▁office ▁for ▁the ▁Ra iffe isen ▁Bank ing ▁Group , ▁the ▁company ▁in ▁its ▁first ▁ten ▁years ▁of ▁operation ▁significantly ▁expanded ▁its ▁business ▁activities ▁through ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁to ▁include ▁fields ▁such ▁as ▁foreign ▁exchange ▁and ▁currency ▁transactions , ▁l ending , ▁accept ance ▁of ▁depos its ▁and ▁invest ment ▁in ▁se cur ities . ▁Al ong ▁with ▁this , ▁the ▁bank ' s ▁staff ▁also ▁increased ▁significantly , ▁rising ▁to ▁ 8 5 ▁employees ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁its ▁first ▁de cade ▁of ▁existence . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 8 , ▁one ▁day ▁after ▁the ▁German ▁occupation ▁of ▁Austria , ▁the ▁bank ▁was ▁taken ▁over ▁by ▁a ▁prov is ional ▁German ▁administrator ▁and ▁subsequently ▁national ised . ▁The ▁bank ▁was ▁not ▁returned ▁to ▁its ▁pre - war ▁own ers ▁until ▁ 1 9 5 5 . ▁ ▁Key ▁develop ments ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁G Z B ▁began ▁to ▁expand ▁and ▁transform ▁its ▁foreign ▁operations . ▁This ▁was ▁also ▁clearly ▁reflected ▁in ▁the ▁bank ' s ▁growth , ▁with ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁staff ▁rising ▁to ▁almost ▁ 2 0 0 ▁by ▁ 1 9 5 7 . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁the ▁bank ▁began ▁to ▁found ▁special ised ▁companies ▁or ▁to ▁invest ▁in ▁them . ▁Working ▁with ▁the ▁co - oper atives ▁also ▁allowed ▁the ▁institution ▁to ▁offer ▁each ▁and ▁every ▁Ra iffe isen