About this collection
In 1881, HSBC opened a branch in Lyon, France. The location made good strategic sense. While the French money markets were based in Paris, Lyon was the largest importer of silk in Europe. With our roots in Asia, we were now well-placed to assist customers at both ends of the trade corridor.
We established a presence in Hamburg, Germany, in 1889. The city was one of Europe’s busiest ports. Many of our German clients were in the Indonesian sugar trade, building factories there to process the product, and running ships to export it to Europe. The international connectivity of our network provided finance and support to help this trade thrive.
