Introduction

The decision-taking and risk management of bankers, as well as confidence as the basis of the banking business, became highly relevant social topics during the last financial crisis of 2008 onwards. Their significance for understanding banking practices has a long history. This introduction offers definitions of particular terms and explains their relevance for historical research. It also gives an overview of the methodological approaches presented in this volume, from system theory to behavioural finance, from new institutional economics to praxeology, from convention theory to network analysis. Each chapter also offers a case study where the methodological approach is put to the test in empirical historical research. The introduction urges the intensive application of cultural historical methods to banking history.