Talk:Bethmann Bank

Interwiki link
I am considering whether to cut the Interwiki link to the German WP entry on Delbrück Bethmann Maffei. The rationale is that by 1976 when half of the company was sold to Bayerische Vereinsbank or at the latest by 1983 when the remainder was sold to HypoVereinsbank, the bank was no longer an independent entity. There followed the sale to ABN AMRO and the consolidation with two other former private banks, Delbrück and Maffei, into the private banking arm of ABN. In the meantime ABN was sold to Fortis but that transaction itelf has been overtaken by events.

I haven't figured out yet if there is a hard and fast criterion that would allow me to say that the Bethmann bank ceased to exist, and therefore I am leaving in the link, for now. According to a 2 Oct 2008 confusing press release still up at the private banking arm of ABN AMRO, Fortis announced on 29 Sept that it will sell its shares in ABN -- at least those areas of ABN "not yet integrated".

However, a day later the parent company ABN linked to a press release from the Dutch ministry of finance announcing that "in close consultation with the Dutch Central Bank, the Minister of Finance today took over all shares of Fortis Bank Nederland (Holding) NV, Fortis Insurance Netherlands NV and Fortis Corporate Insurance NV," and "that the Dutch state has thus become owner of the Fortis share in ABN AMRO Holding NV as well."

This doesn't really touch on the question of whether Delbrück Bethmann Maffei can be considered a bank anymore or merely a brand.--Goodmorningworld (talk) 05:57, 5 October 2008 (UTC)

Addendum: Delbrück Bethmann Maffei does have an executive board and supervisory board, their 2007 Annual Report the ABN AMRO 2007 report is online. So the company is a wholly owned subsidiary ("Business Unit") but not defunct. That begs the question, should the article be named "Bethmann bank" or "Delbrück Bethmann Maffei"?--Goodmorningworld (talk) 08:47, 5 October 2008 (UTC)

Assessment comment
Substituted at 18:10, 17 July 2016 (UTC)