# Eastern Church Institute Regensburg
**Wikidata**: [Q15837820](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15837820)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/eastern-church-institute-regensburg

## Summary
The Eastern Church Institute Regensburg is a research institute located in Regensburg, Germany, that was founded in 1962. Also known as the Eastern Church Institute in Regensburg, it operates as an organization dedicated specifically to conducting research rather than teaching or policy advocacy. The institute is identifiable globally through numerous academic and library identifiers, including GRID, ROR, and VIAF.

## Key Facts
- **Founded**: 1962
- **Location**: Regensburg, Germany
- **Type**: Research Institute (Organization whose primary purpose is research)
- **Website**: https://www.oki-regensburg.de/
- **Chairperson**: Dietmar Schon (as of 2016)
- **GRID ID**: grid.483567.b
- **ROR ID**: 039a0eq51
- **ISNI**: 0000000123534708
- **VIAF ID**: 151056866
- **Library of Congress Authority ID**: nr88011814
- **Google Knowledge Graph ID**: /g/12gh5753_
- **Yale LUX ID**: group/6be49152-cecf-4352-ba8a-4b48eee6106b
- **Aliases**: Eastern Church Institute in Regensburg
- **Wikipedia Presence**: Available in 4 languages (German, Russian, Belarusian, and Commons)

## FAQs
### Q: What type of organization is the Eastern Church Institute Regensburg?
A: It is classified as a research institute, which is an organization existing specifically to generate new knowledge through systematic investigation. Unlike universities, it does not typically grant degrees or provide undergraduate education.

### Q: Where is the institute located and when was it established?
A: The institute is located in Regensburg, Germany, and was established in 1962.

### Q: Who is the current chairperson of the institute?
A: As of 2016, the chairperson of the Eastern Church Institute Regensburg is Dietmar Schon.

### Q: How is the institute tracked in library and academic systems?
A: The institute is tracked under the Library of Congress Authority ID nr88011814 and the German National Library GND ID 4017909-6 (referenced via the research institute class). It also holds a Geonames feature code of S.ITTR.

## Why It Matters
The Eastern Church Institute Regensburg serves as a dedicated engine of discovery within its specific field of study. As a research institute, it represents critical infrastructure for advancing human knowledge, free from the teaching obligations that divide university researchers' attention. By concentrating resources and talent purely on investigation, the organization supports long-term, systematic research. It distinguishes itself from think tanks by focusing on fundamental inquiry across disciplines rather than policy-oriented research to influence government decisions.

## Notable For
- **Distinct Organizational Focus**: Exists purely to generate new knowledge, differentiating it from scientific societies, learned societies, and think tanks.
- **Global Academic Recognition**: Maintains a presence across multiple knowledge organization systems, including Schema.org as a ResearchOrganization, and has Wikipedia editions in German, Russian, and Belarusian.
- **Comprehensive Identification**: Possesses a wide array of unique identifiers including ISNI, ROR, GRID, VIAF, and Google Knowledge Graph IDs, facilitating unambiguous reference in global databases.

## Body

### Organizational Structure and Leadership
The Eastern Church Institute Regensburg is an operational entity conducting hands-on investigation rather than a membership-based organization like a learned society. It is located in Regensburg, Germany. The leadership of the institute includes Dietmar Schon, who served as the chairperson as of 2016. The organization's primary function is to conduct research, aligning with the definition of a research institute which focuses on generating new knowledge through systematic investigation.

### Historical Context
The institute was founded in 1962. Since its inception, it has functioned as a standalone entity dedicated to research purposes. The organization maintains a digital presence at https://www.oki-regensburg.de/.

### Classification and Distinctions
The entity is formally classified as an instance of a "research institute." This classification carries specific distinctions within the landscape of knowledge-producing institutions:
*   **Differentiation from Universities**: Unlike universities that balance teaching and research missions, the Eastern Church Institute Regensburg exists purely for investigation and does not typically grant degrees.
*   **Differentiation from Think Tanks**: While think tanks focus on policy research to influence public policy, this institute focuses on fundamental inquiry.
*   **Differentiation from Research Centers**: It is a standalone entity rather than a sub-unit within a larger organization.

### Global Identifiers and Digital Presence
The institute is mapped and tracked across numerous international library and scientific platforms:
*   **Academic Databases**: It is listed in the Global Research Identifier Database (GRID) as `grid.483567.b` and the Research Organization Registry (ROR) as `039a0eq51`. Its International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI) is `0000000123534708`.
*   **Library Systems**: The Library of Congress authority ID is `nr88011814`, and the Virtual International Authority File (VIAF) ID is `151056866`. In library cataloging systems, it falls under Dewey Decimal Classification 001.406.
*   **Knowledge Graphs**: It is assigned the Google Knowledge Graph ID `/g/12gh5753_` and the Yale LUX ID `group/6be49152-cecf-4352-ba8a-4b48eee6106b`.
*   **Wikimedia**: The institute has a "sitelink count" of 4, corresponding to its presence on Wikipedia in German, Russian, Belarusian, and Wikimedia Commons (category: Ostkirchliches Institut Regensburg).

## References

1. Virtual International Authority File
2. GRID Release 2017-07-12