September 2006, many of the association’s faithful will be very sorry to see him go.

Germany’s political battles may be over but the war over reform of the country’s banking sector has only just begun. Jan Wagner reports.
While some kind of political truce has been reached in Germany, the real fight for financial reform rages on. By the standards of modern banking systems everywhere, Germany’s three-pillar system of private banks, state-owned savings banks (Sparkassen) and co-operative banks is antiquated and inefficient.

The German bank is ramping up its retail strategy by acquiring small banks – but is avoiding shopping at home.

Germany’s reluctance to fully endorse the pro-market reform Angela Merkel could send Europe’s largest economy into deeper decline.

Dublin’s aspirations of becoming a major European centre for the issuance of covered bonds have been dealt a heavy blow by two German banks.

Volkswagen, the auto maker that is one of Germany’s best-known companies, has been in trouble lately. Since late June, it has been plagued by an ugly bribery scandal involving senior executives in the personnel department.

DEPFA has gone from strength to strength since it split from the Aareal mortgage bank and moved to Dublin. Jan Wagner reports from Frankfurt and Dublin on the most profitable bank active in Germany today.
Germany’s mortgage banks have been partying recently. In May, Eurohypo held a bash to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the “Jumbo Pfandbrief”. Since its introduction, the high-volume Jumbo has spawned a €600bn European market.
As the market leader, Eurohypo and its peers whooped it up. Attractions included plenty of champagne and an elephant installed in front of the Frankfurt stock exchange. Another Pfandbrief conference, replete with champagne, was hosted in June.