Adolph Kolping and the Kolping Society

Adolph Kolping - his ideas and work outlive him, visibly present in Kolping Merano/Meran. Adolph Kolping was born on 8^th of December 1813 in Kerpen near Cologne; he was the founder of the Kolping Society, today known all over the world for his charitable work. It was his mission to support young people and to accompany them in the various areas of their life: family, job and social life.

Adolph Kolping was a priest and before all a social reformer. With the foundation of workers' unions, he laid the foundation for the Kolping Society, today present and active in about 60 countries. The Kolping families are the local unions of this Catholic network - in South Tyrol there are about 16 of them. One is the Kolping Family Merano/Meran which was founded on 6^th of January 1854 and visited by Adolph Kolping in person.

In occasion of Adolph Koliping's beatification Pope John II stated that "Adolph Kolping tried to shake Christians out of their lethargy and remind them of their responsibility in the world. For him Christianity was not meant for prayer rooms only, but for everyday life and the creation of a social reality." Adolph Kolping passed away in 1865 and was blessed in 1991.

His idea was that goodness of heart and a Christian calling should be expressed in one's life, encompassing family, professional, church and political life.