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Securities and Exchange Commission
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 13D
Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. 1)
INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN STATEMENTS FILED PURSUANT TO
RULE 13d-1(a) AND AMENDMENTS THERETO FILED PURSUANT TO RULE 13d-2(a)
The France Growth Fund, Inc.
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(Name of Issuer)
Common Stock, par value $.01 per share
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(Title of Class of Securities)
35177K108
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(CUSIP Number)
Moritz A. Sell
Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Alexanderplatz 2
D-10178 Berlin
Germany
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(Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person
Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications)
April 9, 1999
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(Date of Event which Requires
Filing of this Statement)
If the filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report
the acquisition which is the subject of this Schedule 13D, and is filing this
schedule because of Rule 13d-1(b)(3) or (4), check the following box. [ ]
Page 1 of 10 Pages
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CUSIP No.: 35177K108 13D Page 2 of 10 Pages
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SCHEDULE 13D
CUSIP NO. 35177K108 PAGE 2 OF 10 PAGES
1. NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
S.S. OR I.R.S ID NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
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2. CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP (a) [ ]
(b) [ ]
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3. SEC USE ONLY
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4. SOURCE OF FUNDS WC
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5. CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS
REQUIRED PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2(d) OR 2(e) [ ]
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6. CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Federal Republic of Germany
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NUMBER OF 7. SOLE VOTING POWER 1,490,400
SHARES ------------------------------------------------------
BENEFICIALLY 8. SHARED VOTING POWER 0
OWNED BY ------------------------------------------------------
EACH 9. SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER 1,490,400
REPORTING ------------------------------------------------------
PERSON WITH 10. SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER 0
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11. AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH
REPORTING PERSON 1,490,400
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12. CHECK IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES [ ]
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13. PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11) 9.71%%
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14. TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON BK
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Page 2 of 10 Pages
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This Amendment No. 1 amends and supplements Items 3, 4 and 5 of the
Schedule 13D of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG (the "Bank") with respect to the
shares of Common Stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Common Stock"), of The
France Growth Fund, Inc. (the "Fund"). In addition, this Amendment No.1
restates in its entirety Annex A of the Schedule 13D of the Bank. Annex A sets
forth the name, business address and principal occupation of each director and
executive officer of the Bank and the name, address, jurisdiction of
incorporation and principal business of each shareholder of the Bank who may be
deemed to be in control of the Bank. All of the individuals listed on Annex A
are citizens of Germany, except for David Clark and Zoe Shaw, who are citizens
of Great Britain, and Erik Blahut, who is a citizen of Austria.
ITEM 3. SOURCE AND AMOUNT OF FUNDS OR OTHER CONSIDERATION
The source of the funds used by the Bank to purchase the 1,490,400
shares of Common Stock listed in Item 5(a) was working capital. The amount of
the funds used to purchase such shares aggregated approximately $19,744,269
(exclusive of commissions).
ITEM 4. PURPOSE OF TRANSACTION
The Bank and the Fund have recently discussed the persistent discount
from net asset value at which the shares of Common Stock have traded and
possible methods of reducing the discount. To the knowledge of the Bank, the
Fund has not determined to pursue any of the courses of action discussed by the
Bank and the Fund. The Fund initiated discussions concerning the possibility of
the Fund offering representation on the Board of Directors of the Fund to the
Bank. However, no agreement has been reached by the Bank and the Fund with
respect to this matter.
ITEM 5. INTEREST IN SECURITIES OF THE ISSUER
(a) The Fund's proxy statement, dated March 11, 1999, relating to the
1998 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of the Fund to be held on April 29, 1999
states that, as of February 9, 1999, there were 15,345,333 shares of Common
Stock outstanding. The percentage set forth in this Item 5(a) was derived using
such number.
The Bank is the beneficial owner of 1,490,400 shares of Common Stock,
which constitute approximately 9.71% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock.
(b) The Bank has sole power to vote and to dispose of the shares of
Common Stock owned by it.
(c) During the last sixty days, the Bank has effected the following
purchases in the shares of Common Stock, all of which were made on the New York
Stock Exchange.
Page 3 of 10 Pages
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Date Number of Shares Purchased Price Per Share
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April 8, 1999 10,000 $13.6250
April 9, 1999 10,000 12.4219
(d) No person other than the Bank has the right to receive or the
power to direct the receipt of dividends from, or the proceeds from the sale
of, the shares of Common Stock owned by the Bank.
