This list records the bishops of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Minden (German: Bistum Minden), a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Cologne, who were simultaneously rulers of princely rank (prince-bishop) in the Prince-Bishopric of Minden (German: Hochstift Minden; est. 1180 and secularised in 1648), a state of imperial immediacy within the Holy Roman Empire. Minden was the seat of the chapter, the cathedral and residence of the bishops until 1305, Petershagen became the prince-episcopal residence since.
In 1180 part of the Minden diocesan territory were disentangled from the Duchy of Saxony and became an own territory of imperial immediacy called Prince-Bishopric of Minden, a vassal of the Holy Roman Empire. The prince-bishopric was an elective monarchy, with the monarch being the respective bishop usually elected by the Minden Cathedral chapter, and confirmed by the Holy See, or exceptionally only appointed by the Holy See. Papally confirmed bishops were then invested by the emperor with the princely regalia, thus the title prince-bishop. However, sometimes the respective incumbent of the see never gained a papal confirmation, but was still invested the princely regalia. Also the opposite occurred with a papally confirmed bishop, never invested as prince. A number of incumbents, elected by the chapter, neither achieved papal confirmation nor imperial investiture, but as a matter of fact nevertheless de facto held the princely power. Between about 1555 to 1631 all incumbents were Lutherans. The respective incumbents of the see bore the following titles:
| Roman Catholic Bishops of Minden till 1180 | |||||
| Episcopate | Portrait | Name | Birth and death with places | Reason for end of office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 803–813 | Erkanbert also Ercumbert, Herkumbert, Herumbert | Gollachgau (near Würzburg), *unknown – 7 June 830*, Minden | resigned? | saint, feast day: 7 June | |
| 813–853 | Hardward |
| death | saint, feast day: 13 April | |
| 853–880 | Theoderic as Dietrich I |
| killed in action | martyr, saint, feast day: 2 February | |
| 880–886 | Wulfhar also: Wulfar or Wolfer |
| killed by invasors | ||
| 886–887 | sede vacante | ||||
| 887–902 | Drogo |
| death | ||
| 902–905 | Adalbert | ||||
| 905–914 | Bernard | ||||
| 914–927 | Lothair | ||||
| 927–950 | Ebergisl | ||||
| 950–958 | Helmward | ||||
| 958–969 | Landward | ||||
| 969–996 | Milo | ||||
| 996–1002 | Ramward | ||||
| 1002–1022 | Dietrich as Dietrich II | ||||
| 1022–1036 | Siegbert also: Sigebert |
| death | ||
| 1037–1055 | Bruno of Waldeck (House of Waldeck) |
| death | ||
| 1055–1080 | Egilbert | Bavaria, *unknown – 3 December 1080* | death | ||
| 1080–1089 | Reinward | ||||
| 1080–1096 | Volkmar | ||||
| 1089–1097 | Ulrich | ||||
| 1097–1112 | Gottschalk | ||||
| 1097–1105 and again 1113–1119 | Widelo also Witelo, Wylo |
| death | as anti-bishop repressed in 1105, unrivalled in office since 1113 | |
| 1120–1140 | Sigward also: Siegward |
| death | ||
| 1140–1153 | Henry Cuno as Henry I | ||||
| 1153–1170 | Werner | Bückeburg, *unknown – 1170* | death | celebrated the marriage of Henry the Lion and Matilda of England, Plantagenêt | |
| 1170–1185 |
| death | |||
| Roman Catholic Prince-Bishops of Minden (1180-1554) | ||||||
| Reign and episcopate | Portrait | Name | Birth and death with places | Reason for end of office | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1170–1185 |
| death | ||||
| 1185–1206 | Thietmar also: Thiemo, modernised: Dietmar | Bavaria, *unknown – 5 March 1206* | death | saint, feast day: 5 March | ||
| 1206–1209 | Henry as Henry II |
| death | |||
| 1209–1236 | Conrad of Rüdenberg also: of Diepholz as Conrad I |
| death | |||
| 1236–1242 | William of Diepholz as William I (Counts of Diepholz) |
| death | brother of the next | ||
| 1242–1253 | John of Diepholz (Counts of Diepholz) |
| death | brother of the former | ||
| 1253–1261 | Wedekind of Hoya as Wedekind I (Counts of Hoya) |
| death | son of Henry II, Count of Hoya | ||
| 1261–1266 | ||||||
| 1266–1275 | Otto as Otto I | Stendal, *unknown – 1275* | ||||
| 1275–1293 |
| death | brother of Ludolph's brother's or sister's spouse | |||
| 1293–1295 | Conrad of Wardenberg as Conrad II |
| death | |||
| 1295–1304 | Ludolph of Rostorf also: Rosdorf | Hardenberg, *c. 1240–1304*, Minden | death | brother of Volkwin's brother's or sister's spouse through his sister Jutta granduncle of the next | ||
| 1304–1324 | < | ----> | Godfrey of Waldeck (House of Waldeck) |
