- For over 50 years, we've been setting aside the third Thursday in October to celebrate International Credit Union Day, and this year is no exception. Each year, it becomes more and more important to promote understanding and support for the credit union difference. In 1848, Freidrich Raiffeisen, mayor of Flammersfeld, Germany conceived of the idea for a credit union to help alleviate the distress of farmers suffering from the famine that had struck his district. Although the credit union was not officially formed until December 1, 1849, credit union people have celebrated the year 1848 since the '30s and '40s.
