Goswin Nickel was a German Jesuit priest, elected the 10th Superior-General of the Society of Jesus.
Goswin studied in Paderborn and Mainz

Mainz

Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...

 (1611–1615), where he was promoted priest on 28 October 1614.

He was chosen less than a week after the death of his predecessor Aloysius Gottifredi

Aloysius Gottifredi

Aloysius Gottifredi was an Italian Jesuit, elected the 9th Superior-General of the Society of Jesus...

, on 17 March 1652.

During these years the quarrels with the Jansenist theologians were growing more and more acrimonious, especially in France where Blaise Pascal

Blaise Pascal

Blaise Pascal , was a French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer and Catholic philosopher. He was a child prodigy who was educated by his father, a tax collector in Rouen...

, French scientist, philosopher and jansenist sympathizer was leading the attack on the Jesuits. The great controversy on the Chinese Rites (1645) continued. Owing to his great age, Father Nickel obtained from the 11th General Congregation

General Congregation

The highest authority in the Society of Jesus is the General Congregation, an assembly of the Jesuit representatives from all parts of the world. A general congregation is always summoned on the death or resignation of the administrative head of the order—called the Superior General—to...

 the election of Gian Paolo Oliva as vicar-general with right of succession (on 7 June 1661). This was approved by Alexander VII.