1950-1959

The BIS Chronology chronicles the main events relevant to the history of the Bank for International Settlements since it was created in 1929-30. Major financial, monetary and world events that are not directly related to the BIS, but that have had an impact on it, are listed in italics.

 

1950
3 Apr    Vocke, President of the Bank deutscher Länder, takes up seat on the BIS Board of Directors
19 Sep    Agreement for the establishment of European Payments Union (EPU)
Oct    First meeting of the EPU managing board in Paris; Conolly represents the BIS (EPU Agent)
Oct-Nov    German credit crisis; Jacobsson-Cairncross mission to Germany (EPU); EPU special credit to Germany
28 Nov    Central Bank of Iceland becomes BIS member
5 Dec   Central Bank of Ireland becomes BIS member
      
1951    
10 Jan   Bank of Portugal becomes BIS member
Apr   European Coal and Steel Community established
24 May   Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey becomes BIS member
8 Sep   San Francisco Peace Treaty between Japan and the allied powers; Japan loses all rights it enjoyed under the 1930 Hague Agreement; Japanese participation in the BIS officially ends
Dec   Marshall Plan aid ends
     
1952    
29 Feb   U.K. government considers and rejects the so-called ROBOT Plan (convertibility with floating rate)
Mar   EPU short-term credit to France
13-14 Aug   Japan and West Germany join the IMF and the World Bank
Oct   Standby arrangements introduced by the IMF
     
1953    
27 Feb   London Agreement on German External Debts, including settlement of the Dawes and Young loans, with BIS resuming duties as fiscal Agent and Trustee
Jun   EPU renewed without change
 
   
 
1955    
Apr   EPU special credit to Italy
1-2 Jun   Conference of Messina: European Coal and Steel Community countries decide on a common market
5 Aug   European Monetary Agreement signed (to take effect after the end of EPU)
 
   
 
1956    
Oct   Per Jacobsson resigns as BIS Economic Adviser to become Managing Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the IMF
17 Oct   France obtains $262.5 million standby credit from IMF
 
   
 
1957    
Jan   Jacobsson having left, Paolo Baffi, Economic Adviser at the Bank of Italy, and Friedrich Lutz of Zurich University are appointed part-time Economic Advisers to overlook preparation of the BIS Annual Report; this arrangement will remain in place until November 1960
25 Mar   EEC and Euratom Treaties signed in Rome
Jul   Deutsche Bundesbank replaces Bank deutscher Länder
10 Aug   Devaluation of French franc by 16.7%
 
   
 
1958    
1 Jan   EEC and Euratom Treaties come into force
18 Mar   EEC Council resolution on the statute of the EEC Monetary Committee
1 Jul   Marius W Holtrop succeeds Frère as President of the BIS and Chairman of the Board
1 Oct   Guillaume Guindey succeeds Auboin as General Manager of the BIS
27 Dec   Announcement of the convertibility of all major European currencies for current account transactions
29 Dec   Devaluation of French franc by 14.8%. Creation of the 'nouveau franc'
31 Dec   European Payments Union wound up and replaced by European Monetary Agreement (EMA)
 
   
 
1959    
30 Jul   Radcliffe Committee reports on the working of the U.K. monetary system, downplaying significance of monetary policy
 
   
 
1940-1949 1960-1969