Domberg-Akademie

What Domberg-Akademie does

Domberg-Akademie is the adult education foundation (Stiftung Erwachsenenbildung) of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising (Erzdiöcese München und Freising), headquartered on the historic Domberg in Freising, Bavaria. Operating since Spring 2020 under its current name following a rebranding from the former Stiftung Bildungszentrum, the academy delivers programming across six thematic areas: Demokratie & Ethik, Religion & Kirche, Umwelt & Nachhaltigkeit, Kultur & Kreativität, Persönlichkeit & Pädagogik, and Werkstatt Zukunft. Its target audience spans Bavarian civic society, Catholics and Christians seeking faith formation, church employees and pastoral workers, secondary schools and youth groups, and companies seeking diversity training. The organization runs events, seminars, residential retreats, podcasts, a quarterly DA-Magazine, and large-scale civic initiatives such as the Lange Nacht der Demokratie.

The academy combines traditional adult education with proprietary experimental formats developed through its innovation hub, the Bildungslabor, founded in 2020. These include a mobile augmented-reality escape game ("Klimaprofis – saving tomorrow," 2022), a card game on conspiracy theories and media literacy ("Die Geheimprotokolle des Professors," 2022), a hybrid lecture-performance format on privilege and discrimination ("Wie werde ich eine Süßkartoffel?"), the moderated "Unbubble" dialogue format, an app-based energy trail on the Weihenstephaner Berg, and the "GlaubensLab" creative workshop. Distribution channels include in-person programs at the Freising headquarters and partner venues across Bavaria (Traunstein, Herrsching, Munich-Haidhausen), online seminars via Zoom, podcast series on Spotify/Apple/YouTube, the free DA-Magazine, a small physical e-commerce shop for games and video packages, and church institutional networks including the AKSB.

Revenue is generated primarily through institutional funding from the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, supplemented by individual course and seminar fees (typically €7–€300 per participant), one-time event registrations, the free magazine, rental fees for the escape game (€75/week), and modest e-commerce sales of card games (€8–€40) and online congress video packages (€9–€17.50). The technology stack is conventional — TYPO3 website, Google Analytics, Zoom — with no proprietary software platform. Strategic academic and institutional partnerships — with LMU Munich's Geschwister-Scholl-Institut, Hochschule Weihenstephan-Triesdorf, JFF Institute for Media Pedagogy, Bayerische Landeszentrale für politische Bildungsarbeit, Kulturfonds Bayern, and the AKSB network — provide research grounding, co-development capability, and recognized provider status for federal political education funding through the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (bpb).

Name

Domberg-Akademie

Legal name

Stiftung Erwachsenenbildung der Erzdiözese München und Freising

Website

https://domberg-akademie.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Domberg-Akademie is the adult education foundation of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, delivering courses, seminars, podcasts, and experimental learning formats (escape games, card games, lecture performances) across Bavaria to civic society, Catholics, church workers, schools, and companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adult Education

NAICS

Educational Services (611), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs (EDAAAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides) (MPAJAHAC), Workshops, Webinars & Live Masterclasses (MPACALAD), Interdisciplinary/General Education & Study Skills (EDAGABAN), Online Learning Content & Course Publishing Platforms (BPAMAJAL)

Keywords

• Adult education programs
• Theological education
• Political education
• Civic engagement training
• Educational event formats

