Institut Menzingen

What Institut Menzingen does

Institut Menzingen (legal name: Schwestern vom Heiligen Kreuz; trade names include Kloster Menzingen and Institut Menzingen) is a Swiss Catholic religious congregation founded in 1844 in Menzingen, Canton Zug. It operates as a private non-profit with no parent company, governing both the historic Mutterhaus (motherhouse) complex at Hauptstrasse 11 and a nursing home, St. Franziskus, on Seminarstrasse 11a. The institution's mission is spiritual and charitable rather than commercial.

The organization's service portfolio spans four lines: (1) spiritual retreats at the Haus der Stille (House of Silence) in Höngen, Laupersdorf, offering individual exercises, meditation days, and themed retreats; (2) the historical exhibition "Wo man mich braucht" at the motherhouse, documenting the congregation's heritage since 1844 and priced at CHF 50 per group of up to 10 and CHF 80 per group of 11+; (3) the Missionsprokura, a mission-coordination office that reviews and funds 30+ projects across 10 overseas provinces in Africa, Asia, and Latin America; and (4) the Stiftung Mutter Bernarda foundation, established in 2014 to support social, charitable, and educational initiatives. Technology infrastructure is minimal: a website built by admotion (Lachen) and hosted by Hostpoint AG (Rapperswil-Jona), with newsletters distributed via MailChimp.

The revenue model is overwhelmingly donation-driven, with the only transactional revenue coming from exhibition fees and voluntary visitor contributions. The organization reports only 6 employees, with named contacts concentrated in mission coordination (Sr. Thomas Limacher), retreat direction (Sr. Elisabeth Maria Sauter), and group tours (Sr. Ursula Maria Niedermann). Marketing and donor acquisition flow through parish networks, the newsletter, and word-of-mouth rather than paid channels. Across its 180-year history, the institution has undergone major capital projects including the 1897 dome church (architect August Hardegger), a 1983–1985 east wing rebuild, and the 2018–2020 church and west wing renovation under Signer Mäder Architekten Luzern.

Name

Institut Menzingen

Legal name

Schwestern vom Heiligen Kreuz

Website

https://kloster-menzingen.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1844

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Institut Menzingen is a Swiss Catholic religious congregation (Schwestern vom Heiligen Kreuz), founded 1844 in Menzingen, operating spiritual retreats, a heritage exhibition, a nursing home, and a mission-coordination office funding 30+ projects across 10 overseas provinces in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious and Spiritual Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (62331)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL), Faith-Based Healthcare Ministries (Hospitals, Clinics, Medical Missions) (BPAGAJAH)

Keywords

• Spiritual retreat services
• Religious congregation services
• International mission coordination
• Charitable foundation services
• Historic convent heritage

Headquarters

HQ city

Menzingen

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Mission Funding: The institution collects donations through the Missionsprokura for projects in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, supporting 10 overseas provinces with over 30 projects. Funding comes from Swiss supporters including parishes, schools, and groups.
2. Foundation Donations: Stiftung Mutter Bernarda accepts donations for social, charitable, and educational projects in Switzerland and abroad, including projects of the Menzingen Sisters.
3. Exhibition Fees: The exhibition 'Wo man mich braucht' charges fees: CHF 50 for groups up to 10 persons, CHF 80 for groups of 11 or more. Individual visitors make a voluntary contribution.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Institut Menzingen (Schwestern vom Heiligen Kreuz) is a Catholic religious congregation that operates a historic motherhouse complex in Menzingen, Switzerland. It delivers spiritual retreat programs at the Haus der Stille retreat center in Höngen, maintains a historical exhibition on the congregation's heritage, coordinates international charitable mission projects across 10 overseas provinces through its Missionsprokura office, and manages a charitable foundation (Stiftung Mutter Bernarda) supporting social and educational work.

Product overview

Institut Menzingen (Kloster Menzingen) is a religious institution operated by the Schwestern vom Heiligen Kreuz (Sisters of the Holy Cross). The organization offers a portfolio of spiritual, cultural, and charitable services rather than a technology product. Key offerings include: spiritual retreat programs through the Exerzitien in Höngen service; the historical exhibition 'Wo man mich braucht' documenting the congregation's history since 1844; the Missionsprokura coordinating over 30 charitable projects across Africa, Asia, and Latin America; and the Stiftung Mutter Bernarda foundation supporting social and educational initiatives. The organization also maintains its historic motherhouse complex as a heritage and cultural site.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ausstellung "Wo man mich braucht"
• Exerzitien in Höngen
• Missionsprokura
• Stiftung Mutter Bernarda
• St. Franziskus Pflegeheim (Nursing Home)

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• WeltweitminorOthersPartner organization referenced for mission project reporting and coordination. The Missionsprokura links to weltweit.ch as a related organization.
• Voyage-PartageminorOthersPartner organization referenced for mission-related travel and coordination. The Missionsprokura links to voyage-partage.ch.
• Schwyzer KantonalbankcoreOthersBanking partner for the Stiftung Mutter Bernarda and Missionsprokura. IBAN CH02 0077 7008 3740 1007 7 for donations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Caritas Schweiz: Large Swiss Catholic charitable organization operating domestic social services and international humanitarian programs. Comparable as a wider-scale Catholic charity that overlaps with the order's social, charitable, and educational mission.

Direct peers

• Missionarinnen Christi (Missionaries of Christ): Catholic women's missionary congregation with international mission work and community-based retreat and formation programs. Comparable as a women's religious institute running mission and retreat activities across multiple countries.
• Bethlehem Mission Immensee: Swiss Catholic missionary society based in Immensee with a global mission network, including recruitment, formation, and project support in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Directly comparable as a Swiss-rooted Catholic mission congregation coordinating overseas provinces and projects.
• Kloster Engelberg: Benedictine abbey in Engelberg, Switzerland, operating a monastery, school, and pilgrimage/retreat functions. Comparable as a Swiss monastic community balancing heritage site operations, retreat offerings, and educational mission.
• Schwestern vom Heiligen Kreuz von Menzingen – Auslandsprovinzen: The order's own overseas provinces and partner congregations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America serve as the recipients and operational counterparts of Missionsprokura. They are the closest peers from a mission-delivery perspective, though they sit within the same congregation.
• Abtei Einsiedeln: Benedictine monastery in Einsiedeln, Switzerland, also a centuries-old religious community operating a historic basilica, pilgrimage site, retreats, and active monastic life. Directly comparable as a Swiss Catholic monastery combining heritage, worship, retreat offerings, and education.

Emerging players

• Haus der Stille / various Catholic retreat houses (Switzerland): Other Catholic retreat houses in Switzerland and the German-speaking world offering Exerzitien, Einkehrtage, and Ignatian spiritual exercises. Comparable as direct competitors in the spiritual retreat market.
• Abtei Frauenwinkel / Pflegeeinrichtungen kirchlicher Trägerschaft: Faith-affiliated nursing and care homes in Switzerland operated by religious congregations or church foundations. Comparable to St. Franziskus as a faith-based senior care operator.

Others

• Stiftung Fastenopfer: Swiss Catholic development and relief organization that channels donations from Swiss parishes and households to international projects in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Comparable as a fundraising channel and program coordinator competing for the same Swiss Catholic donor base.
• Römisch-Katholische Kirche in der Schweiz (RKZ / diocese structures): Coordination body for the Swiss Catholic Church's dioceses, parishes, and institutions. Comparable as the broader ecosystem within which the congregation operates, competes for donor attention, and partners on parish-based fundraising.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institut-menzingen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Institut Menzingen