The main office of Renovabis is located on the Domberg in Freising (near the Munich Airport): 60 employees work there, 39 of them full time. The page contact persons will inform you about the responsibilities and contact options.
Organizational structure of the main office
Management
- Chief Executive Officer: Pfarrer Thomas Schwartz
- Senior Vice President: Dr. Markus Ingenlath
- Assistant to the Management: Dr. Marcel Koschek
Department 1, Project work and Countries
Head of Department: Martin Lenz
Deputy Head of Department: Joanna Szmul
Departments and work areas
- Kosovo, Serbia
- Poland, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Russia
- Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Kazakhstan
- Ukraine, Slovakia
- Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
- Hungary, Slovenia, Montenegro, scholarships
- Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria, Northern Macedonia
Department 2, Communication and Cooperation
Head of Department: Matthias Dörr
Deputy Head of Department: Daniela Schulz
Departments and work areas
- Partnerships, dialog
- Educational work
- International Congress, editors of the magazine OWEP
- Press and public relations, publications
- Press and public relations, media
- Public relations, editors of articles on the Internet
- Charitable marketing
- Large donations, foundations, wills
Department 3, Organization and Administration
Head of Department: Detlef Wilkowski
Deputy Head of Department: N.N.
Departments and work areas
- Finances
- Accounting
- Staff
- Internal audit
- IT
- Accounting for donations
Decision-making and control bodies
Sub-Commission Renovabis
Full name: Sub-Commission for Central and Eastern Europe (especially Renovabis) of the Commission for International Church Affairs of the German Bishops' Conference
- Archbishop Dr. Heiner Koch, Berlin (Chairman)
- Apostolic Exarch Bishop Bohdan Dzyurakh
- Auxiliary Bishop Dr. Josef Graf
- Bishop Wolfgang Ipolt
- Weihbischof Rupert Graf zu Stolberg
Board of Action Renovabis
The Board is responsible for managing the Action Renovabis and for the allocation of the financial resources.
It is composed as follows:
a) ex-officio members: members of the Sub-Commission for Central and Eastern Europe (especially Renovabis) of the Commission for International Church Affairs of the German Bishops' Conference (DBK)
b) Members as of right:a representative appointed by the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) and the Head of the division World Church and Migration at the Secretariat of the German Bishops´ Conference (DBK)
c) appointed members: 6 members are appointed by the German Bishops´ Conference (DBK) after consultation in the Joint Conference of the German Bishops´ Conference (DBK) and the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) for 5 years.
d) Permanent guests: the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the registered association Renovabis e.V and members of the Small Approval Committee, who are not members of the Board of Action Renovabis. The members of the Small Approval Committee are appointed by the Board of Action Renovabis and decide on their behalf on the approval of projects up to EUR 75,000, in urgent cases up to EUR 150,000.
The management of Renovabis is responsible for the management of the Board of Action Renovabis. With regard to the Sub-Commission Renovabis, the division World Church and Migration at the Secretariat of the German Bishops´ Conference (DBK) is co-managing the Board of Action Renovabis. The Chairman of the Board of Action Renovabis is the Chairman of the Sub-Commission. The Deputy Chairman is the representative designated by the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK).
- Erzbischof Dr. Heiner Koch (Chairman)
- Marc Frings (Deputy Chairman)
- Dr. Joachim Drumm
- Apostolic Exarch Bishop Dr. Bohdan Dzyurakh
- Auxiliary Bishop Dr. Josef Graf
- Dr. Markus Grimm
- Bishop Wolfgang Ipolt
- Prelate Dr. Karl Jüsten
- Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer
- Ulrich Pöner
- Dr. Maria-Luise Schneider
- Dr. Hanna Seidl
- Auxiliary Bishop Rupert Graf zu Stolberg
- Dr. Karlies Abmeier (Guest)
- Regina Lynch (Guest)
- Dr. Stefan Vesper (Guest)
Small Approval Committee
- Dr. Karlies Abmeier
- Dr. Markus Grimm
- Regina Lynch
Management of the Board of Action Renovabis
- Prof. Dr. Thomas Schwartz (Chief Executive Officer)
- Dr. Markus Ingenlath (Senior Vice President)
Renovabis e.V.
