Württembergische Lebensversicherung

Württembergische Lebensversicherung AG is a German life and pension insurance company based in Kornwestheim, Baden-Württemberg. Its business includes personal and occupational provision, with products distributed through the Württembergische brand and its sales partners. The company is part of Wüstenrot & Württembergische AG (W&W), a financial-services group that combines insurance with home-loan savings and related services. The insurer is active; it should not be confused with the separate Württembergische Versicherung AG, whose principal business is property and casualty insurance. The company traces its history to the Allgemeine Rentenanstalt zu Stuttgart (ARA), whose statutes were approved by the Württemberg authorities in 1833. W&W describes the ARA as the first company on German soil to begin pension-insurance business. That heritage makes 1833 an important origin date, although the present corporate form and name took shape much later. The ARA and the Württembergische fire-insurance business developed connections over subsequent decades. In 1991, the Allgemeine Rentenanstalt and Württembergische Feuerversicherung combined within the newly organized Württembergische Insurance Group, and Württembergische Lebensversicherung AG was established as the life-insurance company in that structure. A major corporate turning point followed the 1999 merger of the long-established Wüstenrot and Württembergische businesses under the Wüstenrot & Württembergische umbrella. In 2000, Wüstenrot Lebensversicherung was integrated into Württembergische Lebensversicherung, consolidating life-insurance operations within the group. In 2002, the company established Allgemeine Rentenanstalt Pensionskasse AG as a wholly owned subsidiary, extending the group’s occupational-pension arrangements. The life business was further consolidated in 2002 when Allgemeine Rentenanstalt Lebensversicherung, where unit-linked business had been organized, merged into Württembergische Lebensversicherung. In 2005, Württembergische acquired a majority stake in Karlsruher Lebensversicherung and subsequently integrated it into the life-insurance business. Karlsruher remains a related brand and historical business within the wider Württemberg life-insurance organization. The company serves private customers and businesses. Its principal offerings include conventional and unit-linked life and pension insurance, retirement-provision products, and occupational pension solutions. It also offers disability-income insurance, including products designed to protect earnings if a policyholder becomes unable to work in their occupation. Product structures and terms vary by contract, and the company distributes through advisers and other sales partners. Its corporate-pension work includes employer-focused arrangements and support for employees, alongside pension-fund and support-fund structures within the wider WürttLeben organization. The brand’s public positioning sits within the broader Württembergische identity. The group’s long-running “Der Fels in der Brandung” (“a rock in the surf”) theme expresses stability and support; W&W dates the first Württembergische television advertising using the slogan to 1992. This is a group-level brand platform rather than a campaign exclusive to the life-insurance company. The life business presents itself as a provider of provision and risk protection for different stages of life, delivered through the wider group’s advisory and distribution network. Württembergische Lebensversicherung was historically a publicly traded company, but it is no longer listed on the Stuttgart regulated market. The company announced in December 2014 that it would seek delisting, and trading in its shares on that market ended on 7 July 2015. W&W remains its controlling shareholder. The company’s registered seat is Kornwestheim, where its current legal imprint lists its address as W&W-Platz 1. Its current executive board includes Jacques Wasserfall as chairman, alongside Zeliha Hanning, Matthias Bogk, and Jens Wieland.

