The National Bank of Romania, the 16th oldest central bank in the world, has an important heritage consisting of its architectural, historical, artistic and moral patrimony. Its restoration started over 20 years ago as a self-financed effort. This is a morally and financially justified process as the institution’s goal is to restore an important piece of tradition and national past given that the Central Bank’s history is directly linked to that of the modern Romanian state.

The NBR’s architectural patrimony is mainly composed of the three buildings in the historical center of Bucharest (the financial and banking district) that accommodate the NBR’s headquarters and the Bucharest regional branch. In addition, there are other buildings with historical value in the NBR’s branch network a Băncii Naționale a României. During 1940-1990, maintenance and repair works were undertaken, but under the communist regime there was no attempt whatsoever to properly restore them.

Given the advanced state of degradation, extensive work was required. Reinforcement, restoration and modernization works became a must, especially in the case of the Old Palace, an imposing building and a true emblem of the City. Throughout its existence, this building was only repaired three times.

The NBR’s interest and relentless drive in this strenuous restoration process are consistent with the efforts of other European central banks in this respect (Bank of England, Banque de France and Nationale Bank van België/ Banque Nationale de Belgique). These NCBs also understood the need to preserve their heritage, in light of their public representation role and in a bid to achieve greater openness, at a time when communication and transparency are the hallmarks of an era.

Key elements of the important historical heritage of the NBR also include the Library, the Archives and the Museum, the latter focused on numismatic items.

• Architectural Patrimony »»
• The Old Palace
• The New Palace
• Chrissoveloni Palace




The Chrissoveloni Bank Palace was built during 1923-1928 between the Stavropoleos and Lipscani streets, near the Romanian General Bank, by two dedicated architects: George Matei Cantacuzino and August Schmiedigen. The Palace, built in the spirit of the Italian Renaissance, kept its entire functional and artistic value across the decades and became the property of the NBR in 1933 by purchase. Since 1990, the Chrissoveloni Palace accommodates the Bucharest regional branch of the NBR. During 1996-1998, the building was restored with due consideration for the original architecture and finish.

• Branch Network 
• Historical Patrimony »»



Standing out as a major component of the historical patrimony, the NBR Library boasts rare works and is one of the country’s leading safe-keepers of economic literature. It is open to the public at large and remains a valuable source of information for domain specialists. In addition, the NBR Archives, which have undergone comprehensive systematization and modernization, currently rank among the world’s state-of-the-art archives. Documents and records can be accessed at the NBR premises and will soon also be available in electronic format. Another component of the historical patrimony is the Museum, which focuses on numismatic items, particularly the history of the domestic currency.

• Artistic Patrimony »»
• Monuments
• The Eugeniu Carada Statue Ensemble




The year 1924 saw the unveiling of the Statue Ensemble dedicated to Eugeniu Carada, one of the founding fathers of the modern Romanian state. Created by sculptor Ernest Dubois, the bronze monument was destroyed in 1948, under the communist regime.

The NBR is currently taking the necessary steps in order to have a replica of this historical monument repositioned on the original site.

• Other items of artistic patrimony: paintings, furniture, stained glass windows, dishes and cutlery, as well as other protocol items.
• Moral Patrimony »»



The NBR’s moral patrimony includes human resources, which make up a valuable component in the life of organisations and even gain paramount importance in the case of central banks.

Furthermore, organisational culture identity elements (chronicles of events, historical documents and photographs, etc.) along with visual identity elements and projects focusing on social responsibility and social involvement are definitely a rightful accompaniment to the NBR’s “moral heritage”.

For more details on the National Bank of Romania’s heritage and the extensive efforts to restore it, please consult the Photo Gallery.