Cooperative banking in Poland

The history of cooperative banking in Poland goes back to the late 1850s, and has mirrored the changing fortunes of the territories that now form Poland. Its origins go back to the third quarter of the 19th century in the Polish territories that were then respectively ruled by the Habsburg monarchy, Prussia and the German Empire, and the Russian Empire. Cooperative banks then largely coalesced into a single national system in the interwar period, but suffered heavily during World War II and the early period of the subsequent Communist regime. Nevertheless, the sector displayed long-term resilience and adapted to the conditions of the post-Communist transition. As of the mid-2020s it is dominated by two nationwide cooperative banking networks, the BPS Group and SGB Group.