ThH Friedensau

What ThH Friedensau does

Theologische Hochschule Friedensau (ThHF), also branded as Friedensau Adventist University (FAU), is a state-accredited private university located in the Friedensau district of Möckern in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Founded in 1899 and sponsored by the Freikirche der Siebenten-Tags-Adventisten (Seventh-day Adventist Church) through its registered association Anstalten der Freikirche der Siebenten-Tags-Adventisten Friedensau e.V., the institution operates as a nonprofit with supplementary support from the Friedensauer Hochschul-Stiftung foundation. The university is led by Rektor Prof. Dr. Roland E. Fischer and Kanzler Tobias H. Koch, with Norbert Zens serving as Compliance Officer and CFO of the EUD division.

ThHF delivers approximately 10 state-recognized degree programs across two faculties — Christliches Sozialwesen (Social Sciences) and Theologie (Theology) — including B.A. programs in Social Work, International Social Work (English-language), and Theology, and M.A. programs in Development Studies (on-campus and online for professionals), Counseling, Music Therapy, Theology, and Pastoral Ministry. Doctoral supervision and continuing education are offered through the ADIMIS research institute. Supporting technology consists of the CampusNet student portal, the ThHF mobile app (iOS/Android), video-conferencing for remote learning, and a 150,000+ item library with access to GVK, E-Book Central, EBSCO, IxTheol, and ATLA databases. A distinctive student service is the Friendship Bench psychosocial counseling program, implemented via a 2024 MOU with Prof. Dixon Chibanda's organization.

The business model combines recurring tuition fees (€2,100/semester for B.A., €2,340/semester for M.A., plus €380 enrollment fees), a 10% early-bird discount, undisclosed but 'significant' church subsidies from the parent organization, and ancillary revenue from a guesthouse, daycare, cafeteria, sports programs, continuing education, and retail operations. Approximately 250 students from 40 nationalities are currently enrolled. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the institutional website, virtual info days, taster study programs, multi-platform social media (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube), MailChimp newsletters, and Erasmus+ exchange partnerships with European universities alongside bilateral collaborations such as with Babcock University (Nigeria) and Newbold College (England). The university is not a venture-backed or publicly traded entity and operates without state funding, making its financial trajectory structurally tied to enrollment volume and parent-church subsidy continuity.

Name

ThH Friedensau

Legal name

Theologische Hochschule Friedensau

Website

https://thh-friedensau.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1899

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Theologische Hochschule Friedensau is a state-accredited private university in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, sponsored by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It offers B.A. and M.A. programs in theology and social sciences to approximately 250 students from 40 nations, funded by tuition and church subsidies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education (Private University)

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Affiliated Private Research Universities (EDAHABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Denominational Theological Colleges (e.g., Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical) (EDAHAKAM), Online Nonprofit Universities (EDAHALAK)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Theology programs
• Social work degrees
• Christian university
• Graduate programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Friedensau

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Semester tuition fees ranging from €2,100 for B.A. programs to €2,340 for M.A. programs, plus €380 enrollment fee per semester. As a private university without state funding, tuition is the primary revenue stream supplemented by church subsidies.
2. Church Subsidies: Significant funding from the Seventh-day Adventist Church as the founding organization, supplementing tuition revenue since the university receives no state subsidies

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Theologische Hochschule Friedensau (Friedensau Adventist University) is a state-accredited private university that delivers state-recognized B.A. and M.A. degree programs in Theology, Social Work, International Social Work, Counseling, Music Therapy, Development Studies, and Pastoral Ministry, offered on-campus, part-time, and online. It supplements its academic programs with doctoral supervision, continuing education, the ADIMIS mission institute, on-campus housing and dining, a university library, a psychosocial counseling service (Friendship Bench), and student-facing digital services (CampusNet portal and ThHF mobile app).

Product overview

ThH Friedensau (Theologische Hochschule Friedensau / Friedensau Adventist University) is a state-accredited private university under the patronage of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Europe. The institution offers a comprehensive portfolio of academic programs across two faculties: Christliches Sozialwesen (Social Sciences) and Theologie (Theology). The degree portfolio includes six Bachelor of Arts programs (Social Work, International Social Work, Theology, and others) and six Master of Arts programs (Development Studies, Development Studies Online for Professionals, Counseling, Music Therapy, Theology, Pastoral Ministry). Supporting the academic mission, the university provides doctoral supervision, continuing education programs, and operates the Arthur-Daniells-Institut für Missionswissenschaft (ADIMIS) as a research institute. Student life is supported through campus facilities including housing, a cafeteria (Mensa), daycare (Kita), and university sports. The institution also provides the ThHF mobile app for student organization and the CampusNet student portal for academic administration. The university library houses over 150,000 items and provides access to multiple academic databases. A notable student service is the Friendship Bench psychosocial counseling program, based on a community model from Zimbabwe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ADIMIS (Arthur-Daniells-Institut für Missionswissenschaft): Institute for Mission Studies at the Theological University Friedensau