Headquarters

HQ city

Freising

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Course and seminar fees: Individual courses and seminars are priced per registration. Fees range from free (e.g., Unbubble introduction, live podcast events) to €160 (SoulCollage seminar), with concessions available. Multi-day events charge per-day or package rates.
2. Event-based program revenue: Seasonal themed events, online congress recordings, card games, books, and educational materials are sold individually. Video packages from online congresses are sold for €9–€17.50 per set. Card games range from €8 (single) to €32 (class set).
3. DA-Magazine subscription: The Domberg-Akademie's print and digital magazine is distributed free of charge (funded by institutional budget from Erzdiözese München und Freising). No direct revenue stream.
4. Escape Game rental: The mobile escape game 'Klimaprofis – saving tomorrow' can be rented for €75 per week (pickup in Freising) or shipped within Germany for €100 shipping fee.
5. Institutional funding (Erzdiözese München und Freising): As Stiftung Erwachsenenbildung of the Erzdiözese München und Freising, the academy receives institutional funding as its primary financial backbone, enabling free and subsidized programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Domberg-Akademie is a Catholic adult education institution that delivers courses, seminars, workshops, podcasts, lecture performances, escape games, card games, and dialog formats across six thematic areas: Democracy & Ethics, Religion & Church, Environment & Sustainability, Culture & Creativity, Personality & Pedagogy, and Werkstatt Zukunft (Future Workshop). Programs are offered both in-person at the Freising headquarters and partner venues across Bavaria, and online via Zoom. It also sells related educational materials such as card games, video recordings of congresses, and books.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SoulCollage Seminar (2-day residential) 2-day residential SoulCollage seminar on self-expression through image and word. Course fee €160 (regular), €139 (reduced/concession). Accommodation in single room €88. Full board for two days €117. Venue: Haus der Bayerischen Landwirtschaft Herrsching, Ammersee.
• Podcast series (Schöner glauben / Der Himmel bleibt wolkig / Der Himmel reißt auf / Made in Vielfalt) Two active podcast series: 'Der Himmel bleibt wolkig / Der Himmel reißt auf' addressing faith in crisis and church transformation, and 'Made in Vielfalt' addressing perspectives of people experiencing discrimination. Distributed via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Deezer, and Soundcloud.
• Christlich-jüdischer Dialog Online Online Christian-Jewish dialogue series addressing selected Torah texts from a Jewish perspective. Priced at €7 per session for participants.
• Konfliktbewältigung für Sprach- und Kulturdolmetscher:innen Conflict resolution workshop for language and cultural interpreters, organized in partnership with Caritas-Zentrum Freising and funded by migration and integration education funds of the Erzdiözese.
• GOTT.neu.denken Theological Forum Series Interdisciplinary adult theological education series combining theology, philosophy, natural science, and sociology for general adult learners and church audiences. Features online congresses with renowned scholars and individual module events.
• Escape Game 'Klimaprofis – saving tomorrow' Mobile educational escape game for 5–30 participants set in Venice, addressing climate topics (nutrition, mobility, energy, consumption). Uses augmented reality, audio recordings, video animations, and 3D-printed props. Target: youth from age 14 and adults. Rentable for €75/week with pickup in Freising or shipped within Germany.
• Adventure Card Game 'Die Geheimprotokolle des Professors' Educational card game for students in grades 8–13 on fake news, conspiracy theories, and source verification. Includes logic puzzles and combination tasks. Sold as Package I (single game for 6 players) at €11 and Package II (class set for up to 30 players) at €40, developed with game designer Sebastian Grünwald and tested with three school classes.
• Lecture Performance 'Wie werde ich eine Süßkartoffel?' Hybrid lecture-theater format (Lecture Performance) on privilege and discrimination. Uses video excerpts, personal testimonials, and interactive group discussion. Available online via Zoom at €180 per session or in-person at €300 plus travel costs, for adults (associations, parishes, companies) and school classes (grade 10+). Duration 1.5–3 hours.
• Mobile Theater 'Irgendwas irgendwie' Mobile theater production for youth and adults on individual answers to life's big questions, used as a workshop basis for the GlaubensLab creative workshop space.
• Unbubble Dialogformat Moderated 20-minute in-person dialog format that brings people with differing viewpoints together at locations where they naturally gather (markets, theaters, events). Includes moderation guidelines and materials.
• App-based Energy Trail (Interaktiver Energielehrpfad) App-guided walking tour on the Weihenstephaner Berg in Freising teaching responsible energy use and climate protection.
• Planspiel 'Mehr Politik wagen' Democracy simulation training for parish councils (Pfarrgemeinderäte) that can be booked free of charge. Concept, materials, and trained facilitator provided. Three duration variants: 90 min, 3 hours, or 5 hours.
• hinüber Manufaktur (Ecumenical Church Transformation Workshop) Ecumenical church transformation workshop for church workers and parish leaders. Course fee €100 (regular), €80 (reduced). Food €70. Accommodation €80. Maximum 80 participants. The first Manufaktur in May 2025 gathered ~80 participants from Germany, Austria, and South Tyrol.

