Erzabtei Kloster St. Ottilien

Name

Erzabtei Kloster St. Ottilien

Legal name

Erzabtei St. Ottilien

Website

https://erzabtei.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1887

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Erzabtei Kloster St. Ottilien is a Benedictine archabbey in Bavaria, Germany, operating a community of approximately 80 monks alongside an integrated "Klosterdorf" ecosystem spanning a 700-student gymnasium, retail enterprises, hospitality, publishing, cultural programs, and global mission work supported by a 30,000-member charitable association.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious and Educational Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (813110), Religious Organizations (81311), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Religious Orders & Monastic Communities (Monasteries, Convents) (BPAGAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA), Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD), Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Campus Spiritual & Religious Life (EDALAHAI)

Keywords

• Benedictine monastery services
• Religious education
• Spiritual retreat facilities
• Monastery publishing
• Monastery farm operations

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Ottilien

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Rhabanus-Maurus-Gymnasium: Educational institution operated by the monastery serving approximately 700 students
2. Hofladen (Farm Shop): Retail shop selling monastery-produced goods including eggs, bread, sausages, pasta, honey, liqueurs, brandies, chocolate, wine, and garden produce
3. Metzgerei (Butchery): Traditional craft butcher producing regional meat products, awarded as excellent training establishment
4. EOS Verlag: Publishing house producing religious books, prayer books, and the Missionsblätter journal
5. Gästehaus und Exerzitienhaus: Guest house and retreat center offering courses and individual guest stays
6. Donations and Support: Donations collected through Liebeswerk (charitable association with ~30,000 members), online donations, and project-specific funding for school construction and mission projects
7. Liebeswerk Membership: Annual membership fees (5 EUR yearly or 100 EUR one-time) supporting mission work, with approximately 30,000 members in prayer community

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Erzabtei St. Ottilien is a Benedictine archabbey and motherhouse of the Missionary Benedictine Congregation, providing spiritual community life, Catholic education through the Rhabanus-Maurus-Gymnasium (approx. 700 students), retreat and guest house programs, and an integrated set of commercial operations including a farm shop, craft butchery, garden, publishing house, gallery, day care, and youth programs. The monastery is supported by a ~30,000-member Liebeswerk prayer community and Ottilianer Freunde donor association, and channels resources into international Benedictine mission projects.

