Role of Banking Capital in the Germanization of Greater Poland in the years 1870-1914

Abstract

The Germanization policy pursued by the Prussian authorities in Greater Poland before World War I has been widely studied. However, the role of German banking capital in this process has often been underestimated or overlooked. This study aims to analyze the involvement of the banking system in Germanization efforts and to highlight its mechanisms and impact on the economic and social structure of the region.
The analysis is based on archival documents from Germany and Poland, including administrative and financial records, as well as economic studies. The article examines how German banks were integrated into Prussian policies aimed at weakening the economic position of Poles in Greater Poland. The German authorities used credit institutions to restrict Poles’ access to financing while financially supporting German settlers and businesses operating in the region.
The findings show that German banks played a key role in undermining the Polish economic fabric. They not only denied loans to Polish entrepreneurs but also facilitated the forced liquidation of their real estate and agricultural assets. Institutions such as the Mittelstandskasse and the Deutsche Pfandbriefanstalt enabled the acquisition of Polish lands by German settlers, thereby accelerating the process of Germanization.
This study highlights the fusion of political and economic interests in Prussian Germanization policies. The use of banking capital as a tool of national domination contributed to the economic and social transformation of Greater Poland, with effects that extended far beyond the studied period.