Boniface Association

It originated from a suggestion made by Johann Joseph Ignaz von Döllinger at the Third Catholic Congress of Germany, held at Regensburg in 1849 and organized by Josef Theodor zu Stolberg-Stolberg.

The organization is called Bonifatiusverein für das katholische Deutschland; Stollberg is elected to be its first president.

[1] The territories which the association has taken under its especial care included in the early 20th century: the Diocese of Kulm; the Delegature of Brandenburg and Pomerania, belonging to the Prince-Bishopric of Breslau; the Vicariate Apostolic of Saxony; the Dioceses of Paderborn, Hildesheim, Osnabrück and Fulda; the Northern Missions.

The first of these was founded in 1885 among the merchants of Paderborn by the Marist congregation; this branch of the association was designed to care for the religious training of Catholic children in non-Catholic communities, by the founding of orphan asylums and institutions where children are prepared for their first communion, funded by the collection and sale of objects of little value in themselves, such trifles as tin-foil, old postage stamps, clothing, leaden seals, old coins, books, cigar bands and - tips.

Since 1860 the general association has had a printing office (the Bonifatius press) and since 1888 a bookstore for old and new publications, both at Paderborn.