Archbishop of Cologne explained

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

Bishops of Colonia Agrippina, 88–784

See also: Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium.

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 –128
• Paulinus
• Marcellinus
• Aquilinus
• Levoldus –285
• Maternus II –315
• Euphrates –348
• Severinus –403
• Ebergisil I ? –440
• Solatius –470
• Sunnovaeus –500
• Domitianus fl.
• Charentinus fl.
• Eberigisil II ? –600 ?
• Remedius ? –611 ?
• Solatius ? –622
• Cunibert –663
• Bodatus –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
• 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

• 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

See also: Electorate of Cologne.

Image	Name	From	To	Notes
		1238	1261
		1261	1274
		1274	1297
		1297	1304
		1304	1332
		1332	1349
		1349	1362	First Elector of Cologne under the Golden Bull of 1356
	Adolf II von der Marck	1363	1363
		1364	1369
		1370	1371
		1372	1414
		1414	1463
		1463	1480
		1480	1508
		1508	1515
		1515	1546	Sought to reform religious practice in the Electorate; converted to Protestantism; deposed and excommunicated.
		1546	1556
		1556	1558
		1558	1562	A founding member of the Schmalkaldic League
		1562	1567
		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.
		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.
		1583	1612	Brother of William V, Duke of Bavaria; Papal Nunciature established permanently in Cologne.
		1612	1650	Brother of Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria, nephew of Ernest of Bavaria. Principle of Secundogeniture.
		1650	1688	First cousin of Ferdinand Maria, Elector 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.
		1723	1761	Brother of Charles, Elector of Bavaria and Emperor. Last Wittelsbach to hold the office.
		1761	1784
		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.

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 1866–1885
• Cardinal Philipp Krementz 1885–1899
• Hubert Theophil Simar 1899-1902
• Cardinal Anton Hubert Fischer 1902–1912
• Cardinal Felix von Hartmann 1912–1919
• Cardinal Karl Joseph Schulte 1920–1941
• Cardinal Josef Frings 1942–1969
• Cardinal Joseph Höffner 1969–1987
• Cardinal Joachim Meisner 1988–2014
• Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki since 2014

See also

• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne
• Cologne Cathedral

External links

• List of Bishops and Archbishops of Cologne Archdiocese of Cologne (Erzbistum Köln)
• List of Bishops and Archbishops of Cologne Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom)