Beginnings of the Vienna Insurance Group

The Vienna Insurance Group is proud of its more than 185 years of history and tradition. The Company has grown from a local insurance company into one of the largest international insurance groups in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).

Roots of the Vienna Insurance Group
The roots of the insurance group date back to 1824, when the oldest of the three insurance groups that today form the Wiener Städtische Österreich, and out of which the Vienna Insurance Group emerged, was founded.

WW II and the collapse of the Austrian economy that accompanied it also brought the company as it existed at that time to the brink of destruction. Reconstruction started in December 1947 with the first meeting of the members council and the change of the company name to “Wiener Städtische Wechselseitige Versicherungsanstalt”. From that moment on, the Wiener Städtische operated its insurance business in the legal form of a mutual insurance company. 

In mid-1992, the entire insurance business was spun off into the “Wiener Städtische Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft”. The “Wechselseitige” at that time continued to operate as “Wiener Städtische Wechselseitige Versicherungsanstalt – Vermögensverwaltung” (asset management company) and functions as financial holding company. Since 1994, the Vienna Insurance Group has been listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange.

Wiener Städtische has since developed from a successful local insurance company into a successful, internationally active insurance Group, the Vienna Insurance Group.

History (1824-1966) 

1824 Foundation of the Wechselseitige k. u. k. priv. Brandschadenversicherungsanstalt by Georg Ritter von Höglmüller. 364 personalities, including princes, counts, barons and industrialists as well as ecclesiastical institutions such as monasteries and convents are involved in the foundation.

1839 At the instigation of the mathematics professor, Josef Salomon, the first life insurance company in Austria, the Allgemeine wechselseitige Capitalien- und Rentenanstalt, commences operations in Vienna.

1898 On the occasion of the 50-year anniversary of the accession of Emperor Franz Joseph I, the Vienna City Council adopts a resolution for the foundation of the Städtische Kaiser Franz Joseph-Jubiläums-Lebens- und Rentenversicherungs-Anstalt.

Today's Wiener Städtische Versicherung emerged from these roots.

1919 Property insurance is included into the programme. The name is changed to „Gemeinde Wien-Städtische Versicherungsanstalt“. The shortened form, Wiener Städtische, has been used since then.

1924 Consolidation of Wechselseitige and Janus as „Wechselseitige Brandschaden und Janus allgemeine Versicherungs-Anstalt auf Gegenseitigkeit“.

1929 Wiener Städtische assumes a shareholding in Union. As a result, it has the possibility to also transact marine, hail and livestock insurance policies.

1934 Wiener Städtische acquires shares in Wechselseitige Krankenversicherungsanstalt and assumes in 1935 the administration.

1938 Merger between „Gemeinde Wien-Städtische Versicherungsanstalt“ and „Wechselseitige Brandschaden und Janus allgemeine Versicherungs-Anstalt auf Gegenseitigkeit“.

1945 A small group of employees of Wiener Städtische starts to rebuild the completely destroyed company. In the following year, business resumes in offices at Tuchlauben 8.

1947 The company name is changed into „Wiener Städtische Wechselseitige Versicherungsanstalt“.

1955 On 14 June 1955, today's head office is opened at the "old" site in Vienna 1, Schottenring 30. The Ringturm is the first office tower in Vienna.

1964 Co-operation agreement with the life insurance company, Jupiter.

1966 Wiener Städtische acquires 40 per cent of the shares in Österreichische Volksfürsorge.

1971 Assumption of the majority of shares in Donau Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft.

Since 1990, expansion into CEE

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