Meaning of the Peace Hike

The Peace Hike is the oldest continuously held event of Kolping Europe. Since 1968, Kolping members from various countries have been meeting to hike, pray, and celebrate together. This hike allows participants to engage in conversations, get to know each other across national borders, and form friendships. This year’s hike will take place from May 22 to 24, 2025, in South Tyrol, under the motto „Peace (is) no Utopia.“

Background of the International Kolping Peace Hikes:

After World War II, Europe was left in ruins, and it took years for the wounds of the war to begin healing. People in Europe were estranged from one another and marked by distrust. While the Kolping Society maintained contacts with the remaining central associations through the General Council, cross-border encounters were missing due to the end of professional wandering. The then Swiss Central President Josef Eberli recognized this problem and initiated several projects to revive international cooperation. In 1968, the first international Kolping Peace Hike took place. Members from Switzerland, Germany, and Luxembourg attended. The meeting was held in Sarnen/Sachseln, Switzerland. Church services were celebrated, prayers were said together, and current events and problems in Europe were discussed. The main goal was to commit to democracy, justice, and peace. After returning home on May 26 1968, participants agreed that these meetings should be held regularly. The following year, Luxembourg invited participants to the second International Kolping Peace Hike. From the fifth hike onwards, women also participated, and after the fall of the Iron Curtain, Kolping families from Central and Eastern Europe joined.

The International Kolping Society:

The International Kolping Society, founded by Adolph Kolping, is a Catholic social association whose members form a lifelong community. It promotes the development of its members in various areas of life through education and action. The Kolping Society is structured into local Kolping families, which are organized into diocesan or regional associations and central associations (national associations). The Kolping Society sees itself as a worldwide solidarity community, where members and Kolping families support and promote each other. It coordinates development cooperation within the association, particularly benefiting Kolping families in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Central and Eastern Europe. These Kolping families see themselves as self-help groups that help people on-site tackle their everyday problems through their activities.