Adolph Kolping

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Adolph Kolping ( December 8, 1813 in Kerpen near Cologne; † December 4, 1865 in Cologne) was a German Catholic Priest.

Kolping grew up as the son of a shepherd. At the age of 18 he went to Cologne as a shoemaker’s assistant. He was shocked by the living conditions of most people living there and this caused him to decide to become a priest. At age 23 he attended a Gymnasium (German secondary school) and afterwards studied theology in Munich, Bonn and Cologne.

On April 13, 1845 he was ordained a priest in Cologne’s “Minoriten” church. First he worked in Elberfeld (now part of Wuppertal) as chaplain and teacher of religion.

In 1847 he became the second president of the Catholic Association of Journeymen (founded the preceding year by Johann Gregor Breuer), which gave young journeymen religious and social support.

In 1849 he returned to Cologne as vicar of the cathedral and established Cologne’s Association of Journeymen. He united the existing journeymen associations as the "Rheinischer Gesellenbund" ("Federation of Journeymen of the Rhine Region") in 1850. This fusion was the origin of today’s international "Kolpingwerk." Until his death he labored to spread and federation of journeymen associations. In the year of his death (1865) there were more than 400 journeymen associations worldwide.

In 1854 Kolping founded the weekly newspaper "Rheinische Volksblätter" ("Rhine Region People’s Paper"), which quickly became one of the most successful press organs of his time.

In 1862 he became rector of Cologne’s "Minoriten" church.

On December 4, 1865 Kolping died. He was buried in Cologne’s "Minoriten" church.

On October 27, 1991 he was beatified by Pope John Paul II.

In Germany today, the Kolpingwerk (which he founded) has more than 275,000 members in 2,730 local Kolping-families, making it the largest social federation in Germany. The Kolpingwerk, based in Cologne, has approximately 500,000 members worldwide and is organized in 6,000 Kolping-families.