Products and services

• Bachelor of Arts Social Work
• Bachelor of Arts International Social Work
• Bachelor of Arts Theology
• Master of Arts Development Studies
• Master of Arts Development Studies Online for Professionals
• Master of Arts in Counseling Interdisciplinary master's program bridging social pedagogy, education, sociology, psychology, and theology, focusing on professional counseling, crisis support, and change processes. Program-specific accreditation from the Akkreditierungsrat.
• Master of Arts Music Therapy
• Master of Theological Studies
• Master of Arts Theology
• Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry
• PhD Supervision / Doctoral Program
• Arthur-Daniells-Institut für Missionswissenschaft (ADIMIS) Continuing Education
• Friendship Bench Psychosocial Counseling Service
• University Library Services
• ThHF Mobile App
• CampusNet Student Portal

Quantifiable outcome

• 8-year accreditation renewal for all degree programs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration14 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Südfranzösische Vereinigung der Freikirche der Siebenten-Tags-Adventisten (Southern French Union of Seventh-day Adventist Church)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 November 2025ADIMIS (Arthur Daniells Institute for Mission Studies) at ThHF signed a cooperation agreement with the Southern French Union for ongoing education of pastors, department heads, and church members in 'Group Dynamics and Leadership Skills in Small Groups - with focus on mindfulness and community building'. The training program, led by Dr. László Szabó, saw 90 participants enrolled in November 2025.
• Boehringer Ingelheim (Making More Health Together Conference)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 November 2025ThHF participated in the annual international conference for social entrepreneurship and impact investment organized by Boehringer-Ingelheim in Ingelheim. Prof. Hedenigg represented the university and Friendship Bench project at an exhibition booth, connecting with social entrepreneurs from Germany, India, Kenya, USA, Ghana, Nigeria, Argentina, Spain and other countries.
• Friendship BenchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024Friedensau Adventist University signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Friendship Bench (founded by psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Dixon Chibanda) to implement the psychosocial counseling model on campus. The model, developed in Zimbabwe, uses lay counselors (especially grandmothers) to provide accessible mental health support. Prof. Dr. Dr. Silvia Hedenigg and Prof. Andreas Bochmann completed three-stage training and serve as registered Friendship Bench trainers, offering counseling in German and English to students and staff.
• Erasmus+ Partner UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThHF participates in the Erasmus+ program, enabling student and staff exchange with universities across Europe. The university maintains partnerships with institutions worldwide for academic collaboration and exchange.
• Studentenwerk MagdeburgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBAföG (German federal student aid) is processed through Studentenwerk Magdeburg, enabling eligible students to receive financial support for their studies at ThHF.
• Newbold College (England)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThHF maintains academic partnerships with Newbold College in England and other Adventist institutions globally for faculty exchange and collaborative programs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Theologisch-Pädagogisches Seminar (TPS) Bogenhofen: Austrian Seventh-day Adventist seminary offering theology and education programs. Directly comparable as a German-speaking SDA-affiliated theological training institution serving the European Adventist community.
• Andrews University: Flagship U.S. Seventh-day Adventist university offering theology, social work, and graduate programs. Direct peer in mission and program structure, though materially larger — useful as a comparable for the upper end of the SDA higher-education ecosystem.
• Newbold College of Higher Education: UK-based Adventist college offering undergraduate and graduate programs in theology, humanities, and social sciences within the same global SDA education network. Directly comparable mission, denominational sponsorship, small student body, and theological/social-science program mix.
• Adventist University of Africa: Adventist institution in Kenya offering graduate theological and leadership programs across Africa. Comparable as a denominationally sponsored theological higher-education institution serving an international student body.

Emerging players

• Hochschule für Sozialwesen Esslingen: Public German university of applied sciences focused on social work, social pedagogy, and counseling. Comparable on the social-sciences and counseling program mix that constitutes half of ThHF's portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt (KU): Larger German Catholic university with theology, social work, and education faculties. Comparable as a faith-affiliated German private university with overlapping disciplinary mix, though at significantly larger scale.
• FOM Hochschule: Germany's largest private university with a focus on part-time and online programs for working professionals. Comparable in its emphasis on berufsbegleitend/online delivery and tuition-funded model, though at vastly greater scale.
• SRH Hochschule Heidelberg: Large German private university with broad social-sciences and applied programs. Comparable in its private-Hochschule positioning and tuition-based model, but operates at a much larger scale and with a non-faith-based mission.

Regional players

• Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule Vallendar (PTHV): German state-recognized Catholic university offering theology, philosophy, and nursing programs. Comparable as a small faith-affiliated private German Hochschule with a similar tuition model and theological mission focus.
• Evangelische Hochschule Darmstadt (EHD): German Protestant university of applied sciences offering social work, education, and theology programs. Comparable as a faith-based German private Hochschule with overlapping social-work and theology portfolios.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/thhfriedensau
• Facebookfacebook.com/thh.friedensau
• Instagraminstagram.com/thhfriedensau
• TikToktiktok.com/@thhfriedensau

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 ThH Friedensau