The book describes the birth and growth of financial institutions and stock exchanges in Scandinavia and Finland from 1656 to 2010, including their banking crises and the history of banking regulation. It argues that quantitative regulations cannot, in the long run, produce the desired results and bear the seeds of future financial crises.

Autorentext
STEFFEN E. ANDERSEN is Specialized in Monetary Theory and Policy, and Economic History. He has worked for the Federation of Danish Industries, and Danish and foreign banks. Past positions include Head of Nordic Credits, and Senior Adviser to the Management of the Nordic operations of a German bank. He has written various books on the Danish capital market and the Danish economic history.

Inhalt
Introduction: What's it all About? Sweden-Finland, 1650-1814: Wilderness Replaced by Confusion Denmark-Norway in the Age of Globalization, 1736-1814 Denmark, 1814-1918: A Dismembered Country Finland, 1809-1917: A Changed World Norway, 1814-1918: From Province to Nationhood Sweden, 1814-1916: First Banking Acts in the Nordics Denmark, 1918-2010: Towards Financial Abyss and Back Finland, 1918-2010: A Quick Adaptor Norway, 1918-2010: Saved by the North Sea Sweden: Too Good to Be True, 1918-2009 A Few Reflections