WIENER STÄDTISCHE GROUP

1824 Foundation of the Wechselseitige k. u. k. priv. Brandschadenversicherungsanstalt by Georg Ritter von Höglmüller. 364 personalities, including princes, counts, barons and industrialists as well as ecclesiastical institutions such as monasteries and convents are involved in the foundation.

1839 At the instigation of the mathematics professor, Josef Salomon, the first life insurance company in Austria, the Allgemeine wechselseitige Capitalien- und Rentenanstalt, commences operations in Vienna.

1898 On the occasion of the 50-year anniversary of the accession of Emperor Franz Joseph I, the Vienna City Council adopts a resolution for the foundation of the Städtische Kaiser Franz Joseph-Jubiläums-Lebens- und Rentenversicherungs-Anstalt.

Today's Wiener Städtische Versicherung emerged from these roots.

1919 Property insurance is included into the programme. The name is changed to „Gemeinde Wien-Städtische Versicherungsanstalt“. The shortened form, Wiener Städtische, has been used since then.

1924 Consolidation of Wechselseitige and Janus as „Wechselseitige Brandschaden und Janus allgemeine Versicherungs-Anstalt auf Gegenseitigkeit“.

1929 Wiener Städtische assumes a shareholding in Union. As a result, it has the possibility to also transact marine, hail and livestock insurance policies.

1934 Wiener Städtische acquires shares in Wechselseitige Krankenversicherungsanstalt and assumes in 1935 the administration.

1938 Merger between „Gemeinde Wien-Städtische Versicherungsanstalt“ and „Wechselseitige Brandschaden und Janus allgemeine Versicherungs-Anstalt auf Gegenseitigkeit“.

1945 A small group of employees of Wiener Städtische starts to rebuild the completely destroyed company. In the following year, business resumes in offices at Tuchlauben 8.

1947 The company name is changed into „Wiener Städtische Wechselseitige Versicherungsanstalt“.

1955 On 14 June 1955, today's head office is opened at the "old" site in Vienna 1, Schottenring 30. The Ringturm is the first office tower in Vienna.

1964 Co-operation agreement with the life insurance company, Jupiter.

1966 Wiener Städtische acquires 40 per cent of the shares in Österreichische Volksfürsorge.

1971 Assumption of the majority of shares in Donau Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft.

1990 Entry into the insurance market of the former Czechoslovakia by acquisition of interest in Kooperativa.

Foundation of the German insurer InterRisk, Wiesbaden.

1991 Merger of the life and burial insurance company, Wiener Verein with Wiener Städtische.

1992 Acquisition of 70 per cent of the share capital of Montanversicherung, specialising in industrial insurance.

Conversion into a joint-stock company with the name Wiener Städtische Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft. "Wechselseitige" continues as Wiener Städtische Wechselseitige Versicherungsanstalt Vermögensverwaltung and assumes the functions of a financial holding company.

1993 In the course of the separation of the former Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, Kooperativa is divided into three successor companies with registered offices in Bratislava, Brno and Prague. In 1999 the offices in Brno and Prague are merged into the „Kooperativa pojist’ovna a.s“. In the Slovak Republic „Kooperativa poist’ovna, a.s“ starts business.

1994 Wiener Städtische goes public and issues preferred shares at the Vienna Stock Exchange.

1996 Entry into the Hungarian insurance market.

1998 Entry into the Polish insurance market

1999 Foundation of Vienna Life Lebensversicherung AG, Liechtenstein.

Entry into the Croatian insurance market through Wiener Städtische osiguranje d. d.

2000 Foundation of Vienna Life Poland.

Foundation of the Wiener Städtische Allgemeine Versicherung AG ITALIA branch.

2001 Entry into the Romanian insurance market, Acquisition of interest in the Romanian company Unita S.A.

Acquisition of the Slovakian company Komunálna poistovna a.s.

Merger of Wiener Städtische osiguranje and Kvarner osiguranje.

Acquisition of the two Polish insurance companies, Compensa Non-Life and Compensa Life.

2002 Acquisition of interest in the Belo Russian insurance company Kupala.

Acquisition of the Bulgarian Bulgarski Imoti companies.

Acquisition of interest in the Romanian agricultural insurance company S.C. Agras Omniasig S.A.

2003 Entry into Serbia by establishing Wiener Städtische osiguranje a.d.o. Beograd.

Merger of Heros and Compensa in Poland

2004 Acquisition of the sole ownership in the Slovak Kontinuita by the Wiener Städtische Group.

Launch of business activity in Slovenia.

Acquisition of interest in the Ukrainian insurance company Jupiter

2005 Acquisition of  a majority stake in the Rumanian S.C. OMNIASIG S. A.

Acquisition of a majority stake in Ukrainian insurance company "Kniazha"

Acquisition of 100 percent of the shares of "Ceska podnikatelska pojistovna, a.s. by Kooperativa

Acquisition of interests in the Polish insurance companies Benfia Non Life an Benefia Life and in the Polish life insurance Royal Polska

Acquisition of a majority stake in the Croation life insurer Cosmopolitan Life d.d.

Acquisition of a 40 percent stake in Kardan Financial Services B.V. (KFS), the majority owner of TBIH Financial Services Group NV, a holding with insurance interest in CEE

Capital Increase 2005 amounting to about EUR 910 million, increasing free float up to approx. 30 percent

2006 Acquisition of the majority stake in Polish CIGNA STU S.A.

Acqusition of the Ukrainian insurer Globus

Start of business operations in Russia in a joint venture with MSK/Moscow Insurance Company

Transformation of the 40 percent stake in Kardan Financial Services B.V. into a direct participation of 60 percent in TBIH Financial Services Group

Introduction of the umbrella brand “Vienna Insurance Group” an renaming “Wiener Städtische Allgemeine Versicherung AG” into “WIENER STÄDTISCHE Versicherung AG Vienna Insurance Group”

2007 Acquisition of the majority stake in the non-life insurance company TU PZM (TU Polski Związek Motorowy S.A.)

Entry into the Turkish insurance market: Acquisition of Ray Sigorta A.Ş.

Market entry Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo: Acquisition of Sigma S.h.

Acquisition of majority stake in the Romanian insurance company SC Asigurarea Romaneasca Asirom S.A.

Market entry in the Baltic states

2008 New trading name Vienna Insurance Group for shares on the Vienna Stock Exchange (securities abbreviation VIG)

Listing on the Prague Stock Exchange

Acquisition of Ukrainska Strakhova Grupa