Vereinigung von Ordensschulen Österreichs

What Vereinigung von Ordensschulen Österreichs does

Vereinigung von Ordensschulen Österreichs operates as the Austrian Religious Orders Conference (Ordensgemeinschaften Österreich), a non-profit umbrella body coordinating over 100 Catholic religious orders (congregations, monasteries, and institutes) active in Austria. It is headquartered at Freyung 6/1/2/3, 1010 Vienna, and serves as the unified representative voice for member religious communities operating across education, healthcare, cultural heritage preservation, social services, and pastoral care. The organization is governed by its member orders collectively and operates under canonical and Austrian non-profit law.

Through its member institutions, the organization coordinates a substantial operational footprint: approximately 50,000 students attend order-run schools (Ordensschulen), around 2 million patients are treated annually in order hospitals (Ordensspitäler), and member orders maintain archives and libraries holding approximately 30,000 shelf meters of files and 4.5 million books as of 31.12.2025. It runs formation programs including the 'Lehrgang Spiritualität: glauben und leben' spiritual development course and the 'Lehrgang für Führungskräfte: führen und leben' leadership program, plus an annual 'Preis der Orden' award. Digital channels include the 'ORDEN on air' podcast, the 'Medien-Espresso' newsletter, and a presence on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.

The business model is non-commercial. There are no proprietary products, technology platforms, or pricing structures. Revenue flows indirectly through institutional operations of member orders (schools, hospitals, social institutions) rather than direct customer payments. Spiritual services such as Exerzitien (spiritual exercises), 'Kloster auf Zeit' (time in monastery), and Berufungsexerzitien (vocational retreats) are funded through voluntary contributions and institutional support. Core technology is 'Not applicable' - the entity coordinates human institutional capacity rather than developing technology, and it has no AI/ML capabilities, proprietary software, or commercial product lines.

Name

Vereinigung von Ordensschulen Österreichs

Legal name

Vereinigung von Ordensschulen Österreichs

Website

https://ordensgemeinschaften.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Vereinigung von Ordensschulen Österreichs is a non-profit umbrella body coordinating over 100 Catholic religious orders in Austria, overseeing order-run schools serving ~50,000 students, hospitals serving ~2 million patients annually, and cultural heritage archives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Organization Coordination

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Based Healthcare Ministries (Hospitals, Clinics, Medical Missions) (BPAGAJAH)

Keywords

• Catholic religious orders
• Faith-based education
• Spiritual formation
• Monastic life programs
• Religious healthcare

Headquarters

HQ city

Breitenfurt Bei Wien

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Church and Institutional Support: The organization operates as an umbrella body for Catholic religious orders in Austria, coordinating their activities in education, healthcare, cultural heritage, and social services. Revenue flows through institutional operations of member orders including schools, hospitals, and social institutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Vereinigung von Ordensschulen Österreichs (Ordensgemeinschaften Österreich) is the coordinating umbrella body for over 100 Catholic religious orders operating in Austria. The organization coordinates member orders' activities across education (Ordensschulen serving approximately 50,000 students), healthcare (Ordensspitäler serving approximately 2 million patients per year), cultural heritage preservation, social services, and pastoral care. It also offers spiritual formation programs, retreats (Exerzitien), monastery guest stays, leadership courses, and a podcast series.

Product overview

Vereinigung von Ordensschulen Österreichs (Ordensgemeinschaften Österreich) is a coordinating body for religious orders in Austria. The organization provides a digital portal offering information about religious communities, educational programs (including spiritual leadership courses "Lehrgang Spiritualität: glauben und leben" and leadership courses "Lehrgang für Führungskräfte: führen und leben"), a podcast series "ORDEN on air", newsletter subscriptions, event calendars, and resources about monastic life. The organization focuses on areas including education (Ordensschulen), healthcare (Ordensspitäler), culture, spirituality, social services, and pastoral care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lehrgang Spiritualität: „glauben und leben": Educational programs for spiritual development offered by the Austrian Religious Orders Conference
• Lehrgang für Führungskräfte: „führen und leben"
• Institut Österreichischer Orden

