The lifesaver of the Arlberg
He was only a poor foundling, and yet he made a career for himself: Heinrich Findelkind rose from being a swineherd to being the hostel warden and founder of the Brotherhood.
Our history
Construction of the hospiz shelter
Findelkind the idealist achieved that which almost nobody believed possible. He began building the Hospiz in 1386.
Founding of the Brotherhood
Heinrich wanted his work to carry on. It was necessary to have a community committed to supporting and maintaining the shelter. The Brotherhood St. Christoph was born.
Brotherhood chapel
The spiritual centre of the Brotherhood was and is still the Brotherhood chapel that Heinrich erected next to the hospice.
Fire and reconstruction
In 1955 the Hospiz was purchased by the industrialist Arnold Ganahl from Feldkirch. For reasons unknown, the old Hospiz and the chapel were destroyed by fire in the night of 6 January 1957.
The Brotherhood today
The Brotherhood is one of the largest charitable institutions in the alpine region and has more members than ever before.
The Brotherhood St. Christoph has a rich history, reaching back over 600 years. United we want to be an anchor for people in distress. We see ourselves as a group of generations, which stretches across the globe. The values from the first initiatives are still our central idea today.