The historical roots of Württembergische Lebensversicherung lie in the Allgemeine Rentenanstalt zu Stuttgart (ARA). In May 1833, the Royal Württemberg State Government approved the statutes of the institution, which W&W’s corporate history describes as the first company on German soil to commence pension-insurance business. The ARA is the source of the insurer’s long-standing association with retirement provision. It is important, however, to distinguish this origin date from the creation of Württembergische Lebensversicherung AG in its modern organizational form: the present company emerged through later restructuring of the regional insurance businesses. The ARA’s history became connected with the Württembergische property-insurance tradition during the following decades. W&W records a mutual participation between the ARA and Württembergische Feuerversicherung in 1923. The ARA later developed as a life and pension insurer, while Württembergische Feuerversicherung operated in property insurance. Their combination came in 1991, when Württembergische Feuerversicherung and Allgemeine Rentenanstalt joined to form the Württembergische Insurance Group. In that reorganization, Württembergische Versicherung AG and Württembergische Lebensversicherung AG were established as distinct operating companies. The life insurer thus inherited the ARA’s pension-insurance lineage while adopting the Württembergische name and group structure. In 1999, Wüstenrot and Württembergische merged to form the Wüstenrot & Württembergische Group. The combination brought together insurance with home-loan savings and related financial services under a common holding company. The life-insurance business was reorganized after the merger: in 2000, Wüstenrot Lebensversicherung was integrated into Württembergische Lebensversicherung. The move consolidated the two groups’ life-insurance operations within the Württembergische entity. Further changes followed in 2002. Württembergische Lebensversicherung established Allgemeine Rentenanstalt Pensionskasse AG as a wholly owned subsidiary, adding a dedicated pension-fund vehicle for occupational provision. In the same period, Allgemeine Rentenanstalt Lebensversicherung, which had contained the group’s unit-linked business, merged into Württembergische Lebensversicherung. These changes brought both pension-fund activity and the unit-linked life business into a more integrated structure. The company later expanded its position through the Karlsruher life-insurance business: in 2005 it acquired a majority interest in Karlsruher Lebensversicherung and subsequently integrated the company. Karlsruher continues to be identified as a related brand in the life-business organization. The company’s ownership and public-market status changed in the 2010s. Württembergische Lebensversicherung historically had shares traded on the Stuttgart regulated market. In December 2014 it announced plans to seek delisting. Trading and regulated-market price determination for its bearer and registered shares ended after 7 July 2015. It continued as an operating insurer under the W&W group rather than as a listed independent company. W&W’s investor-relations material identifies W&W AG as the listed parent and reports that it owns 94.89% of Württembergische Lebensversicherung, with the remaining 5.11% described as free float. The company is headquartered in Kornwestheim, Baden-Württemberg, and operates in the German insurance market. Its current scope includes private and business life and pension insurance, conventional and unit-linked provision, occupational pension solutions, and disability-income protection. Products are offered through the company’s sales partners and the broader Württembergische distribution network. Its marketing sits within the Württembergische brand family: W&W dates the first national television advertising using the “Der Fels in der Brandung” positioning to 1992. The slogan has continued, with modifications, as a broad Württembergische brand theme rather than a campaign limited to life insurance. The company remains active within the W&W Group. Its current legal imprint gives Kornwestheim as its seat and lists Jacques Wasserfall as chairman of the Executive Board, with Zeliha Hanning, Matthias Bogk, and Jens Wieland also serving as board members. These leadership appointments and the company’s product scope reflect its contemporary role as the group’s life and pension insurer, while its ARA heritage remains the defining historical link to the beginnings of organized pension insurance in Germany.

• 2015

  Regulated-market trading ends

  [8]Württembergische Lebensversicherungde.wikipedia.org

  The regulated-market price determination for Württembergische Lebensversicherung's bearer and registered shares ended after 7 July.

• 2014

  Delisting announced

  [8]Württembergische Lebensversicherungde.wikipedia.org

  The company announced that it would apply to delist its shares from the regulated market in Stuttgart.

• 2005

  Karlsruher life-insurance business joins the group

  [3]Württembergische Lebensversicherung business history and occupational provisionwuerttembergische.de

  Württembergische Lebensversicherung acquired a majority interest in Karlsruher Lebensversicherung and later integrated the business.

• 2002

  Pension-fund subsidiary established and unit-linked business consolidated

  [8]Württembergische Lebensversicherungde.wikipedia.org

  Württembergische Lebensversicherung established Allgemeine Rentenanstalt Pensionskasse AG as a wholly owned subsidiary. The unit-linked business of Allgemeine Rentenanstalt Lebensversicherung was also merged into Württembergische Lebensversicherung.

• 2000

  Wüstenrot Lebensversicherung integrated

  [8]Württembergische Lebensversicherungde.wikipedia.org

  Following the W&W combination, Wüstenrot Lebensversicherung was integrated into Württembergische Lebensversicherung.

• 1999

  Wüstenrot and Württembergische combine

  [1]W&W Group historyww-ag.com

  The two established businesses merged under the Wüstenrot & Württembergische Group, combining insurance with home-loan savings and related financial services.

• 1992

  Württembergische begins television advertising with its stability slogan

  [1]W&W Group historyww-ag.com

  W&W's corporate history dates the first Württembergische television advertising using the “Der Fels in der Brandung” theme to this year. The campaign belongs to the wider brand, not solely to the life insurer.

• 1991

  Württembergische Lebensversicherung AG established

  [1]W&W Group historyww-ag.com

  The merger of Württembergische Feuerversicherung and Allgemeine Rentenanstalt formed the Württembergische Insurance Group, within which Württembergische Lebensversicherung AG was established.

• 1923

  ARA and Württembergische Feuerversicherung establish closer ties

  [9]ARA and Württembergische Feuerversicherung establish closer tiesww-ag.com

  W&W's corporate history records mutual participation between the Allgemeine Rentenanstalt and Württembergische Feuerversicherung, an early connection between the businesses later brought together in the Württembergische Insurance Group.