Product overview

Erzabtei St. Ottilien is a Benedictine monastery operating a diverse portfolio of products and services across education, hospitality, retail, publishing, culture, and missionary work. The core offering is the spiritual community of approximately 80 Benedictine monks, which anchors a broad ecosystem including the Rhabanus-Maurus-Gymnasium (a Benedictine secondary school for ~700 students), the EOS Verlag publishing house (producing religious books and the 120-year-old Missionsblätter journal), and the Exerzitien- und Gästehaus retreat house. Retail operations include the Hofladen farm shop, Klostermetzgerei butchery, Klostergärtnerei garden, and Klosterladen. Hospitality offerings encompass the Klostergasthof guesthouse and a youth campsite. Cultural offerings include the Klostergalerie art gallery with four annual exhibitions, the Ottilianerkonzerte concert series, and Circus St. Ottilien. The monastery also runs charitable programs through Liebeswerk (30,000-member charitable association), manages mission projects worldwide, and offers digital services including live streaming of prayer times and a quarterly Ottilieninfo newsletter. The community is supported by associations such as Ottilianer Freunde and the Confoederatio Ottiliensis alumni network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rhabanus-Maurus-Gymnasium A Benedictine secondary school (Gymnasium) operated by the monastery, serving approximately 700 students with a humanistic curriculum emphasizing languages, music, art, and sports alongside Benedictine values.
• Tagesheim (Day Care) Open all-day care facility for students of all grades at the Rhabanus-Maurus-Gymnasium, operated by the Benedictine missionaries, currently serving approximately one-third of the 700 gymnasium students with study time, meals, and leisure activities.
• Exerzitien- und Gästehaus (Retreat and Guest House) Retreat and guest house offering courses, individual guest stays, and spiritual exercises (Exerzitien) for visitors seeking spiritual retreat at the monastery.
• Klostergasthof (Monastery Guesthouse) Guest accommodation and restaurant operated by the monastery at the entrance of the monastery village; currently seeking a new operator/tenant.
• Hofladen (Farm Shop) On-site farm shop selling monastery-produced goods including eggs, bread, sausages, meat products, pasta, honey, liqueurs, brandies, monastery chocolate, wine, and garden produce. Open Monday-Saturday with limited weekend hours.
• Klostermetzgerei (Monastery Butchery) Traditional craft butchery operating for over 130 years, producing handcrafted meat and sausage products. Supplies the monastery, school kitchen, and guesthouse, with products available in the farm shop since 2009. Recognized as an outstanding training business.
• Klostergärtnerei (Monastery Garden) Monastery garden covering approximately two hectares producing vegetables and fruit for the monastery's kitchens, the farm shop, and a local Rewe reseller (Eching am Ammersee); also offers self-service greenhouse sales 24/7.
• EOS Verlag (Publishing House) The publishing house of Erzabtei St. Ottilien, producing religious books, prayer books (Stundenbücher), the Missionsblätter journal (in its 120th year), and other ecclesiastical publications, with an in-house printing press.
• Klostergalerie (Galerie Sankt Ottilien) Art gallery founded in 2002 within the monastery, featuring four annual exhibitions focused on Christian-humanistic heritage and contemporary art, with a 45m main gallery and a 25m small gallery. Run in collaboration with Kunstverein Vis-à-vis Eresing.
• Ottilianerkonzerte (Ottilien Concerts) Concert series organized by the monastery featuring classical and religious music, including the annual Liberation Concert commemorating the 1945 DP Hospital liberation, part of the Ammerseerenade festival.
• Zeltplatz (Campsite) Youth campsite located approximately 4-5 minutes walk from the monastery, accommodating up to 120 people with washing facilities, showers, electricity, a large hut with refrigerators and benches, a sports field, and two fire pits.
• Klosterladen (Monastery Shop) On-site shop selling religious items, publications from EOS Verlag, and products from the monastery; also houses the entrance to the Klostergalerie exhibitions.
• Erzabtei Live (Live Streaming) Live audio and video streaming of prayer times and worship services, allowing remote followers to participate in the monastery's prayer life; audio streams available up to 14 days in archive; video streams allow rewinding up to 12 hours.
• Ottilieninfo Newsletter Quarterly newsletter (four times per year) providing news and information about Erzabtei St. Ottilien, distributed via email (CleverReach platform) and available by subscription.
• Liebeswerk vom hl. Benedikt e.V. Non-profit charitable association supporting the missionary work of the abbey and congregation, with approximately 30,000 members forming a prayer community; funds missionary education, faith deepening, and social projects at mission monasteries worldwide.
• Ottilianer Freunde (Friends of the Abbey) Association of friends and supporters of Erzabtei St. Ottilien providing financial and advisory support for key monastery tasks including the renewal of the Rhabanus-Maurus-Gymnasium, international mission projects, heritage preservation, and securing the future of the abbey.
• Missionsprojekte (Mission Projects) International mission projects of the Benedictine missionaries, including support for St. Benedict Ndanda Hospital in Tanzania (mother-child center project), eye clinic/eye doctor training in Peramiho, Tanzania, and various other social and religious-spiritual projects at mission sites worldwide.
• Confoederatio Ottiliensis (C.O.) Network connecting former students of the Rhabanus-Maurus-Gymnasium and the former mission seminary, led by a 9-member board chaired by the Abbot of St. Ottilien; supports the gymnasium, monastery, and mission work financially.
• Circus St. Ottilien Circus program run by students of the Rhabanus-Maurus-Gymnasium, fostering social competence and responsibility; features professional-quality performances including participation by partner school students from Inkamana High School, South Africa.
• Klosterfürbitte (Monastery Intercession) Prayer request service where the Benedictine missionaries include the intentions and intercessions of supporters in their daily prayers; requests are displayed on a prayer board in the station corridor so the monks can pray for them before entering church.

