The Archbishop of Cologne is an

archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

governing the Archdiocese of Cologne of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

in western

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a States of Germany, state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more tha ...

and is also a historical state in the Rhine holding the birthplace of

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...

and northern

Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; german: link=no, Rheinland-Pfalz ; lb, Rheinland-Pfalz ; pfl, Rhoilond-Palz) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and was ''ex officio'' one of the

Prince-electors The prince-electors (german: Kurfürst pl. , cz, Kurfiřt, la, Princeps Elector), or electors for short, were the members of the electoral college that elected the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. From the 13th century onwards, the prince ...

of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...

, the Elector of Cologne, from 1356 to 1801. Since the early days of the

, there have been ninety-four bishops and archbishops of

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...

. Seven of these ninety-four retired by resignation, including four resignations which were in response to impeachment. Eight of the bishops and archbishops were

coadjutor bishop A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) is a bishop in the Catholic, Anglican, and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese. The coadjutor (literally, "co ...

s before they took office. Seven individuals were appointed as coadjutors freely by the

Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

. One of the ninety-four moved to the

Curia Curia (Latin plural curiae) in ancient Rome referred to one of the original groupings of the citizenry, eventually numbering 30, and later every Roman citizen was presumed to belong to one. While they originally likely had wider powers, they came ...

, where he became a cardinal. Additionally, six of the archbishops of Cologne were chairmen of the German Bishops' Conference. Cardinal

Rainer Woelki Rainer Maria Woelki (; born 18 August 1956) is a German Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He has been Archbishop of Cologne since his installation on 20 September 2014 following his election by the Cathedral Chapter to succeed Joachim Meisner in ...

has been the Archbishop of Cologne since his 2014 transfer from

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

, where he was also Cardinal Archbishop.

Bishops and Archbishops of Cologne

Bishops of Colonia Agrippina, 88–784

All names before Maternus II are to be approached with considerable skepticism, as little contemporary evidence is available. Maternus was present at a council in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

in 313. The bishops between Severinus and Charentius are also

apocrypha Apocrypha are works, usually written, of unknown authorship or of doubtful origin. The word ''apocryphal'' (ἀπόκρυφος) was first applied to writings which were kept secret because they were the vehicles of esoteric knowledge considered ...

l. Domitianus was the Bishop of Maastricht (Mosa Traiectum). The given dates of office before

Gunther Gundaharius or Gundahar (died 437), better known by his legendary names Gunther ( gmh, Gunther) or Gunnar ( non, Gunnarr), was a historical king of Burgundy in the early 5th century. Gundahar is attested as ruling his people shortly after they ...

are also conjectural, at best. *Maternus I c. 88–128 *Paulinus *Marcellinus *Aquilinus *Levoldus c. 248–285 * Maternus II c. 285–315 *Euphrates c. 315–348 * Severinus c. 348–403 *Ebergisil I ? c. 403–440 *Solatius c. 440–470 *Sunnovaeus c. 470–500 *Domitianus fl. c. 535 *Charentinus fl. c. 570 * Eberigisil II ? c. 580–600 ? *Remedius c. 600 ? –611 ? *Solatius c. 611 ? –622 *

Cunibert Cunibert, Cunipert, or Kunibert (c. 60012 November c. 663) was the ninth bishop of Cologne, from 627 to his death. Contemporary sources mention him between 627 and 643. Life Cunibert was born somewhere along the Moselle to a family of the loca ...

c. 623–663 *Bodatus c. 663–674 *Stephen 674–680 *Adelwin 680–695 *Giso 695–708 *Anno I 708–710 *Faramund 710–713 * Agilolf 713–717 *Reginfried 718–747 * Hildegar 750–753 *Bertholm 753–763 *

Rikulf Ricolf was bishop of Cologne in the eighth century, from 763 to 784. There was also a lord Ricolf in Flanders, who settled Ricolvingahem (now the Rijkeghem kouter near Tielt), during the reign of Louis the Pious Louis the Pious (german: Ludwig ...