| death | brother of Adolf II of Waldeck; by his granduncle's wife also grandnephew of Ludolph moved the prince-episcopal residence to Petershagen castle |
| 1324–1346 | Louis of Brunswick-Lüneburg (House of Welf) |
| death | son of Otto the Strict | ||
| 1346–1353 | Gerard of Schauenburg as Gerard I (House of Schaumburg) |
| death | |||
| 1353–1361 | Dietrich Kagelwit also Kugelweit, Dietrich of Portitz as Dietrich III | Stendal, *c. 1300 – 17 December 1367 | became Prince-Archbishop of Magdeburg in 1361 (as Dietrich I) | before Bishop of Schleswig (1351–1353) | ||
| 1361–1366 | Gerard of Schaumburg as Gerard II (House of Schaumburg) |
| son of Adolphus VII, Count of Schauenburg and Holstein-Pinneberg[1] | |||
| 1366–1368 | Otto of Wettin also: of Golßen as Otto II (House of Wettin) |
| death | son of Otto, Burgrave of Wettin and Golßen | ||
| 1369–1383 | Wedekind of Schalksberg also: Wittekind vom Berge as Wedekind II |
| death | son of Wedekind IV, Lord of Schalksberg | ||
| 1384–1397 | Otto of Schalksberg also: vom Berge as Otto III |
| resigned | last heir of the Lordship of Schalksberg, which he bequeathed to the Minden see; son of Wedekind IV, Lord of Schalksberg | ||
| 1397–1398 | Gerard of Hoya as Gerard III (Counts of Hoya) | |||||
| 1398 | Marquard of Randegg also: Randeck |
| became Prince-Bishop of Constance in 1398 | nephew of Patriarch Marquard of Randeck | ||
| 1398–1402 | William of Buchen as William II | death | ||||
| 1402–1403 | sede vacante | |||||
| 1403–1406 | < | ----> | Otto of Rietberg as Otto IV |
| death | son of Otto II, Count of Rietberg |
| 1406–1436 | Wilbrand of Hallermund also: Wulbrand |
| death | before prince-Abbot of Corvey Abbey (1398–1406), last heir of the County of Hallermund, son of Wilbrand, Count of Hallermund, | ||
| 1436–1473 | Albert of Hoya German: Albrecht (Counts of Hoya) | |||||
| 1473–1508 | Henry of Schauenburg as Henry III (House of Schaumburg) | son of Otto II, Count of Schauenburg and Holstein-Pinneberg | ||||
| 1508–1529 | Francis of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel as Francis I (House of Welf) |
| death | son of Henry IV | ||
| 1530–1553 | Francis of Waldeck as Francis II (House of Waldeck) | Sparrenberg Castle, *1491 – 15 July 1553*, Wolbeck (a part of today's Minden) | death | also Prince-Bishop of Münster (1532–1553) and of Osnabrück(1532–1553) | ||
| 1553–1554 | Julius of Brunswick and Lunenburg, Wolfenbüttel (House of Welf) | Wolfenbüttel, *29 June 1528 – 3 May 1589*, Wolfenbüttel | resigned, became heir to the Principality of Wolfenbüttel | Prince of Wolfenbüttel (1568–1589) and of Calenberg (1584–1589) | ||
| Lutheran Prince-Bishop and Administrators of the Prince-Bishopric (1554–1631) | ||||||
| Reign and episcopate | Portrait | Name | Birth and death with places | Reason for end of office | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1554–1566 | < | ----> | George of Brunswick and Lunenburg, Wolfenbüttel (House of Welf) |
| death | elected by the Minden chapter and papally confirmed bishop, turned Lutheran and thus later acceding only as administrator (lacking papal confirmation) of the Bremen and Verden sees (1558–1566) |
| 1566–1582 | Hermann of Schauenburg (House of Schaumburg) |
| son of Otto IV of Schaumburg | |||
| 1582–1585 | Henry Julius of Brunswick and Lunenburg, Wolfenbüttel (House of Welf) | Hessen am Fallstein, *15 October 1564 – 20 July 1613*, Prague | resigned, became Prince of Calenberg and of Wolfenbüttel in 1589 | also administrator of the Prince-Bishopric of Halberstadt (1566–1613) | ||
| 1585–1587 | ||||||
| 1587–1599 | < | ----> | Anthony of Schauenburg (House of Schaumburg) |
| death | son of Otto IV of Schaumburg |
| 1599–1625 | Christian of Brunswick and Lunenburg, Celle (House of Welf) |
| deposed | as Christian the Elder also Prince of Lunenburg-Celle (1611–1633) | ||
| 1625–1631 | sede vacante | |||||
| Roman Catholic Prince-Bishop of Minden (1631–1648) | |||||
| Reign and episcopate | Portrait | Name | Birth and death with places | Reason for end of office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1631–1648 | Francis of Wartenberg as Francis III | Munich, *1 March 1593 – 1 December 1661*, Ratisbon | deposed by the Swedish conquerors | papally appointed, lacking the capitular elective mandate also Prince-Bishop of Osnabrück (1625–1634 and again 1648–1661), of Verden (1630–1631), of Ratisbon (1649–1661), and Vicar Apostolic of the Archdiocese of Bremen (1645/1648) | |
| after 15 May 1648 | The Prince-Bishopric was converted into a heritable monarchy, the Principality of Minden, ruled in personal union by the House of Hohenzollern in Brandenburg. | ||||