Rosemarie Köhn (20 October 1939 – 30 October 2022) was a bishop of the

Church of Norway The Church of Norway ( nb, Den norske kirke, nn, Den norske kyrkja, se, Norgga girku, sma, Nöörjen gærhkoe) is an evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. The church b ...

, holding that position in the

Diocese of Hamar The Diocese of Hamar ( no, Hamar Bispedømme) is a diocese within the Church of Norway. The Diocese of Hamar includes all of the churches in Innlandet county plus the churches in Lunner in Viken county. Administratively, the diocese is divided ...

from 20 May 1993 to 1 November 2006.

Biography

Köhn was born to a German father and Norwegian mother and immigrated to Norway in 1946. She graduated from the

University of Oslo The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top universit ...

with a degree in theology ( candidata theologiæ) in 1966. Köhn worked as an

assistant professor Assistant Professor is an academic rank just below the rank of an associate professor used in universities or colleges, mainly in the United States and Canada. Overview This position is generally taken after earning a doctoral degree and general ...

in Biblical Theology at the University of Oslo from 1976 to 1989, and principal of the Practical-Theological Seminary from 1989 to 1993. In 1993, she was appointed bishop of the

, making her the first woman to hold the position of bishop in the Church of Norway. She stepped down from office on 1 November 2006 and was succeeded by Solveig Fiske. In 2004, in recognition of her work for the church, she was appointed a Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav by

King Harald V Harald V ( no, Harald den femte, ; born 21 February 1937) is King of Norway. He acceded to the throne on 17 January 1991. Harald was the third child and only son of King Olav V of Norway and Princess Märtha of Sweden. He was second in the lin ...

. Köhn was married to Susanne Sønderbo. Köhn died after a long-term illness on 30 October 2022, at the age of 83.

References

1939 births 2022 deaths People from Rathenow People from the Province of Brandenburg German emigrants to Norway Bishops of Hamar Women Lutheran bishops 20th-century Lutheran bishops 21st-century Lutheran bishops Norwegian women academics University of Oslo alumni Academic staff of the University of Oslo Order of Saint Olav Norwegian LGBT people LGBT Lutheran bishops {{bishop-stub