(e) It is inapplicable to state the date on which the Bank ceased to
be the beneficial owner of more than five percent of the Common Stock.
Page 4 of 10 Pages
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SIGNATURE
After reasonable inquiry and to the best of our knowledge and belief,
we certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete
and correct.
Date: April 15, 1999 BANKGESELLSCHAFT BERLIN AG
By: /s/ Gregory L. Melville
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Name Gregory L. Melville
Title: Assistant Director
By: /s/ Moritz Sell
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Name: Moritz Sell
Title: Market Stategist
Page 5 of 10 Pages
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ANNEX A
Unless otherwise indicated, the business address for all individuals
listed in this Annex A is Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG, Alexanderplatz 2, 10178
Berlin Federal Republic of Germany.
MEMBERS OF THE MANAGING BOARD
Name and Address Principal Occupation
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Dr. Wolfgang Rupf Speaker of the Managing Board of Bankgesellschaft
Berlin AG
Norbert Pawlowski Member of the Managing Board of Bankgesellschaft
Berlin AG
Hans Leukers Member of the Managing Board of Bankgesellschaft
Berlin AG
Leopold Troebinger Member of the Managing Board of Bankgesellschaft
Berlin AG
Dr. Thomas Kurze Member of the Managing Board of Bankgesellschaft
Berlin AG
Dr. Lothar Wackerbeck Member of the Managing Board of Bankgesellschaft
Berlin AG
Dr. Johannes Evers Member of the Managing Board of Bankgesellschaft
Berlin AG
Page 6 of 10 Pages
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EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Name and Address Principal Occupation
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<S> <C>
Christian Krueger Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Konzern-Finanzen und Beteiligungen
Hardenbergstrasse 32
10623 Berlin
Federal Republic of Germany
Willi Boehmer Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Peter Koenig Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Hans Joachim Bley Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Jochen W. Sawahn Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Dr. Joachim Preussner Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Heinrich Honerlage Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Konzern-Revision
Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Otto-Braun Str. 90
10249 Berlin
Federal Republic of Germany
Stefan Traegler Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Handels Controlling
Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
13355 Berlin
Federal Republic of Germany
Page 7 of 10 Pages
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<CAPTION>
Name and Address Principal Occupation
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<S> <C>
Artur Fischer Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Konzern-Organisation
Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Brunnestrasse 111
13355 Berlin
Federal Republic of Germany
Helmut Ramthun Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Konzern-Organisation
Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Brunnestrasse 111
13355 Berlin
Federal Republic of Germany
Joachim Antczack Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Wolfgang Stoeckel Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Heinz-Dieter Gottschalk Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Jochen Zimmermann Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Frank-Michael Boenke Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Georg-Heinrich Sieveking Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Hadi Saidi Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Gerhard Richter Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Page 8 of 10 Pages
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<CAPTION>
Name and Address Principal Occupation
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<S> <C>
Zoe Shaw Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Asset-Backed Transaktionen
Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
London Branch
1 Crown Court
Cheapside
London EC2V 6JP
Dr. Karl-Friedrich Hirschhaeuser Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Guenter Laubner Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
David Clark General Manager of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
London Branch
1 Crown Court
Cheapside
London EC2V 6JP
Dr. Erik Blahut Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Serge Demoliere Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Hans-Werner Wilms Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Tim Kettemann Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Bruno Schmidt-Voss Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Cord-Friedrich Koening Managing Director of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
</TABLE>
Page 9 of 10 Pages
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SHAREHOLDERS WHO MAY BE DEEMED TO CONTROL THE BANK
The following shareholders of the Bank may be deemed to control the
Bank:
The City of Berlin
Gothaer Beteiligungsgesellschaft, an affiliate of an insurance company formed
under the laws of Germany, whose principal address is Lutzowstrasse 89, 10785
Berlin, Germany, and whose principal shareholders are Gothaer Versicherungs
Bank AG (principal office: Gothaer Allee 1, 50672, Koln, Germany), Gothaer
Lebenversicherung AG (principal office: Gothaer Platz 2-8, 37069 Gottingen,
Germany) and Norddeutsche Landesbank Girozentrale NORD/LB (principal address is
Georgplatz 1, D-30159, Hannover, Germany).
Norddeutsche Landesbank Girozentrale NORD/LB, a bank formed under the laws of
Germany, whose principal address is Georgplatz 1, D-30159, Hannover, Germany.
