Exactly one hundred years ago today, Bank Julius Baer & Co took out an advertisement on page six of the Neue Zuercher Zeitung (NZZ) newspaper on Friday, 11 September 1925 giving notice that the Bank would remain closed on 15 September. Operations were temporarily halted so that the organisation could relocate to its newly purchased headquarters.
Notice of Relocation:
We have the pleasure of announcing that our offices will be located in our new bank building at Bahnhofstrasse 36 as of 16 September. On Tuesday, 15 September, our offices and cash desks will be closed due to relocation. - Julius Baer & Co. Bankers
Bahnhofstrasse 36 is situated on the corner of St Peterstrasse and had previously been occupied by the Swiss National Bank until 1922. Although only a few hundred meters away from Julius Baer's original offices on Bahnhofstrasse 85, moving further down one of the most iconic main streets in the world meant that the company took up a highly prestigious spot at the centre of Zurich’s financial district. Costing almost CHF 1.3 million in 1924, the purchase was made to accommodate the rapid growth of the Julius Baer’s workforce and business.
The building itself was designed by George Lasius and was built between 1872 and 1874. Lasius is considered one of the most influential Zurich architects and was a professor of architecture at Eidgenoessiche Technische Hochschule (ETH), a public university in the city of Zurich. He is regarded as a pioneer due to the introduction of his innovative technical methods to improve the thermal performance of buildings and make them more energy efficient.
In today’s modern banking world, it would be unimaginable for an organisation to cease trading for a whole working day. In the organisation's more recent history, a major IT infrastructure upgrade to migrate terabytes of data to new servers in Switzerland was meticulously planned and executed to ensure that business operations continued seamlessly, so that the high-quality service expected by Julius Baer’s clients remained in place.
Back in September 1925, there wouldn’t have been the same complex operational and technological challenges that face our business today. Nevertheless, Julius Baer opened its new premises on Wednesday, 16 September 1925 without a hitch.
The successful move was cause for celebration with the banking industry; numerous ‘Congratulations’ telegrams from other banks and financial institutions were sent to wish Julius Baer the very best at the start of this new chapter in its history.
The celebration of the centennial of Julius Baer’s presence in the heart of Zurich not only underscores our prominent position within the financial sector but also connects our storied past and heritage with a bright future, as the leading independent wealth manager.
Did you know?
- The legal predecessor of Julius Baer, called Hirschhorn & Grob, was founded in 1890 and started operations at Bahnhofstrasse 85.
- The company purchased Bahnhofstrasse 36 on 14 March 1924.
- The official date for moving into the building was delayed due to renovation works. On 22 January 1925, a construction project was approved by the city of Zurich for revisions to go ahead.
- At the time of the relocation, less than 30 employees worked for the Bank.
- The building is constructed in the Palladian style, which is characterised by the symmetry, perspective, and elements of the formal classical temple architecture of the Ancient Greeks and Romans.
- 22 September 2025 will mark the 100-year anniversary of the registered ownership of Bahnhofstrasse 36 to Julius Baer in the commercial register.
- Until 1947 the upper floors of Bahnhofstrasse 36 were rented to a dermatologist and a milliner.
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