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Confoederatio Ottiliensis (C.O.)coreOthersNetwork connecting former students of the Rhabanus-Maurus-Gymnasium and former Mission Seminary. Led by a board of 9 members from monks and alumni. Erzabt serves as chairman. Supports school and monastery projects financially.
• Liebeswerk vom hl. Benedikt e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit association founded in 1886/1908 supporting mission work of the abbey and congregation. Has approximately 30,000 members in a prayer community. Funds missionary training, education, spiritual projects, and social projects at mission monasteries worldwide.
• Schulwerk der Diözese AugsburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool operator/trustee for the Rhabanus-Maurus-Gymnasium. Provides funding support for school construction/renovation alongside the monastery.
• EsteamaconminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDr. Bernhard Schmalzl's consulting team donated proceeds from leadership courses to the school project.
• European Network for Buddhist-Christian Studies (ENBCS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic network dedicated to dialogue between Buddhism and Christianity. Has its seat at Erzabtei Sankt Ottilien. Brothers Josef and Elias represent St. Ottilien on the board.
• Inkamana High School, SüdafrikaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school of Rhabanus-Maurus-Gymnasium. Students participate in joint events including Circus performances.
• Benedictine Educators' NETwork (BENET)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network of Benedictine schools. The Rhabanus-Maurus-Gymnasium is a member.
• Feuerwehr Eresing (Klosterfeuerwehr)minorOthersThe monastery fire brigade is part of the local fire department. Supports community safety.
• Diocese of AugsburgcoreOthersThe monastery is in the Diocese of Augsburg. Bishop Bertram Meier participates in events including Misereor Fastenaktion opening.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Abtei Maria Laach: German Benedictine abbey operating a publishing house, bookstore, and hotel/restaurant. Highly comparable to St. Ottilien's mixed model of publishing, retail, hospitality, and retreat offerings anchored by a Benedictine community.
• Erzabtei Beuron: German Benedictine archabbey with similar ecclesiastical status (Erzabtei), publishing, and retreat house offerings. Comparable as a peer German archabbey with monastic community, publishing operations, and spiritual retreat programs.
• Abtei Plankstetten: Benedictine abbey in Bavaria with farm shop, brewery, school, and retreat house. Comparable in combining monastic life with agricultural production, food retail, education, and guest accommodations.
• Kloster Andechs: Benedictine monastery in Bavaria with a 500+ year brewing tradition, on-site restaurant, and retail operations. Comparable as a Bavarian Benedictine community combining monastic life with commercial brewery, food service, and visitor-facing retail.
• Abtei Niederaltaich: Benedictine abbey in Bavaria with school, retreat house, and ecclesiastical operations. Comparable to St. Ottilien as a Bavarian Benedictine community offering education, retreat programs, and guest services.
• Abtei Ettal: Benedictine abbey in Bavaria operating a Gymnasium, brewery, distillery, and retail shop. Highly comparable to St. Ottilien in combining monastic life with education, craft production, and on-site hospitality/retail in a similar Bavarian setting.
• Abtei Weltenburg: Benedictine abbey on the Danube operating a famous brewery, restaurant, and retail operations. Comparable to St. Ottilien's Bavarian Klosterdorf model of integrating monastic life with craft food production and visitor commerce.
• Abtei Münsterschwarzach: Large German Benedictine abbey with school, monastery guesthouse, and craft operations. Comparable to St. Ottilien in scale of Benedictine community, educational programs, and integrated retreat/commercial activities.

Regional players

• Erzabtei Pannonhalma: Hungarian Benedictine archabbey (UNESCO World Heritage) operating a prominent school, vineyard, and guesthouse. Comparable in operating an integrated monastic community with secondary school, commercial agriculture, and visitor services, though geographically distinct.
• Mount Angel Abbey: Benedictine abbey in Oregon, USA, operating a seminary and school with on-site brewery and gift shop. Comparable in integrating monastic life with educational programs and visitor retail, though in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@erzabteistottilien
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/erzabtei-kloster-st.-ottilien

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries12 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 Erzabtei Kloster St. Ottilien