Landes-Hypothekenbanken#
Landes-Hypothekenbanken (provincial mortgage banks): founded in Austria in the late 19th and early 20th century, chartered to promote money and credit transactions in the provinces. Today they are regional all-purpose banks with legal advantages in the field of issuing mortgage and municipal bonds. All have turned their bank businesses into limited companies. Independent banks in all the provinces except Vienna.
Their main task is to grant mortgage loans to corporations empowered
to levy charges. They raise their funds mainly by issuing mortgage and
municipal bonds. Mortgage bonds, municipal bonds and savings deposits
are very safe and therefore suitable for trustee securities.
The association of mortgage banks was founded in 1947. Members are all
mortgage banks as well as the Pfandbriefstelle (mortgage bond
authority), founded in 1939, which is the bank of issue for all
mortgage banks.