Germany’s Kolping Society: When a Good Charity Goes Bad

How is it possible that a non-profit Catholic charity founded by a beatified priest in 1850 could morph into a international conglomerate that operates for-profit resorts, upscale hotels, consulting companies, a clothing recycler and a coffee distributor?

Read our exposé in the Berlin Spectator revealing how the Kolping Society – whose slogan is “We act on behalf of Jesus Christ” – has exploited Germany’s weak tax laws and the good name of Father Adolph Kolping to amass tens of millions of dollars in profits, capital reserves and assets.

Kolping has cleverly grown its empire by registering non-profit organizations and for-profit companies as separate legal entities – often with identical CEOs, board members and addresses. Kolping has registered more than 120 companies in Germany alone.

Kolping operates hotels in at least 18 countries in Europe, South America and Africa. The board of the 4-star Kolping Hotel Spa & Family Resort in Hungary includes Christian Democrat politician Gebhard Kaiser. Kolping’s 3-star Hotel Casa Domitilla in Rome is co-owned by Kolping International, which receives millions in German public funds.

When will German authorities start looking at Kolping?

https://berlinspectator.com/2020/05/17/kolping-a-profitable-non-profit-charity/