763–784

Archbishops of Cologne, 784–1238

* Hildebold 784–818 * Hadbold 818–842 * Hildwin 842–849 * Günther 850–864 * Hugo Welf 864 * Wilbert 870–889 * Hermann I 890–924 * Wigfried 924–953 * Bruno I 953–965 *

Volkmar Volkmar is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name *Volkmar Andreae (1879–1962), Swiss conductor and composer *Volkmar Leimert (born 1940), German composer and dramaturg *Volkmar Sigusch (born 1940), Germ ...

965–969 *

Gero Gero I ( – 20 May 965), sometimes called the Great ( la, magnus),Thompson, 486. Also se was a German nobleman who ruled an initially modest march centred on Merseburg in the south of the present German state of Saxony-Anhalt, which he expande ...

969–976 *

Warin Warin () is a town in the Nordwestmecklenburg district, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is situated 19 km southeast of Wismar. Warin is a small town with a population of under 4,000 persons. Warin is situated 104 km from ...

976–984 *

Ebergar Ebergar (also Everger) (died June 11, 999) was the Archbishop of Cologne, Germany, from 984 to 999. Biography Ebergar's origins are not known. Before becoming Archbishop, Ebergar was a member of the Cathedral Chapter. Ebergar became the Archbish ...

984–999 *

Heribert Heribert is a Germanic given name, derived from ''hari'' ("host") and ''beraht'' ("bright"). See also Herbert, another given name with the same roots. *Charibert of Laon (died before 762), also spelled Heribert, Count of Laon and maternal grandfat ...

999–1021 *

Pilgrim A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) who is on Pilgrimage, a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journey (often on foot) to some place of special significance to the a ...

1021–1036 * Hermann II 1036–1056 * Anno II 1056–1075 * Hildholf 1076–1078 * Sigwin 1078–1089 * Hermann III 1089–1099 *

Friedrich I Frederick I may refer to: * Frederick of Utrecht or Frederick I (815/16–834/38), Bishop of Utrecht. * Frederick I, Duke of Upper Lorraine (942–978) * Frederick I, Duke of Swabia (1050–1105) * Frederick I, Count of Zolle ...

1100–1131

Solingen - Schloss Burg - Engelbert 01 ies

* Bruno II von Berg 1131–1137 *

Hugo von Sponheim Hugo or HUGO may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Hugo'' (film), a 2011 film directed by Martin Scorsese * Hugo Award, a science fiction and fantasy award named after Hugo Gernsback * Hugo (franchise), a children's media franchise based on a ...

1137 *

Arnold I Arnold I may refer to: Clergy * Arnold I of Cologne (c. 1100–1151), Archbishop of Cologne 1137–1151 * Arnold I of Vaucourt (c. 1120–1183), Archbishop of Trier 1169–1183 * Arnold I van Isenburg (died c. 1197), Bishop of Utrecht 1196–1197 * ...

1138–1151 *

Arnold II von Wied Arnold may refer to: People * Arnold (given name), a masculine given name * Arnold (surname), a German and English surname Places Australia * Arnold, Victoria, a small town in the Australian state of Victoria Canada * Arnold, Nova Scotia Uni ...

1152–1156 * Friedrich II von Berg 1156–1158, nephew of Bruno II von Berg above *

Rainald of Dassel Rainald of Dassel (c. 1120 – 14 August 1167) was Archbishop of Cologne and Archchancellor of Italy from 1159 until his death. A close advisor to the Hohenstaufen emperor Frederick Barbarossa, he had an important influence on Imperial polit ...

1159–1167 *

Philipp von Heinsberg Philip I () (c. 1130 – 13 August 1191) was the Archbishop of Cologne and Archchancellor of Italy from 1167 to 1191. He was the son of Count Goswin II of Heinsberg and Adelaide of Sommerschenburg. He received his ecclesiastic training in Colog ...

