The Association of Islamic Cultural Centers

What The Association of Islamic Cultural Centers does

The Association of Islamic Cultural Centers (Verband der Islamischen Kulturzentren e.V., operating as VIKZ) is a non-profit religious association registered in Germany that provides comprehensive religious, social, and cultural care for Muslims living in Germany. Founded in 1973 and headquartered at Vogelsanger Straße 290 in Cologne, the organization coordinates a nationwide network of more than 100 affiliated mosque communities and cultural centers across at least ten federal states. Enes Ataman is listed as the responsible person under § 5 TMG, and a new board was elected at the May 2026 delegate assembly.

VIKZ's core offerings include religious services — prayer facilities, Friday sermons distributed via the website, and a prayer time calendar — alongside a community portal listing mosques and regional communities. It runs student dormitories at over 20 university locations across Germany that combine accommodation and meals with religious seminars and community programming. The organization also hosts mosque tours for groups and an annual Open Mosque Day each October 3 (German Unity Day), a tradition originating at VIKZ's Ehrenfelder headquarters in 1994. A new multifunctional Verbandszentrale is under construction in Cologne-Müngersdorf.

As a registered association (eingetragener Verein), VIKZ funds its activities primarily through donations from members and supporters, plus membership contributions from affiliated mosque communities. Services are offered free of charge to members and visitors. The organization forms a small ecosystem of recommended partners covering travel (HISARE Europe), Islamic literature (Çamlıca Kitap), halal food (Tuna Food), and burial-fund services (VIKZ Sterbefonds). No proprietary technology platform, public API, or mobile application is described in the available data.

Name

The Association of Islamic Cultural Centers

Legal name

Verband der Islamischen Kulturzentren e. V.

Website

https://vikz.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

VIKZ (Verband der Islamischen Kulturzentren e.V.) is a Cologne-based, non-profit Islamic religious association founded in 1973 that delivers religious care, community services, and student housing to Muslims in Germany through over 100 affiliated mosques and 20+ university dormitories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Community Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Interfaith & Ecumenical Councils and Dialogue Organizations (BPAGAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Religious & Spiritual Festivals/Observances (Public Events) (MPAGAEAC), Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations (BPAGAHAD)

Keywords

• Religious community services
• Mosque operations
• Islamic education programs
• Student dormitory services
• Interfaith cultural programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Cologne

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership Fees: As a non-profit religious association (e.V. - registered association), VIKZ operates primarily through donations from members and supporters, as well as membership fees from affiliated mosque communities across Germany.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Association of Islamic Cultural Centers (Verband der Islamischen Kulturzentren e.V., VIKZ) is a non-profit Islamic religious community organization in Germany that provides comprehensive religious care to Muslims. Its offerings include prayer facilities, Friday sermons, mosque tours, Islamic education programs, student dormitories at over 20 university locations, and an annual nationwide Open Mosque Day to promote interfaith dialogue. The association operates through a network of more than 100 affiliated mosque communities and cultural centers across Germany.

Product overview

The VIKZ (Verband der Islamischen Kulturzentren) operates as a unified association offering religious, social, and cultural services to Muslims in Germany. Its core offerings include student dormitories at over 20 university locations, a community portal with mosque directories, prayer calendars, Friday sermons, mosque tours, and an annual Open Mosque Day. The organization is constructing a new multifunctional headquarters in Cologne-Müngersdorf to serve as its central base.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Studentenwohnheime (Student Dormitories) Student dormitory facilities at over 20 university locations across Germany, providing accommodation, meals, and a values-based community with religious seminars and community offerings for Muslim students.
• Gebetskalender (Prayer Calendar) Daily prayer time calendar showing important times from sunrise to sunset for Muslim prayers, available to community members and visitors.
• Freitagspredigt (Friday Sermon) Current and past Friday sermons available online for reading, providing religious guidance to community members.
• Moscheeführungen (Mosque Tours) Guided mosque tours offered by local communities for groups, providing insights into Muslim community life, Islamic practices, and interfaith understanding.
• Tag der offenen Moschee (Open Mosque Day) Annual nationwide event held on October 3rd (German Unity Day) where mosques across Germany open their doors to the public for tours, discussions, and cultural exchanges to foster interfaith dialogue.
• VIKZ Sterbefonds (Burial Fund) Internal burial fund service providing financial support for funeral costs of community members.
• Verbandszentrale (Association Headquarters) New multifunctional headquarters being constructed in Cologne-Müngersdorf to serve as the central base for association activities and a hub for community engagement.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• HISARE Europe TravelminorOthersRecommended travel partner displayed on VIKZ website as a trusted service provider for community members.
• Çamlıca KitapminorOthersRecommended bookstore partner offering Islamic literature and educational materials.
• Tuna FoodminorOthersRecommended food product partner, likely providing halal food options for community events.
• VIKZ Sterbefonds (Burial Fund)minorOthersInternal VIKZ organization providing burial fund services for community members.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Koordinationsrat der Muslime in Deutschland (KRM): Coordination council of the four largest Muslim umbrella organizations in Germany. Comparable as a coordinating layer for German Islamic associations, performing joint advocacy and interfaith outreach on behalf of member federations.
• Zentralrat der Muslime in Deutschland (ZMD): National umbrella council coordinating multiple Islamic associations in Germany for political representation and interfaith dialogue. Comparable as a higher-level coordinating body for German Muslim communities and a dialogue partner for the German government.
• Alevitische Gemeinde Deutschland e.V. Federation of Alevi Muslim communities in Germany recognized as a religious corporation. Comparable in operating a non-profit federation model delivering religious services, cultural programs, and political representation for a defined Islamic community in Germany.
• Islamische Gemeinschaft Millî Görüş (IGMG): Major German-based Islamic association operating a large network of mosques, cultural centers, and youth programs. Directly comparable as a grassroots Muslim umbrella body in Germany with comparable service mix and federation structure.
• Türkisch-Islamische Union der Anstalt für Religion (DITIB): Largest Islamic umbrella organization in Germany, affiliated with Turkey's Diyanet. Directly comparable as a non-profit federation operating hundreds of mosques across Germany providing religious, cultural, and educational services to Muslim communities.
• Verband Deutscher Freier Moscheegemeinden: Association of independent free mosque communities in Germany. Comparable as a German Islamic umbrella organization aggregating locally governed mosque communities, with similar federation membership model and service portfolio.
• Islamische Gemeinschaft der Bosniaken in Deutschland: German-based Bosnian Islamic association operating mosques and community programs. Comparable as a smaller ethnic/denominational Islamic federation in Germany delivering religious services, education, and cultural programs to a defined Muslim community.

Others

• Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland: Umbrella organization of Jewish communities in Germany. Comparable as a federally organized religious community body in Germany that similarly coordinates member congregations, interfaith dialogue, and state-level representation.
• Deutscher Caritasverband: German Catholic social welfare association, one of the largest non-profits in Germany. Comparable as a large German non-profit federation of affiliated local organizations delivering social, educational, and community services with a similar membership-fee and donation model.

Emerging players

• Muslimische Studentenwohnheime Deutschland (various operators): Various independent operators of values-based Muslim student housing in German university cities. Comparable as providers of the same niche service (halal, religious-accommodating student accommodation) that VIKZ operates at 20+ university locations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vikz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Association of Islamic Cultural Centers