This list records the bishops of the Roman Catholic diocese of Minden , a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Cologne

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne

The Archdiocese of Cologne is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in western North Rhine-Westphalia and northern Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany.-History:...

, who were simultaneously rulers of princely rank (prince-bishop) in the Prince-Bishopric of Minden , a state of imperial immediacy within the Holy Roman Empire

Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...

. Minden

Minden

Minden is a town of about 83,000 inhabitants in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The town extends along both sides of the river Weser. It is the capital of the Kreis of Minden-Lübbecke, which is part of the region of Detmold. Minden is the historic political centre of the...

 was the seat of the chapter

Cathedral chapter

In accordance with canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese in his stead. These councils are made up of canons and dignitaries; in the Roman Catholic church their...

, the cathedral

Cathedral

A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...

 and residence of the bishops until 1305, Petershagen

Petershagen

Petershagen is a town in the Minden-Lübbecke district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Petershagen is situated on the river Weser, approx...

 became the prince-episcopal residence since.

Titles of the incumbents of the Minden See

Not all incumbents of the Minden See were imperially invested princely power as Prince-Bishops and not all were papally confirmed as bishops. In 1180 part of the Minden diocesan territory were disentangled from the Duchy of Saxony

Duchy of Saxony

The medieval Duchy of Saxony was a late Early Middle Ages "Carolingian stem duchy" covering the greater part of Northern Germany. It covered the area of the modern German states of Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony-Anhalt and most of Schleswig-Holstein...

 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

Elective monarchy

An elective monarchy is a monarchy ruled by an elected rather than hereditary monarch. The manner of election, the nature of the candidacy and the electors vary from case to case...

, with the monarch being the respective bishop usually elected by the Minden Cathedral

Minden Cathedral

Minden Cathedral, dedicated to Saints Gorgonius and Peter, is a Roman Catholic church in the city of Minden, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. From the year 803 AD, when the area was conquered by Charlemagne, it was the center of a diocese and subsequently became the center of a small sovereign...

 chapter

Cathedral chapter

In accordance with canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese in his stead. These councils are made up of canons and dignitaries; in the Roman Catholic church their...

, and confirmed by the Holy See

Holy See

The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...

, or exceptionally only appointed by the Holy See. Papally confirmed bishops were then invested by the emperor with the princely regalia

Regalia

Regalia is Latin plurale tantum for the privileges and the insignia characteristic of a Sovereign.The word stems from the Latin substantivation of the adjective regalis, 'regal', itself from Rex, 'king'...

, 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

Investiture

Investiture, from the Latin is a rather general term for the formal installation of an incumbent...

, but as a matter of fact nevertheless de facto

De facto

De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...

 held the princely power. Between about 1555 to 1631 all incumbents were Lutherans. The respective incumbents of the see bore the following titles:

• Bishop
  Bishop (Catholic Church)
  In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
  
   of Minden until 1180
• Prince-Bishop
  Prince-Bishop
  A Prince-Bishop is a bishop who is a territorial Prince of the Church on account of one or more secular principalities, usually pre-existent titles of nobility held concurrently with their inherent clerical office...
  
   of Minden from 1180 to 1554 and again 1631 to 1648
• Administrator of the Prince-Bishopric of Minden 1566 to 1630 and again 1631 to 1645. Either simply de facto replacing the Prince-Bishop or lacking canon-law prerequisites the incumbent of the see would officially only hold the title administrator (but nevertheless colloquially referred to as Prince-Bishop).

Catholic Bishops of Minden till 1180

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 Minden Minden is a town of about 83,000 inhabitants in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The town extends along both sides of the river Weser. It is the capital of the Kreis of Minden-Lübbecke, which is part of the region of Detmold. Minden is the historic political centre of the...	resigned?	saint Saint A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth... , feast day: 7 June
813–853		Hardward	*unknown – 16 September 853*, Minden	death	saint Saint A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth... , feast day: 13 April
853–880		Theoderic as Dietrich I	*unknown – 2 February 880*, near Ebstorf Ebstorf Ebstorf is a municipality in the district of Uelzen, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 12 km northwest of Uelzen, and 25 km south of Lüneburg....	killed in action	martyr Martyr A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:... , saint Saint A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth... , feast day: 2 February
880–886		Wulfhar also: Wulfar or Wolfer	*unknown – 15 September 886*, Minden	killed by invasors
886–887		sede vacante Sede vacante Sede vacante is an expression, used in the Canon Law of the Catholic Church, that refers to the vacancy of the episcopal see of a particular church...
887–902		Drogo	*unknown – 5 June 902*	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	*unknown – 1036*	death
1037–1055		Bruno of Waldeck (House of Waldeck)	*c. 1000 – 10 February 1055*	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	*unknown – 28 December 1119*	death	as anti-bishop repressed in 1105, unrivalled in office since 1113
1120–1140		Sigward also: Siegward	*unknown – 1140*	death
1140–1153		Henry Cuno as Henry I
1153–1170		Werner	Bückeburg Bückeburg Bückeburg is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, on the border with North Rhine Westphalia. It was once the capital of the tiny principality of Schaumburg-Lippe and is today located in the district of Schaumburg close to the northern slopes of the Weserbergland ridge... , *unknown – 1170*	death	celebrated the marriage of Henry the Lion Henry the Lion Henry the Lion was a member of the Welf dynasty and Duke of Saxony, as Henry III, from 1142, and Duke of Bavaria, as Henry XII, from 1156, which duchies he held until 1180....  and Matilda of England, Plantagenêt Matilda of England, Duchess of Saxony Matilda of England was the eldest daughter of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Through her marriage with Henry the Lion, she was Duchess of Saxony and later of Bavaria.-Early life:...
1170–1185		Anno of Landsberg	*unknown – 1185*	death

