Issues related to central banks feature regularly in economic news coverage, and in times of economic or financial crisis, especially when a commercial bank is bailed out, they become the focus of the policy debate. But what role do central banks play in a modern economy? How do central banks...

Chapter 1. Introduction and Overview -- Chapter 2. Historical Background -- Chapter 3. Banks in the Old Confederation and in Geneva (Before 1848) -- Chapter 4. Free Banking and the Foundation of the Swiss National Bank (1826-1907) -- Chapter 5. Railway Boom, the Big Banks, and the Ascent of...