• 1833

  Allgemeine Rentenanstalt founded in Stuttgart

  [1]W&W Group historyww-ag.com

  The Royal Württemberg State Government approved the statutes of the Allgemeine Rentenanstalt zu Stuttgart. W&W identifies it as the first company on German soil to commence pension-insurance business and the historical predecessor of Württembergische Lebensversicherung.

A long-established German life and pension insurer serving private and business customers with retirement provision, occupational pensions, and protection against loss of earning capacity, as part of the W&W financial-services group.

• Life insurance

  Conventional life insurance

  Life-insurance protection and provision for private customers, distributed through Württembergische sales partners. The company’s broader product portfolio includes life and retirement provision; specific benefits and guarantees depend on the individual policy and terms.

• Retirement provision

  Conventional and unit-linked pension insurance

  Retirement-provision contracts that may use conventional insurance mechanisms or link some benefits to investment funds. The company’s unit-linked business was consolidated into Württembergische Lebensversicherung in 2002. Available options and investment risk depend on the selected contract.

• Occupational pensions

  Occupational pension solutions

  Employer-oriented pension provision for businesses and their employees, supported by advisory services and group arrangements. The wider WürttLeben organization includes Allgemeine Rentenanstalt Pensionskasse AG and a support-fund offering for occupational provision.

• Income protection

  Disability-income insurance

  Insurance designed to provide financial support if a policyholder becomes unable to work in their occupation under the policy definition. Württembergische describes options that can include investing surplus participation in a fund, with accumulated fund value payable under specified contract conditions.

• 1992Der Fels in der Brandung

  Germany

  Württembergische began national television advertising around the “rock in the surf” stability theme. W&W describes it as a continuing company slogan, with minor changes over time. The platform is associated with the broader Württembergische brand rather than being exclusive to Württembergische Lebensversicherung.

  Outcome. The slogan became a long-running element of Württembergische's brand identity.

  Source

• 2014

  Seek delisting from the Stuttgart regulated marketStrategy

  Background

  Württembergische Lebensversicherung was a publicly traded company whose shares were admitted to trading on the regulated market in Stuttgart.

  Action taken

  The company announced that it would apply to delist its bearer and registered shares.

  Aftermath

  Trading and regulated-market price determination ended after 7 July 2015; the insurer continued as an operating company controlled by W&W AG.

  Source

• 2005

  Acquire and integrate Karlsruher LebensversicherungM&A

  Background

  The W&W group sought to consolidate and expand its life-insurance operations.

  Action taken

  Württembergische Lebensversicherung acquired a majority interest in Karlsruher Lebensversicherung and subsequently integrated the business.

  Aftermath

  Karlsruher became part of the wider life-insurance organization and continued as a related brand.

  Source

• 2002

  Consolidate unit-linked business and establish a pension-fund subsidiaryStrategy

  Background

  The W&W insurance organization was restructuring its life and occupational-pension activities after the 1999 group merger.

  Action taken

  Allgemeine Rentenanstalt Lebensversicherung's unit-linked business was merged into Württembergische Lebensversicherung, and the life insurer established Allgemeine Rentenanstalt Pensionskasse AG as a wholly owned subsidiary.

  Aftermath

  The changes brought the unit-linked life business into the main life insurer and added a dedicated pension-fund company to the group structure.

  Source

• 2000

  Integrate Wüstenrot LebensversicherungStrategy

  Background

  The 1999 merger of Wüstenrot and Württembergische created a group with overlapping life-insurance operations.

  Action taken

  Wüstenrot Lebensversicherung was integrated into Württembergische Lebensversicherung.

  Aftermath

  The integration consolidated the group's life-insurance business in Württembergische Lebensversicherung.

  Source

• 1991

  Create a dedicated life-insurance company within the Württembergische Insurance GroupStrategy

  Background

  The Allgemeine Rentenanstalt and Württembergische Feuerversicherung had distinct histories and business lines, but were brought together in a new insurance-group structure.

  Action taken

  The businesses combined to form the Württembergische Insurance Group, establishing Württembergische Lebensversicherung AG as the group's life-insurance company.

  Aftermath

  The company carried the ARA's pension-insurance heritage into a modern corporate structure alongside the separate property-insurance business.

  Source

1. 1W&W Group historyww-ag.com
2. 2Württembergische Lebensversicherung legal imprintwuerttembergische.de
3. 3Württembergische Lebensversicherung business history and occupational provisionwuerttembergische.de
4. 4W&W Group investor-relations FAQww-ag.com
5. 5W&W Group management boardww-ag.com
6. 6Württembergische Lebensversicherung annual report 2025ww-ag.com
7. 7Württembergische disability-income insurancewuerttembergische.de
8. 8Württembergische Lebensversicherungde.wikipedia.org
9. 9ARA and Württembergische Feuerversicherung establish closer tiesww-ag.com