1 8 9 7 ) ▁and ▁K alis z ▁( 1 8 9 8 ). ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁tw enti eth ▁century ▁the ▁bank ▁was ▁the ▁largest ▁private ▁bank ▁in ▁Polish ▁lands ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁few ▁leading ▁financial ▁services ▁to ▁trade ▁with ▁Russia ▁and ▁Western ▁Europe . ▁During ▁this ▁period , ▁the ▁bank ' s ▁turn over ▁fl uct u ated ▁at ▁the ▁level ▁of ▁ 2 ▁billion ▁rub les , ▁which ▁was ▁greater ▁than ▁the ▁sum ▁of ▁the ▁then ▁budget ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire . ▁ ▁The ▁bank ▁made ▁a ▁significant ▁contribution ▁to ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁railway ▁network ▁and ▁major ▁industrial ▁plants ▁in ▁the ▁Polish ▁Kingdom . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁the ▁bank ▁represented ▁the ▁Polish ▁government ' s ▁assets ▁in ▁numerous ▁international ▁companies , ▁not ably ▁the ▁Dan zig ▁Sh ip yard . ▁The ▁bank ▁did ▁not ▁stop ▁its ▁activities ▁during ▁the ▁two ▁world ▁wars , ▁it ▁only ▁limited ▁activity . ▁During ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁the ▁bank ' s ▁branches ▁in ▁the ▁areas ▁an nex ed ▁by ▁Germany ▁were ▁liquid ated , ▁while ▁those ▁in ▁the ▁General ▁Government ▁operated ▁under ▁the ▁strict ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁occupation ▁authorities . ▁ ▁React iv ated ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁the ▁bank ▁was ▁a ▁private ▁industrial ▁and ▁commercial ▁company ▁and ▁co oper ative . ▁As ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁three ▁banks ▁which ▁escaped ▁formal ▁national ization ▁after ▁the ▁war , ▁it ▁was ▁subject ed ▁to ▁controls