The Archbishop of Cologne is an archbishop governing the

Archdiocese of Cologne The Archdiocese of Cologne ( la, Archidioecesis Coloniensis; german: Erzbistum Köln) is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in western North Rhine-Westphalia and northern Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. History The Electorate of Cologn ...

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 state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more than 18 million inha ...

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 classic ...

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 of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...

, the

Elector of Cologne The Archbishop of Cologne is an archbishop governing the Archdiocese of Cologne of the Catholic Church in western North Rhine-Westphalia and is also a historical state in the Rhine holding the birthplace of Beethoven and northern Rhineland-Palat ...

, 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 state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...

. 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 bishops 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 The German Bishops' Conference (german: Deutsche Bischofskonferenz) is the episcopal conference of the bishops of the Roman Catholic dioceses in Germany. Members include diocesan bishops, coadjutors, auxiliary bishops, and diocesan administrato ...

. Cardinal Rainer Woelki has been the Archbishop of Cologne since his 2014 transfer from

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

, 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 The Diocese of Maastricht (Latin Traiectum ad Mosam) was a Roman Catholic jurisdiction in parts of present Netherlands (including the see Maastricht) and Belgium, which has been nominally revived as a Latin titular bishopric. History Establishe ...

(Mosa Traiectum). The given dates of office before Gunther 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 Eberigisil (died before 593) was Bishop of Cologne, being the fifth well-attested bishop, and the first with a Frankish name. Evergislu's tenure was marked by the unrest brought about by the migration of peoples, which dominated both city and co ...

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 Saint Agilulfus (or Agigulf), Abbot of Stavelot, Bishop of Cologne and martyr, died around the year 750. Apart from his name, very little is known about Bishop Agilulfus, and an early account written by a monk of Malmedy is deemed untrustworth ...

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 Hildebold (died 3 September 818) was the Bishop of Cologne from 787 until 795 and the first Archbishop of Cologne thereafter. A friend of Charlemagne, in 791 Hildebold was made the archchaplain and chancellor of the Imperial Council. At the r ...

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), Ge ...

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 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 a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journey (often on foot) to some place of special significance to the adherent of ...

1021–1036 * Hermann II 1036–1056 *

Anno II Anno II ( – 4 December 1075) was Archbishop of Cologne from 1056 until his death. From 1063 to 1065 he acted as regent of the Holy Roman Empire for the minor Emperor Henry IV. Anno is venerated as a saint of the Catholic Church. Life He w ...

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 Bruno II of Berg (German: ''Bruno II von Berg'') (c. 1100 1137) was the Archbishop of Cologne from 1131 until 1137. Bruno II of Berg was a son of Count Adolf III of Berg. In 1119 he was mentioned as a Provost in Cologne, and he became the Provo ...

1131–1137 * Hugo von Sponheim 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

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 po ...

1159–1167 * Philipp von Heinsberg 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 * Fr ...

above * Adolf I von Berg 1192–1205, nephew of Bruno III above * Bruno IV von Sayn 1205–1208 (in opposition) * Dietrich I von Hengebach 1208–1215 (in opposition) * Engelbert II von Berg 1216–1225, nephew of Bruno III above * Heinrich I von Mulnarken 1225–1237

Archbishop-Electors of Cologne, 1238–1803

Modern Archbishops of Cologne: 1824 to date

Ferdinand August von Spiegel Count Ferdinand August von Spiegel zum Desenberg und Canstein (25 December 1764, inHandbuch des Erzbistums Köln 1966, Bd. 1, S.48 Marsberg – 2 August 1835, in Cologne) was Archbishop of Cologne from 1824 until 1835. Early career He was b ...

1824–1835 * Clemens August II Droste zu Fischering 1835–1845 *Cardinal

Johannes von Geissel Johannes von Geissel (5 February 1796 – 8 September 1864) was a German Catholic Archbishop of Cologne and Cardinal from the Electorate of the Palatinate. Life Gessel was born in Gimmeldingen in the Electorate of the Palatinate. After co ...

1845–1864 *Cardinal Paul Melchers 1866–1885 *Cardinal

Philipp Krementz Philipp Krementz (1 December 1819 – 6 May 1899) was a German Catholic bishop, created Cardinal in 1893. Philipp Krementz was born, the son of a butcher, in Koblenz in 1837 and began to study theology in Bonn, which he continued in Munich in 183 ...

1885–1899 * Hubert Theophil Simar 1899-1902 *Cardinal

Anton Hubert Fischer Anton Hubert Fischer (Antonius Fischer) (30 May 1840, in Jülich, Rhine Province – 30 July 1912, in Neuenahr) was a Roman Catholic Archbishop of Cologne and Cardinal. Life The son of a professor, he was educated at the Friedrich Wilhelm ...

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 ...

1920–1941 *Cardinal

Josef Frings Josef Richard Frings (6 February 1887 – 17 December 1978), was a German Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Cologne from 1942 to 1969. Considered a significant figure in Catholic resistance to Nazism, he was elevated to th ...

1942–1969 *Cardinal Joseph Höffner 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 serve ...

1988–2014 *Cardinal

Rainer Maria 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 ...

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