Kansallis-Osake-Pankki facts for kids

A KOP promissory note, like a promise to pay money back.

KOP deposit boxes, where people kept their valuables safe.

Kansallis-Osake-Pankki (which people often called KOP) was a big Finnish bank. It operated for over 100 years, from 1889 until 1995. KOP was started by a group called the fennoman movement. They wanted a bank that mainly used the Finnish language. This was different from another big bank at the time, Suomen Yhdyspankki, which mostly used Swedish.

KOP's Journey and Mergers

KOP was a very important bank in Finland for a long time. It helped many businesses and people with their money. But over the years, banks often join together to become bigger. In 1995, KOP merged with its old rival, Suomen Yhdyspankki. When they joined forces, they created a brand new bank called Merita Bank.

Merita Bank didn't stay independent for too long either. Later, it merged again with a Swedish bank called Nordbanken. This new, even bigger bank was named Nordea. So, KOP's history is part of the story of how Nordea, one of the largest banks in the Nordic region, came to be.

Important Leaders of KOP

Many different people led Kansallis-Osake-Pankki during its long history. These leaders helped guide the bank and make important decisions. Here are some of the people who were in charge:

• Otto Hjelt (1889–1892)
• Fredrik Nybom (1892–1914)
• J.K. Paasikivi (1914–1934)
• Mauri Honkajuuri (1934–1948)
• Matti Virkkunen (1948–1975)
• Veikko Makkonen (1975–1983)
• Jaakko Lassila (1983–1991)
• Pertti Voutilainen (1991–1995)

External Links

• Panu Moilanen: Kämpin peilisalista Savoyn juhlakerrokseen. 105 vuotta Kansallis-Osake-Pankkia