History of Allianz

Allianz has been securing the future of its customers since it was founded in 1890. Initially based in Berlin, generations of employees and managers developed the company from a regional provider of casualty and transport insurance to a global insurer and asset manager. We invite you to explore our historical roots and key developments in more than 130 years of corporate history.
Oliver Bäte, CEO of Allianz SE

"Since Allianz was established in 1890, many generations of men and women have worked to secure the future – for our customers, our employees and their families, and society as a whole.
Their ideas and their energy empowered Allianz to achieve its current position as a strong and globally active company.

In the 1990s, as Allianz was first beginning to explore its own corporate history, the need for transparency, honesty, and critical self-reflection quickly became apparent – especially with regard to the company’s history during the Nazi dictatorship. These were important not only to our senior management and our employees around the world, but most especially to those who suffered unspeakable persecution under the Nazis. Indeed, preserving the memory of customers and employees who were stripped of their rights, persecuted, and murdered during the Nazi reign of terror is a central focus of our commitment to historical remembrance, as is, of course, the remembrance of all victims of the Holocaust, their families, and their descendants.

Learning from history – from good times, but especially from bad times – enables us to think into the future and act accordingly."

Oliver Bäte, CEO of Allianz SE

January 30, 1933: In Germany, Adolf Hitler is appointed Chancellor. From now on, a totalitarian dictatorship determines public life and work in institutions and companies. Many things change, also at Allianz. What was everyday life like at Allianz under the new regime, what did it mean for management and employees, and what questions about historical responsibility arise?
Black and white archive photo of young men sitting at a long table in a library. Copyright: ETH Library Image Archive
Allianz has an extensive corporate archive with collections from over 130 years of company history. It is the basis for various projects and research on diverse topics. Here you can get a glimpse of the archives as well as past and current projects. 
Black and white archive photo of a woman on a library ladder
More in-depth information about the history of Allianz? Just click and browse through one of our publications on Allianz’s corporate development. Have fun browsing.