After being taken over by the German Reichsbank in 1938, it was re-established on July 3, 1945. The bank is a corporation with capital shares fixed by law at $150 million; 100% of the shares are, by law, held by the Austrian government. The central bank and the bank of issue, it preserves the domestic purchasing power of the Austrian currency and its value in terms of stable foreign currencies, and controls external transactions affecting the balance of payments.