scholarly prop on which the contemporary view of ministry/diakonia leans.. History of diaconal institutions in the 19th century In the 1830s initiatives within German Lutheranism started the creation of communities of men and especially of women who were dedicated exclusively to the works of charity so desperately needed in the wake of social dislocations created by industrialization and the Napoleonic wars. By the 1930s such institutions had opened in many cities in central and northern Europe. The geographical spread was accompanied by the growth of a distinctively modern diaconal spirituality centered on the servant roles of the deacon and deaconess in their meeting the needs of the poor and the destitute. Current usage in German-speaking countries Germany Diakonie Deutschland is one of the largest social welfare organizations in Germany. It is one of six members of , the federal association of free social welfare organizations. The parent organization and its members employed 599,282 people in 2018 and were supported by about 700,000 volunteers. At the start of 2018 Diakonie Deutschland had 31,594 institutions and services offering a total of 1,174,765 places/beds. Austria in Austria had circa 9,000 employees and was supported by 1,500 volunteers in 2017. References Catholic Church organisation Catholicism in the Middle Ages Medieval Rome Catholic charities