Parallel Financial Institutions in Carniola, Lower Styria and Bács-Bodrog County During the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy (1867–1918)

The article examines the inβluence of economic nationalism on the devel- opment of βinancial institutions in Carniola, Lower Styria, and Bács-Bodrog County during the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries, shedding light on the complicated links between ethnicity, politics, and economic modernisation. Using a comparative ap- proach, it analyses how ethnic identities shaped βinancial systems during socio-political upheavals. In the provinces of Carniola and Lower Styria, βinancial institutions became symbols of national emancipation and cultural sovereignty, often competing with German interests. In Bács-Bodrog County, on the other hand, rapid economic growth favoured the expansion of various banking institutions, which simultaneously promoted economic development and served as platforms for ethnic and national self-assertion.