Products and services

• Ordensschulen (Religious Order Schools) Educational institutions from kindergarten through secondary level operated by Catholic religious orders across Austria, serving approximately 50,000 students.
• Ordensspitäler (Religious Order Hospitals) Hospitals operated by Catholic religious orders in Austria, providing comprehensive medical care to approximately 2 million patients per year.
• Lehrgang Spiritualität: „glauben und leben" (Spirituality Course: "believe and live") Educational program for spiritual development offered by the Austrian Religious Orders Conference, available to laypeople and members seeking to deepen their spiritual practice.
• Lehrgang für Führungskräfte: „führen und leben" (Leadership Course: "lead and live") Leadership development program for executives offered by the Austrian Religious Orders Conference, integrating leadership skills with spiritual and ethical foundations.
• Exerzitien (Spiritual Exercises/Retreats) Spiritual retreat programs including Ignatian silent retreats (Ignatian Schweigeexerzitien) and Berufungsexerzitien (vocational retreats), conducted at monasteries and convents throughout Austria.
• Gast im Kloster / Kloster auf Zeit (Monastery Guest Stays) Programs allowing laypeople to experience monastic life through temporary stays ('time in the monastery') at convents and monasteries operated by member religious orders.
• Freiwilliges Ordensjahr (Voluntary Religious Year) Voluntary service program enabling individuals to spend a year living and working within a religious community.
• ORDEN on air Podcast Regular podcast series featuring stories, interviews, and reflections from religious life in Austria.
• Medien-Espresso Newsletter Regular email newsletter providing news from the world of religious orders in Austria.
• Religious Order Archives and Libraries Cultural heritage archives and libraries maintained by religious orders in Austria, comprising approximately 30,000 shelf meters of files and 4.5 million books (as of 31.12.2025), accessible to researchers and cultural visitors.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Stift Kremsmünster (Kremsmünster Abbey)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 July 2026Host of the colloquium 'Geheimnis des Lebens' celebrating Br. David Steindl-Rast's 100th birthday. The event is co-organized with Europakloster Gut Aich.
• Diözesane Ordenskonferenzen (Diocesan Religious Conferences)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiocesan Religious Conferences work collaboratively with the Austrian Religious Orders Conference on matters affecting religious communities at the diocesan and national level.
• Institut Österreichischer Orden (Institute of Austrian Religious Orders)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn internal institute dedicated to supporting and developing the Austrian religious orders, working 'Von Orden. Für Orden. Für die Zukunft.' (From orders. For orders. For the future.)
• Zentralvereinigung der Architekt:innen Österreichs (Central Association of Architects of Austria)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the exhibition 'Bauherr:innenpreis 2025 unterwegs' at Stift Dürnstein, examining values in contemporary building culture.
• Diözese St. Pölten (Diocese of St. Pölten)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of Ignatian Schweigeexerzitien (Ignatian silent retreats) through the diocese's Department for Adult Education/Spirituality & Dialog.
• Europakloster Gut AichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer with Stift Kremsmünster of the David Steindl-Rast colloquium. Br. David Steindl-Rast lives at this monastery.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Conferenza Italiana Superiori Maggiori Religiosi (CISMA): The Italian conference of major superiors of religious institutes coordinating Catholic orders across Italy; structurally analogous as another national religious-orders umbrella with significant healthcare and educational portfolios.
• Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR): The US leadership conference for women religious serving as the canonical and collaborative body for Catholic sisters across ministries; directly comparable as a national orders conference providing formation, advocacy, and resource support.
• Konferenz der Schweizer Ordensleute (KSO): The Swiss conference of religious orders representing Swiss Catholic orders and coordinating their activities in education, healthcare, and social services; similar regional, faith-based coordinating role.
• Deutsche Ordensobernkonferenz (DOK): The German Catholic religious orders conference representing superiors of male and female orders in Germany; structurally and functionally the closest peer to Vereinigung von Ordensschulen Österreichs as a national coordinating body for religious orders.
• Conférence des Religieux et Religieuses de France (CORREF): The French conference of major superiors of religious institutes; a national-level coordinating body for Catholic religious orders in another European country with comparable educational and healthcare footprints.
• Vereinigung der Höheren Ordensoberinnen und Ordensobern Deutschlands: The German association of major superiors of religious institutes focused on spiritual formation and coordination among Catholic women's orders; directly comparable in scope and role to the Austrian counterpart.
• Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM): The US conference of major superiors of men's religious institutes serving as a leadership body for Catholic orders across multiple apostolates including education and healthcare; functionally analogous in coordinating diverse order activities.

Broad incumbents

• Caritas Österreich: The Austrian Catholic social services organization operating across multiple welfare and social-care domains; comparable as a large Catholic-affiliated nonprofit coordinating institutional social work in Austria.
• Österreichische Bischofskonferenz: The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Austria represents the Catholic Church nationally and overlaps with the orders conference in coordinating faith-based services; broader in scope but a structurally related church umbrella in the same country.

Regional players

• Erzabtei St. Peter Salzburg: A historic Benedictine abbey in Austria operating schools, parish care, and cultural assets; comparable as a specific Austrian Catholic order with substantial education and heritage operations under the broader umbrella.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC1jPnai-YUlBiIMVaFwyvZQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/ordensgemeinschaften.at
• Instagraminstagram.com/ordensgemeinschaften

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Vereinigung von Ordensschulen Österreichs