Publisher:
Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Fachbereich Wirtschaftswissenschaften, Frankfurt a. M.
Abstract:
This paper traces the location of foreign banks in Germany from 1949 to 2006. As suggested by new economic geography models we find a 'u'-shaped concentration of foreign banks in Germany. Only after a competition between several cities, Frankfurt has emerged as the pre-eminent financial centre, triggered by the 'historical event' of setting up the German central bank in Frankfurt. After a strong increase, Frankfurt's share in the location of foreign banks in Germany decreases slowly but significantly since the mid 1980's. We conclude that there will be a lesser role in Europe for secondtier financial centres in the future.