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The current institution emerged in 1999 as the result of a merger, but the family tree goes back as far as 1818. Despite being owned by the Federal State of Baden-Württemberg, the Savings Bank Association of Baden-Württemberg, and the City of Stuttgart, LBBW has typically been more aggressive than many of its peers. It is one of the largest participants in Germany’s bond market, one of the largest real estate lenders in Germany, and yet can still boast high debt ratings.