Archbishop of Cologne Facts for Kids

The "Seven Prince Electors" electing Henry, Count of Luxembourg as Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor at Frankfurt on 27 November 1308. At far left is Heinrich II of Virneburg, Archbishop of Cologne. Codex Balduini Trevirorum, c. 1340)

The archbishop of Cologne governs the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne in western North Rhine-Westphalia. Historically the archbishop ruled a state of the Holy Roman Empire and was ex officio one of the prince-electors, the elector of Cologne, from 1356 to 1801.

Since the early days of the Catholic Church, there have been ninety-four bishops and archbishops of Cologne. 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. One of the ninety-four moved to the Curia, where he became a cardinal. Additionally, six of the archbishops of Cologne were chairmen of the German Bishops' Conference.

Cardinal Rainer Woelki has been the archbishop of Cologne since his 2014 transfer from Berlin, where he was also cardinal archbishop.

Bishops and archbishops of Cologne
Auxiliary bishops
See also

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 in 313. The bishops between Severinus and Charentius are also apocryphal. Domitianus was the Bishop of Maastricht (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 II ? c. 580–600 ?
Remedius c. 600 ? –611 ?
Solatius c. 611 ? –622
Cunibert 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 763–784

Archbishops of Cologne, 784–1238

Hildebold 784–818
Hadbold 818–842
Hildwin [de] 842–849
Günther 850–864
Hugo Welf 864
Wilbert 870–889
Hermann I 890–924
Wigfried 924–953
Bruno I 953–965
Volkmar 965–969
Gero 969–976
Warin 976–984
Ebergar 984–999
Heribert 999–1021
Pilgrim 1021–1036
Hermann II 1036–1056
Anno II 1056–1075
Hildholf 1076–1078
Sigwin 1078–1089
Hermann III 1089–1099
Friedrich I 1100–1131

Saint Engelbert II of Berg, Archbishop of Cologne

Bruno II von Berg 1131–1137
Hugo von Sponheim 1137
Arnold I 1138–1151
Arnold II von Wied 1152–1156
Friedrich II von Berg 1156–1158, nephew of Bruno II von Berg above
Rainald of Dassel 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 by all incumbents of the Cologne see until 1803.
Bruno III von Berg 1191–1192, brother of Friedrich II 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

Further information: Electorate of Cologne

Name	From	To	Notes
Konrad von Hochstaden	1238	1261
Engelbert II von Falkenburg	1261	1274
Siegfried II of Westerburg	1274	1297
Wikbold I von Holte	1297	1304
Heinrich II von Virneburg	1304	1332
Walram von Jülich	1332	1349
Wilhelm von Gennep	1349	1362	First Elector of Cologne under the Golden Bull of 1356
Adolf II von der Marck	1363	1363
Engelbert III von der Marck	1364	1369
Kuno von Falkenstein	1370	1371
Friedrich III von Saarwerden	1372	1414
Dietrich II von Moers	1414	1463
Ruprecht of the Palatinate	1463	1480
Hermann IV of Hesse	1480	1508
Philip II of Daun-Oberstein	1508	1515
Hermann V von Wied	1515	1546	Sought to reform religious practice in the Electorate; converted to Protestantism; deposed and excommunicated.
Adolf III of Schauenburg	1546	1556
Anton of Schauenburg	1556	1558
Gebhard I von Mansfeld-Vorderort	1558	1562	A founding member of the Schmalkaldic League
Friedrich IV of Wied	1562	1567
Salentin von Isenburg-Grenzau	1567	1577	Upon the deaths of his younger and older brothers, there were no more brothers to carry on the family name; he left Church administration in 1577, married, had two sons and conducted a successful military career. He died in 1610.
Gebhard II Truchsess von Waldburg	1577	1583	Converted to Calvinism in 1582; married Agnes von Mansfeld-Eisleben (cousin once removed of the archbishop and Prince-Elector Gebhard I von Mansfeld-Vorderort); Competing archbishop elected; Cologne War decides the outcome.
Ernest of Bavaria	1583	1612	Brother of William V, Duke of Bavaria; Papal Nunciature established permanently in Cologne.
Ferdinand of Bavaria	1612	1650	Brother of Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria, nephew of Ernest of Bavaria. Principle of Secundogeniture.
Maximilian Henry of Bavaria	1650	1688	First cousin of Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria
Joseph Clemens of Bavaria	1688	1723	Brother of Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria. Put under Imperial ban for siding with France in the War of the Spanish Succession.
Clemens Augustus I of Bavaria	1723	1761	Brother of Charles, Elector of Bavaria and Emperor. Last Wittelsbach to hold the office.
Maximilian Frederick of Königsegg-Rothenfels	1761	1784
Maximilian Franz of Austria	1784	1801	The electorate's left-bank territories were seized and annexed by France in 1795
Anton Viktor of Austria	1801	1803	The electorate's remaining territories were secularized and given to the Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt in 1803.