Conversation

Finance & Geopolitics

Great Reversals in History

11 Feb 2026

Berlin, Germany

eabh, in cooperation with Humboldt University Berlin, hosts a conversation on

Finance & Geopolitics: Great Reversals in History

with Christoph Trebesch (Kiel Institute) and Jörg Rocholl (ESMT), moderated by Carmen Hofmann (eabh).

The discussion examines how geopolitical structures shape global finance over the long run, echoing research showing that financial globalization thrives in stable, unipolar systems but fragments during periods of tension and war—when private capital flows often freeze and states step in as dominant financiers, as seen during the world wars and the Bretton Woods era. These patterns resonate with insights from Rajan & Zingales, Langfield & Pagano, and Goodhart, whose reminder that “banks are international in life but national in death” feels especially relevant in today’s environment of fragmentation, diverging regulatory regimes, and renewed strategic competition. As debates over the future of national banking champions—from past speculation about Deutsche Bank’s attractiveness to U.S. acquirers to more recent discussions around Commerzbank and UniCredit—increasingly carry geopolitical weight, the central question emerges: Is the state reclaiming power in global finance?

Museum visit

Visit to the Milan State Archive

10 Jun 2026

Milan, Italy

The exhibition traces the history of Credit Institutions in Lombardy between the 18th and 19th centuries. Original documents from the era of public banks and major private bankers active during the great revolutions imposed by Napoleon Bonaparte will be on display.

Archival Workshop

Datafication & interoperability in historical archives

eabh financial archives workshop

11 Jun 2026

Milan, Italy

eabh in cooperation with Mediobanca.

This workshop explores how digitisation, datafication and interoperability are reshaping financial and business archives.

Researchers and practitioners are invited to share hands on experiences, challenges and solutions for improving data quality and cross-institutional connectivity.

Conference

From pawn to plastic

A global history of consumer credit

12 Jun 2026

Milan, Italy

eabh in cooperation with Mediobanca.

This conference explores the long-run global history of consumer credit, from pawnshops and instalment plans to credit cards and digital lending.

Historians, economists, legal scholars, practitioners and archivists are invited to present research on changing attitudes, institutions, instruments and regulations that shape household borrowing.