Financial and insurance institutions as the social economy entities in Galicia: An overview

Galicia was the most backward province in the Habsburg monarchy. In the socio-economic structure of this region, the rural population prevailed, sustaining itself on small farms. Natural disasters occurring in Galicia, especially floods and fires, deepened the impoverishment of the society. The emerging social economy entities were aimed at providing aid to various social groups, particularly the rural population. The essay presents the origins and the functioning of cooperative financial institutions and mutual insurance companies in Galicia in the second half of the 19th century. An attempt to assess the results of the activities of cooperative financial institutions showed their important role in counteracting usury and supporting the development of small farms and crafts by providing cheap credit. In the 1860s, the mutual insurance company „Florianka” was established in Kraków. On the eve of World War I this institution was one of the largest societies of this type in the world. In addition, mutual insurance companies „Wisła”, „Dnister” and „Karpatia” were established and operated in Galicia.