Archbishop of Cologne

[[Image:Balduineum Wahl Heinrich VII.jpg|thumb|

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 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
 * Hilduin (archbishop of Cologne) 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

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

Auxiliary bishops
• Johannes Schleeter, O.F.M. (1434–1457)

• Hilger de Burgis, O. Carm. (1446–1452)

• Heinrich Unkel, O.F.M. (1481–1482)

• Johann Spenner (Spender), O.F.M. (1482–1503)

• Théodore Wichwael, O.S.A. (1504–1519)

• Jean Bourgeois (1506–?)

• Arnald de Arceto, O.S.A. (1517–?)

• Quirin Op dem Veld von Willich (1521–1537)

• Johann Nopel der Ältere (1539–1556)

• Johann Pennarius, O.F.M. (1557–1563)

• Theobald Craschel (1574–1587)

• Laurentius Fabritius (1588–1600)

• Johann Nopel der Jüngere (1601–1605)

• Theodor Riphaen (1606–1616)

• Gereon Otto von Gutmann zu Sobernheim (1616–1638)

• Georgius Pauli-Stravius (1640–1661)

• Richard Paul Stravius (1641–1654)

• Adrian Walenburch (1661–1669)

• Peter Walenburch (1670–1675)

• Paul Aussem (1676–1679)

• Johann Heinrich von Anethan (1680–1693)

• Johann Peter Burmann (1694–1696)

• Godefroid-Udalric de La Margelle (1696–1703)

• Johannes Werner von Veyder (1703–1723)

• Franz Kaspar von Franken-Siersdorf (1724–1770)

• Karl Aloys von Königsegg und Rothenfels (1770–1796)

• Klemens August Maria von Merle (1797–1810)

• Karl Adalbert von Beyer, O. Praem. (1826–1842)

• Anton Gottfried Claessen (1844–1847)

• Johann Anton Friedrich Baudri (1849–1893)

• Hermann Joseph Schmitz (1893–1899)

• Anton Hubert Fischer (1889–1903, Appointed Archbishop of Cologne)

• Joseph Müller (1903–1921)

• Peter Joseph Lausberg (1914–1922)

• Franz Rudolf Bornewasser (1921–1922)

• Josef Stoffels (1922–1923)

• Hermann Joseph Sträter (1922–1931)

• Josef Hammels (1924–1944)

• Wilhelm Stockums (1932–1956)

• Wilhelm Cleven (1950–1983)

• Joseph Ferche (1947–1965)

• Augustinus Frotz (1962–1983)

• Hubert Luthe (1969–1991)

• Peter Nettekoven (1975–1975)

• Josef Plöger (1975–1991)

• Klaus Dick (1975–2003)

• Rainer Maria Woelki (2003–2011; Appointed Archbishop of Berlin)

• Walter Theodor Jansen (1983–1994)

• Norbert Trelle (1992–2005)

• Friedhelm Hofmann (1992–2004)

• Manfred Melzer (1995–2015)

• Heiner Koch (2006–2013)

• Dominik Schwaderlapp (2012–)

• Ansgar Puff (2013–)

• Rolf Steinhäuser (2015–)