DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
This section describes the general terms that will apply to any debt securities – comprising subordinated debt securities, eligible liabilities senior debt securities, senior debt securities and senior debt funding securities – that may be offered pursuant to this prospectus by Deutsche Bank AG, acting through its head office or through one of its branches. The specific terms of the debt securities we are offering, and the extent to which the general terms described in this section apply to those securities, will be described in one or more related prospectus supplements at the time of the offer.
As used in this prospectus, “debt securities” means the debentures, notes, bonds and other evidences of indebtedness that Deutsche Bank AG issues, acting through its head office or through one of its branches, and in each case, the relevant trustee authenticates and delivers under the applicable indenture relating to such indebtedness. We refer to any such debt securities that constitute subordinated indebtedness as “subordinated debt securities”; we refer to any such debt securities that constitute eligible liabilities senior indebtedness as “eligible liabilities senior debt securities”; we refer to any such debt securities that constitute senior indebtedness as “senior debt securities”; and we refer to any such debt securities that constitute senior funding indebtedness as “senior debt funding securities.”
We may issue debt securities, acting through our head office or through one of our branches. Deutsche Bank AG as a whole is responsible for the obligations of its branches. Where, however, Deutsche Bank AG is delayed in performing or is unable, whether in whole or in part, to perform the obligations of the branch that issued any debt securities through such branch due to any law, requirement or any other act of state or of any authority in the jurisdiction of such branch, investors may be unable to seek performance of such obligations through any of Deutsche Bank’s other branches or offices (including its head office).
Subordinated Debt Securities
The Subordinated Indenture
We may issue subordinated debt securities, acting through our head office or through one of our branches. The subordinated debt securities offered pursuant to this prospectus will be issued in one or more series under, and will be governed by, a subordinated indenture, dated May 21, 2013, among us, as issuer, Wilmington Trust, National Association, 1100 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19890, as trustee, and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as paying agent, transfer agent and registrar and authenticating agent, as supplemented by the first supplemental subordinated indenture, dated as of May 24, 2013, the second supplemental subordinated indenture, dated as of April 1, 2015, the third supplemental subordinated indenture, dated as of December 1, 2017, the fourth supplemental subordinated indenture, dated as of December 1, 2017, and as may be further amended and supplemented from time to time.
The subordinated indenture is qualified under the Trust Indenture Act. Under the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act, if the same institution acts as trustee under the subordinated indenture and also as trustee under any other indenture under which securities of ours are issued, upon a default in any series of securities issued under either indenture, the trustee may be deemed to have a conflicting interest and may be required to resign and a successor trustee will be appointed.
In thissub-section “Description of Debt Securities—Subordinated Debt Securities,” we refer to the trustee under the subordinated indenture, including any successor trustee, as the “trustee” with respect to that indenture and the subordinated debt securities issued under it. We refer to the subordinated indenture, as it may be supplemented from time to time, as the “subordinated indenture.”
We have summarized below the material provisions of the subordinated indenture and the subordinated debt securities, or indicated which material provisions will be described in the related prospectus supplement. These descriptions are only summaries and are qualified in their entirety by the subordinated indenture. The terms of the subordinated indenture will include both those stated in that indenture and those made part of that indenture by the Trust Indenture Act. The subordinated indenture is included as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, and you should read the subordinated indenture for provisions that may be important to you.
We May Issue Different Series of Subordinated Debt Securities
The subordinated indenture does not limit the amount of indebtedness that may be issued. We may issue subordinated debt securities from time to time in one or more distinct series, at a price of 100%
44