The registered association Renovabis e.V. is the legal entity and holder of the assets of the Action Renovabis. According to canon law, the association is a private unincorporated canonical association. Decisions on amendments of the Articles of Association and the dissolution of the association require the approval of the German Bishops´ Conference (DBK). The Board consists of the Chairman and two other members. The Chairman is the Chief Executive of Renovabis; the other two board members are the Executive Directors of the Action Renovabis.
The General Assembly of the registered association Renovabis e.V. consists of the members of the Board of Action Renovabis and the Chairman of the Board of Directors. The General Assembly elects the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors advises and supervises the Executive Board.
Executive Board
- Prof. Dr. Thomas Schwartz (Chairman)
- Dr. Markus Ingenlath
Board of Directors
The main task of the Board of Directors is to supervise and advise the Executive Board. Further tasks see Article of Association 11.
- Dr. Stefan Vesper (Chairman)
- Canon Dr. Klaus Winterkamp (Deputy Chairman)
- Bernd Jünemann
- Karin Kortmann
- Ulrich Pöner
General Assembly
- Dr. Joachim Drumm
- Apostolic Exarch Bishop Dr. Bohdan Dzyurakh
- Marc Frings
- Auxiliary Bishop Dr. Josef Graf
- Dr. Markus Grimm
- Bishop Wolfgang Ipolt
- Prelate Dr. Karl Jüsten
- Archbishop Dr. Heiner Koch
- Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer
- Ulrich Pöner
- Auxiliary Bishop Rupert Graf zu Stolberg
- Dr. Maria-Luise Schneider
- Dr. Hanna Seidl
- Dr. Stefan Vesper
Renovabis Foundation
The task of the Renovabis Foundation is to support the work of Renovabis permanently and sustainably. The Chairman of the Executive Board of the Renovabis Foundation is the chairman of the Executive Board of the registered association Renovabis e.V.
Executive Board
- Prof. Dr. Thomas Schwartz (Chairman)
- Dr. Markus Ingenlath
Board of Foundation
The Board of Foundation monitors compliance with the Articles of Association. It decides on all fundamental matters and advises, supports and monitors the activities of the Foundation Executive Board (see Article of Association 10). The members of the Board of Foundation are elected by the General Assembly of the registered association Renovabis e.V. The Board of Foundation elects its Chairman and Deputy Chairman.
- Dr. Michael Jansen (Chairman)
- Canon Dr. Klaus Winterkamp (Deputy Chairman)
- Bernd Jünemann
- Ulrich Pöner
- Dr. Stefan Vesper
Additional information
Meetings
The Board of Action Renovabis meets twice a year. The Executive Board of the registered association Renovabis e.V., who are identical persons to the management of the Action Renovabis and the Executive Board of the Renovabis Foundation, meets whenever necessary, usually several times a year. The Board of Directors meets whenever necessary, but at least three times a year, of which at least twice personally. The General Assembly takes place at least once a year. The Executive Board of the Renovabis Foundation as well as the Board of Foundation meet at least once a year.
Volunteerism
All members of boards work on a voluntary basis and are entitled to reasonable allowances. The members of the Executive Board are in their capacity as Executive Directors of the Action Renovabis employees of the registered association Renovabis e.V.
Biographien Geschäftsführer

Biografie Pfarrer Dr. Thomas Schwartz (PDF, 52 kB)
Biografie von Pfarrer Dr. Thomas Schwartz, Hauptgeschäftsführer von Renovabis

Biografie Dr. Markus Ingenlath (PDF, 144 kB)
Biografie von Dr. Markus Ingenlath, Geschäftsführer von Renovabis