Presentation of historical activities

The past several decades have seen a growing number of initiatives by banks-first in the United States and then in Europe-to preserve and structure their archives and make them available for historical research. BNP Paribas and its constituent entities have long been pioneers in this domain, notably Paribas as of the 1970's, as well as Comptoir National d'Escompte de Paris, BNCI, BNP and Compagnie Bancaire.

Along these lines, the bank has all along been pursuing two fundamental objectives. The first is to conserve the heritage and memory of establishments with rich histories that played pivotal roles, from the nineteenth century onward, in the economic and industrial development of France. The second is to encourage the expanding field of historical research. This policy has led to the joint publication along with the Communications Department of several works on the history of the bank in recent years, including Paribas, Europe and the World, 1872-1992 (1992) and Banquiers d'avenir. Des comptoirs d'escompte à la naissance de BNP Paribas (2000).

The bank has addressed a growing demand from researchers and university students, both French and from other countries, as well as from a broader public interested in different aspects of its history. This has also helped nurture a corporate culture within the enterprise thanks to "history lessons" and has encouraged communication, both internal and external, regarding major events that have marked the histories of the banks that evolved into BNP Paribas.

The following information details the role of the BNP Paribas Historical Association.