Depository Bank of Zurich anonymity policy

The Depository Bank of Zurich operates a twenty-four-hour Geldschrank bank offering anonymous safe-deposit box services, known as anonyme Lager or blind drop services. Clients can deposit and withdraw items in total anonymity, a policy that has made the bank a favored venue for storing valuable art, documents, and other assets without fear of police tracing. The bank's bread and butter is its oldest and simplest offering—the anonymous safe-deposit box—which allows clients to store anything from stock certificates to valuable paintings without revealing their identity.

Account Structure and Access

Each safe-deposit box is attached to a number, not a name. The client possesses a key and a personal account number known only to them; the key is only half of the identification. The account number is a ten-digit code chosen by the client via a secure terminal, meaning it is known only to the client and the computer. This system ensures that even if a key is lost, anyone finding it cannot access the box without the account number. The bank's employees do not have access to account numbers, a policy designed to protect both client privacy and employee safety—convenience stores use the same principle with "employees do not have keys to the safe."

Automated Retrieval and Privacy Guarantees

When a client inserts their key into a triangular hole at the bank's entry gate, the gate opens automatically. A second gate and podium require the same key insertion. Inside the bank, the client inserts the key into an electronic podium facing a conveyor belt. The computer confirms the markings on the key, and the client enters their account number. The safe-deposit box is then retrieved robotically from the vault below and delivered to a private viewing room via the conveyor belt. The entire process is automated, guaranteeing privacy even from the bank's staff. The viewing room is a lavish sitting room with oriental carpets, dark oak furniture, and cushioned chairs, where clients can review and modify the contents of their box without any oversight.

Security and Legal Protections

Deposits are protected from police inspection by privacy laws. The bank's policy is that if the computer does not recognize the account number, the system will automatically shut down, giving the client only one attempt to enter the correct number. This strict security measure prevents brute-force attempts to guess account numbers. The bank's anonymity policy has made it controversial in the art community because it provides a perfect place for art thieves to hide stolen goods for years, if necessary, until the heat is off. The bank's president, André Vernet, is aware of this and has designed security parameters that keep the bank a leader in electronic security.

Long-Term Leases and Inheritance

Keys are often passed on as inheritance, and the bank's gold accounts require a minimum safe-deposit box lease of fifty years, paid in advance. Clients can purchase much longer leases, but if there is no activity on an account for fifty years, the contents are automatically destroyed. This policy ensures that the bank does not hold dormant accounts indefinitely. The bank's staff is trained to handle first-time users who are uncertain of the protocol, and they provide a private viewing room for as long as the client needs it.

Consequences and Narrative Significance

The anonymity policy is central to the plot of The Da Vinci Code. Jacques Saunière uses the bank to store the keystone, a cryptex containing a map to the Holy Grail. He gives his granddaughter Sophie Neveu the key but not the account number, forcing her to decipher a code—the Fibonacci sequence—to access the box. The bank's strict anonymity rules prevent the police from easily obtaining a search warrant, and the bank's president, André Vernet, initially refuses to help Sophie and Robert Langdon because they lack the account number. The policy also allows the Teacher (Leigh Teabing) to plan the theft of the keystone without fear of the bank revealing his identity. Ultimately, the bank's anonymity policy serves as both a protective mechanism for the Priory of Sion's secrets and a plot device that drives the characters' actions and the story's suspense.