You’re now standing in front of Regiobank Solothurn - but imagine the year is 1819. The streets buzz with horses’ hooves and whispering townsfolk in their Sunday best, clutching coins with hope. Back then, this humble spot saw the birth of the very first bank in the entire canton. Picture small shopkeepers and farmers, hands weathered and hearts hopeful, lining up outside the Ersparniskasse der Stadt Solothurn, as it was called, eager to keep their savings safe and maybe, just maybe, dream a little bigger.
It wasn’t just a bank - it was a lifeline, offering ordinary people a place to store their money, which in turn financed humble dreams: a bigger field, a sturdier roof, a new bakery on the corner. Most of the loans went straight into bricks and mortar, making Solothurn what it is today. This bank’s specialty? Hypothecary loans. If you ever want a lesson in financial patience, just look at their numbers: from 54 million francs of loans in 1950 to an eye-watering 2.39 billion by 2019.
But things weren’t always so straightforward. In 1865, another player entered the scene: the Solothurnische Leihkasse, shaking things up and competing for business. The two banks were close - like siblings who pretend to ignore each other until dinner time. They finally decided to join forces in 1990, becoming today’s Regiobank Solothurn. For some of you, that was just “the 90s,” but for banks, that’s practically yesterday.
Today, Regiobank still stands proud and independent, with five branches and a team of over 120 people, including nine eager apprentices. If you listen carefully, you might just catch the sound of old ledgers closing and new dreams being written down. Trust, after all, is the real currency here - and in Solothurn, it’s always in good supply.