1167–1191, he gained the title of Duke of Westphalia and Angria in 1180, from then on held in

personal union A personal union is the combination of two or more states that have the same monarch while their boundaries, laws, and interests remain distinct. A real union, by contrast, would involve the constituent states being to some extent interlink ...

by all incumbents of the Cologne see until 1803. * Bruno III von Berg 1191–1192, brother of

Friedrich II Frederick II, Frederik II or Friedrich II may refer to: * Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor (1194–1250), King of Sicily from 1198; Holy Roman Emperor from 1220 * Frederick II of Denmark (1534–1588), king of Denmark and Norway 1559–1588 * Frede ...

above * Adolf I von Berg 1192–1205, nephew of Bruno III above *

Bruno IV von Sayn Bruno may refer to: People and fictional characters *Bruno (name), including lists of people and fictional characters with either the given name or surname * Bruno, Duke of Saxony (died 880) * Bruno the Great (925–965), Archbishop of Cologne, ...

1205–1208 (in opposition) *

Dietrich I von Hengebach Dietrich I von Hengebach (born around 1150, died after 1223) was the Archbishop of Cologne. He was elected in 1208. He supported Otto of the House of Welf as Holy Roman Emperor and was excommunicated in 1212 by Innocent III. Upon his excommunic ...

1208–1215 (in opposition) *

Engelbert II von Berg Count Engelbert II of Berg, also known as Saint Engelbert, Engelbert of Cologne, Engelbert I, Archbishop of Cologne or Engelbert I of Berg, Archbishop of Cologne (1185 or 1186, Schloss Burg – 7 November 1225, Gevelsberg) was archbishop of C ...

1216–1225, nephew of Bruno III above *

Heinrich I von Mulnarken Heinrich may refer to: People * Heinrich (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Heinrich (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) *Hetty (given name), a given name (including a list of peo ...

1225–1237

Archbishop-Electors of Cologne, 1238–1803

Modern Archbishops of Cologne: 1824 to date

* Ferdinand August von Spiegel 1824–1835 * Clemens August II Droste zu Fischering 1835–1845 *Cardinal Johannes von Geissel 1845–1864 *Cardinal

Paul Melchers Paul Melchers (6 January 1813 – 14 December 1895) was a Cardinal and Archbishop of Cologne. At the height of the '' Kulturkampf'' he took refuge in the Netherlands. Life Melchers was born in Münster. He studied law at Bonn (1830–33), an ...

1866–1885 *Cardinal Philipp Krementz 1885–1899 *

Hubert Theophil Simar Hubert is a Germanic masculine given name, from ''hug'' "mind" and ''beraht'' "bright". It also occurs as a surname. Saint Hubertus or Hubert (c. 656 – 30 May 727) is the patron saint of hunters, mathematicians, opticians, and metalworkers. ...

1899-1902 *Cardinal Anton Hubert Fischer 1902–1912 *Cardinal

Felix von Hartmann Felix von Hartmann (15 December 1851 – 11 November 1919) was a German prelate, who was Archbishop of Cologne from 1912 to 1919. Life Felix von Hartmann was born in Münster, the child of the second marriage of government official Albert von ...

1912–1919 *Cardinal

Karl Joseph Schulte Karl Joseph Schulte (14 September 1871 – 11 March 1941), was a German Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Cologne from 1920 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1921. Biography Karl Joseph S ...

1920–1941 *Cardinal Josef Frings 1942–1969 *Cardinal

Joseph Höffner Joseph Höffner (24 December 1906 – 16 October 1987) was a German cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the Archbishop of Cologne from 1969 to 1987 and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1969. Biography Born in Horhausen, H� ...

1969–1987 *Cardinal

Joachim Meisner Joachim Meisner (25 December 1933 – 5 July 2017) was a German cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was the immediate past Archbishop of Cologne, serving from 1989 until his resignation was accepted by Pope Francis in 2014. He previously served ...

1988–2014 *Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki since 2014

Auxiliary bishops

References

External links

List of Bishops and Archbishops of Cologne
''Archdiocese of Cologne (Erzbistum Köln)''

''Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom)'' {{Electors of the Holy Roman Empire after 1356