[1][3][4] One year after its establishment in 1822, the Société Générale de Belgique (at that time known as the Algemeene Nederlandsche Maatschappij) opened a branch in Antwerp.
At the time, the Algemeene Nederlandsche Maatschappij was a note-issuing bank, and issued special banknotes that could only be redeemed at the Banque d'Anvers.
[6]: III In 1934-1935, the Société Générale de Belgique consolidated all its other local affiliates into the newly formed Générale de Banque, but the family shareholders of the Banque d'Anvers rejected that option and the bank thus remained as the SGB's only autonomous local affiliate bank in Belgium.
In subsequent years, its head office building on Antwerp's Meir thoroughfare featured a sign that read "Generale Bankmaatschappij v/h Bank van Antwerpen", lit.
[6]: III Hector Carlier, founder of Petrofina, started his career at the Banque d'Anvers, in which his father held a significant equity stake.