Quantifiable outcome

• The 'GOTT.neu.denken' series has run since 2016 with consistently sold-out events, indicating sustained high demand.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• Wertebündnis BayernflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026The Wertebündnis Bayern organizes the annual Lange Nacht der Demokratie across Bavarian municipalities. In 2026, the event takes place simultaneously in 52 Bavarian cities and towns, including Freising, with Domberg-Akademie as a participant and program contributor.
• Stadt Freising (Treffpunkt Ehrenamt)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026The Treffpunkt Ehrenamt of the city of Freising organizes the local Lange Nacht der Demokratie with approximately 50 civic clubs, schools, and religious communities. Domberg-Akademie contributes its own program segment (short films on human compassion).
• Caritas-Zentrum Freising (Caitas-Zentrum)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Cooperation partner for the 'Konfliktbewältigung für Sprach- und Kulturdolmetscher:innen' workshop. The workshop is organized in partnership with the Caritas center and funded by migration and integration education funds of the Erzdiözese.
• Kloster BeuerbergminorOthers · 1 January 2025Venue for the first 'hinüber' Manufaktur in May 2025, which gathered approximately 80 participants from Germany, Austria, and South Tyrol for ecumenical church transformation dialogue.
• Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) – Geschwister-Scholl-Institut für PolitikwissenschaftcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Domberg-Akademie entered a cooperation with LMU Munich's Geschwister-Scholl-Institut to publish the academic article 'Die Verantwortung des Gedenkens: Erinnerungskultur in Bosnien und Herzegowina als politische Bildungsaufgabe,' strengthening the link between academic research and adult education practice.
• Arbeitsgemeinschaft katholisch-sozialer Bildungswerke e.V. (AKSB)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023AKSB is a recognized provider for the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (bpb). Domberg-Akademie is a sub-contractor (Unterträger) of AKSB, distributing its political education programs through this national Catholic adult education network.
• Christ in der Gegenwart (Herder publishing)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023The Catholic journal 'Christ in der Gegenwart' is a long-term cooperation partner for the 'Glauben.Neu.Denken' series and the associated podcast 'Der Himmel reißt auf.' The partnership provides editorial content and cross-promotion through the Herder publishing network.
• Hochschule Weihenstephan-TriesdorfcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022HSWT collaborated with Domberg-Akademie on the development of the mobile escape game 'Klimaprofis – saving tomorrow,' contributing technical and academic expertise from the university of applied sciences for green/sustainability topics.
• Agentur Reality TwistcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2022Reality Twist (Munich-based agency) handled the technical implementation of the escape game, including augmented reality elements, audio/video production, and game mechanics. Worked with game author Sebastian Grünwald.
• Bayerische Landeszentrale für politische BildungsarbeitcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021The Bayerische Landeszentrale für politische Bildungsarbeit is a cooperation partner in the development of the adventure card game 'Die Geheimprotokolle des Professors' on fake news and conspiracy theories for use in schools.
• JFF – Institut für Medienpädagogik in Forschung und PraxiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021JFF is a cooperation partner in the educational game on conspiracy theories and media literacy. The institute contributed expertise in media pedagogy to the development of the card game and its pedagogical guide.
• Hanns-Seidel-StiftungminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partner in the DenkRaum series on robotics and elderly care (Pflegerobotik), together with the Bund der Katholischen Unternehmer. The expert workshop results were published as a book.
• Bund der Katholischen Unternehmer (Diözesangruppe)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partner with Domberg-Akademie's DenkRaum on the Pflegerobotik expert workshops, bringing business and church perspectives together on technology ethics in elderly care.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Katholische Erwachsenenbildung in Bayern (KEB Bayern): The state-level Catholic adult education association in Bavaria, operating through diocesan member institutions. Direct peer because both deliver continuing faith-based adult education in Bavaria with overlapping institutional and AKSB network ties.
• Evangelische Akademie Tutzing: Protestant counterpart offering similarly structured adult education (theology, ethics, politics) in Bavaria. Closely comparable mission, format mix (seminars, tagungen, podcasts), and regional audience, making it the most natural cross-confessional peer.
• Akademie der Diözese Rottenburg-Stuttgart: Catholic diocesan academy in another major German diocese offering tagungen on theology, ethics, and society. Directly comparable in scope, target audience, and institutional model (foundation/Stiftung).

Regional players

• Bildungshaus St. Virgil (Salzburg): Austrian Catholic adult education and conference house delivering theology, ethics, and personal development programs. Comparable portfolio and mission, but Austria-based and not directly competitive in Bavaria.
• Kardinal-König-Haus (Wien): Catholic education house in Vienna run by the Jesuit/König foundation. Offers comparable interdisciplinary adult-ed programs on theology, philosophy, and society; operates in Austria rather than Germany.

Broad incumbents

• Evangelische Akademie Loccum: One of Germany's largest and most established Protestant adult education academies, operating across theology, politics, and society. Comparable as a flagship Protestant/Catholic-adjacent adult-ed brand with a longer-running publication and lecture program.
• Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (bpb): The German federal agency for political education. Overlaps with Domberg-Akademie's Demokratie & Ethik area and is effectively a funder via AKSB; comparable as a publisher/curator of civic education content at much greater scale.
• Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung: Bavarian political foundation running educational programs in civic, ethical, and social topics. Comparable in Bavaria focus and political-education programming, with substantially larger scale.

Others

• Arbeitsgemeinschaft katholisch-sozialer Bildungswerke (AKSB): National umbrella network of Catholic-social education institutions, of which Domberg-Akademie is a sub-contractor. Not a competitor but the principal channel/fund-flow partner for political-education programs.
• Herder Verlag: Major Catholic publisher and partner for the Christ in der Gegenwart journal co-promoting GOTT.neu.denken. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a peer education provider.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xmobile.twitter.com/claudiapfrang
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/DombergAkademie
• Facebookfacebook.com/dombergakademie
• Instagraminstagram.com/domberg_akademie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Domberg-Akademie