Katholische Wohltätigkeitsanstalt zur heiligen Elisabeth

The Katholische Wohltätigkeitsanstalt zur heiligen Elisabeth (KWA) is a German public-law foundation (Stiftung öffentlichen Rechts) based in Reinbek near Hamburg. It was established on 8 January 1864 in Neisse, Silesia, by Maria Merkert, the general superior of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Elizabeth, to give the Catholic sisterhood a legal personality at a time when Catholic religious orders in Protestant Prussia could not hold legal status. The Prussian king Wilhelm I granted the KWA corporate rights on 23 May 1864, making it a legal person. The KWA is the legal entity behind a network of hospitals, nursing homes and other social institutions, employing roughly 4,500 people. Its facilities have included the Krankenhaus St. Elisabeth und St. Barbara in Halle (Saale), the St. Joseph-Stift in Dresden, the St. Joseph Krankenhaus in Berlin, the St. Adolf-Stift in Reinbek, the St. Elisabeth-Krankenhaus in Lahnstein, the Sankt Elisabeth-Krankenhaus in Eutin and the St. Marienstift in Magdeburg, alongside retirement homes and retreat houses for the sisters. From 2013 the KWA merged with the Kirchliche Stiftung St. Bernward Hildesheim to form the Elisabeth Vinzenz Verbund, which since early 2014 has operated through limited-liability companies (GmbH) under a central holding in Berlin as the legal carrier of the hospitals and social institutions. The foundation's supreme decision-making body is a Kuratorium composed of members of the German province leadership and the general leadership of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Elizabeth, with day-to-day representation by a management board. Today the KWA presents itself as the KWA Stiftung, a charitable foundation that funds projects strengthening social participation, community and long-term support, guided by Christian values of responsibility, credibility and closeness to people. Its work continues the legacy of the Elisabeth sisters, whose patron is St. Elizabeth of Thuringia.

The origins of the Katholische Wohltätigkeitsanstalt zur heiligen Elisabeth lie in the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Elizabeth, which developed in Neisse, Silesia, from 1842. Because Catholic religious orders in Protestant Prussia at that time could not obtain legal personality, the general superior Maria Merkert founded the Katholische Wohltätigkeitsanstalt zur heiligen Elisabeth (KWA) on 8 January 1864 in Neisse. The KWA took over the legal representation of the sisterhood. After the Elisabeth sisters cared for wounded soldiers with great commitment in the Danish War, the Prussian king Wilhelm I granted the KWA corporate rights on 23 May 1864, making it a legal person. Over the following decades the KWA served as the legal and organizational umbrella for the Elisabeth sisters' charitable work, which expanded beyond its original region across many countries and continents. The sisters dedicated themselves to the care of sick, poor and needy people regardless of origin, class or denomination, and the KWA became the legal carrier of hospitals, nursing homes and other social institutions. By the early 21st century the KWA was a public-law foundation headquartered in Reinbek near Hamburg, with roughly 4,500 employees across its facilities. Its hospitals included the Krankenhaus St. Elisabeth und St. Barbara in Halle (Saale), the Krankenhaus St. Joseph-Stift in Dresden, the St. Joseph Krankenhaus in Berlin, the St. Adolf-Stift in Reinbek, the St. Elisabeth-Krankenhaus in Lahnstein, the Sankt Elisabeth-Krankenhaus in Eutin and the Krankenhaus St. Marienstift Magdeburg, along with retirement homes such as the Schwesternaltenheim St. Theresienstift in Berlin-Schlachtensee, the Altenheim Haus Maria Elisabeth in Hofheim/Taunus, the Schwesternaltenheim St. Elisabeth in Reinbek and the Altenheim St. Elisabeth-Heim in Weimar, plus sisters' recreation homes in Timmendorfer Strand, Grainau and Ützdorf near Berlin. From 2013, through a merger with the Kirchliche Stiftung St. Bernward Hildesheim, the Elisabeth Vinzenz Verbund was created. Since early 2014 this group has operated in the legal form of limited-liability companies (GmbH) with a central holding in Berlin as the legal carrier of the hospitals and social institutions. The KWA's supreme decision-making body is a Kuratorium composed of members of the German province leadership and the general leadership of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Elizabeth, with representation by a management board. In its present self-presentation the foundation, now often called the KWA Stiftung, describes itself as preserving a grown legacy and translating it into responsible action in the present. It funds projects that strengthen social participation, foster community and create perspectives, understanding support not only as financial aid but as an active contribution to a responsible and solidarity-based society. Its stated values are responsibility, credibility and closeness to people, and it quotes Maria Merkert's words from 1 August 1869: "We want to do good to all, to love all in God, and if we can do nothing more for them, we want at least to pray for them."

• 2014

  From early 2014 the Elisabeth Vinzenz Verbund operates as GmbH companies under a central holding in Berlin.

• 2013

  The KWA merges with the Kirchliche Stiftung St. Bernward Hildesheim to form the Elisabeth Vinzenz Verbund.

• 1864

  On 8 January, Maria Merkert founds the Katholische Wohltätigkeitsanstalt zur heiligen Elisabeth in Neisse to give the sisterhood legal representation.

• 1864

  On 23 May, Prussian king Wilhelm I grants the KWA corporate rights, making it a legal person.

• 1842

  The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Elizabeth begins to develop in Neisse, Silesia.

A Christian charitable foundation and legal carrier of hospitals and social institutions, operating through the Elisabeth Vinzenz Verbund and guided by values of responsibility, credibility and closeness to people.

• Krankenhaus St. Elisabeth und St. Barbara, Halle (Saale)

• Krankenhaus St. Joseph-Stift, Dresden

• St. Joseph Krankenhaus, Berlin

• St. Adolf-Stift, Reinbek

• St. Elisabeth-Krankenhaus, Lahnstein

• Sankt Elisabeth-Krankenhaus, Eutin

• Krankenhaus St. Marienstift Magdeburg, Magdeburg

• Schwesternaltenheim St. Theresienstift, Berlin-Schlachtensee

• Altenheim Haus Maria Elisabeth, Hofheim/Taunus

• Schwesternaltenheim St. Elisabeth, Reinbek

• Altenheim St. Elisabeth-Heim, Weimar

• Schwestern-Erholungsheim, Timmendorfer Strand

• Schwestern-Erholungsheim, Grainau

• Schwestern-Erholungsheim, Ützdorf bei Berlin

• Krankenhaus-Service-Gesellschaft KSG, Reinbek

• Klinik-Service-Dresden GmbH, Dresden

• Pro care Service GmbH, Rheine

• Auxilia GmbH, Berlin

• Hospiz am St. Elisabeth-Krankenhaus gGmbH, Halle (Saale)

1. 1Startseite – Katholische Wohltätigkeitsanstalt zur hl. Elisabethkwa-berlin.de
2. 2Die Stiftungkwa-berlin.de
3. 3Schwestern von der heiligen Elisabethkwa-berlin.de
4. 4Katholische Wohltätigkeitsanstalt zur heiligen Elisabeth – Wikidatawikidata.org
5. 5Katholische Wohltätigkeitsanstalt zur heiligen Elisabeth – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org