Catholic Prince-Bishops (1180–1554)

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		Anno of Landsberg	*unknown – 1185*	death
1185–1206		Thietmar Thietmar of Minden Saint Thietmar of Minden was bishop of Minden from 1185 or 1186 until his death in 1206. According to tradition, Thietmar was from Bavaria.... also: Thiemo, modernised: Dietmar	Bavaria, *unknown – 5 March 1206*	death	saint Saint A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth... , feast day: 5 March
1206–1209		Henry as Henry II	*unknown – 30 July 1209*	death
1209–1236		Conrad of Rüdenberg also: of Diepholz as Conrad I	*unknown – 26 June 1236*	death
1236–1242		William of Diepholz as William I (Counts of Diepholz)	*unknown – 2 May 1242*	death	brother of the next
1242–1253		John of Diepholz (Counts of Diepholz)	*c. 1175 – 13 January 1253*	death	brother of the former
1253–1261		Wedekind of Hoya as Wedekind I (Counts of Hoya)	*unknown – 1261*	death	son of Henry II, Count of Hoya
1261–1266		Cuno
1266–1275		Otto as Otto I	Stendal Stendal Stendal is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is the capital of Stendal District and unofficial capital of the Altmark. Its population in 2001 was 38,900. It is located some west of Berlin and around east of Hanover... , *unknown – 1275*
1275–1293		Volkwin of Schwalenberg	*c. 1240/1245 – 4 May 1293*,	death	brother of Ludolph's brother's or sister's spouse
1293–1295		Conrad of Wardenberg as Conrad II	*unknown – 1295*	death
1295–1304		Ludolph of Rostorf also: Rosdorf	Hardenberg Nörten-Hardenberg Nörten-Hardenberg is a municipality in the district of Northeim, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Leine, approx. 10 km southwest of Northeim, and 10 km north of Göttingen.- References :... , *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)	*c. 1255/1260 – 14 May 1324*	death	brother of Adolf II of Waldeck Adolf II of Waldeck Adolf II van Waldeck was count of Waldeck from 1270 to 1276 and prince bishop of Liège from 1301 to 1302.-Life:Adolf was a son of count Hendrik III of Waldeck and of Mechthild of Cuyk-Arnsberg. In 1270 he followed his grandfather Adolf I of Waldeck as count of Waldeck... ; by his granduncle's wife also grandnephew of Ludolph moved the prince-episcopal residence to Petershagen Petershagen Petershagen is a town in the Minden-Lübbecke district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Petershagen is situated on the river Weser, approx...  castle
1324–1346		Louis of Brunswick and Lunenburg, Lunenburg (House of Welf)	*c. 1300 – 18 July 1346*, Walsrode Walsrode -Middle Ages:986 Foundation of Walsrode Abbey by Count Walo. The first recorded mentionof the town is dated May 7, 986.1383 The dukes of Brunswick and Lüneburg grant Walsrode a town charter.1479 First recorded instance of Walsrode's coat of arms...	death	son of Otto the Strict
1346–1353		Gerard of Schauenburg as Gerard I (House of Schaumburg)	*unknown – 1 January 1353*	death	son of Adolphus VI, Count of Schauenburg and Holstein-Pinneberg
1353–1361		Dietrich Kagelwit also Kugelweit, Dietrich of Portitz as Dietrich III	Stendal Stendal Stendal is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is the capital of Stendal District and unofficial capital of the Altmark. Its population in 2001 was 38,900. It is located some west of Berlin and around east of Hanover... , *c. 1300 – 17 December 1367	became Prince-Archbishop of Magdeburg Archbishopric of Magdeburg The Archbishopric of Magdeburg was a Roman Catholic archdiocese and Prince-Bishopric of the Holy Roman Empire centered on the city of Magdeburg on the Elbe River....  in 1361 (as Dietrich I)	before Bishop of Schleswig (1351–1353)
1361–1366		Gerard of Schaumburg as Gerard II (House of Schaumburg)	*unknown – 25 September 1366*		son of Adolphus VII, Count of Schauenburg and Holstein-Pinneberg
1366–1368		Otto of Wettin also: of Golßen as Otto II (House of Wettin)	*unknown – 16 July 1368*	death	son of Otto, Burgrave of Wettin and Golßen
1369–1383		Wedekind of Schalksberg also: Wittekind vom Berge as Wedekind II	*unknown – 1383*	death	son of Wedekind IV, Lord of Schalksberg
1384–1397		Otto of Schalksberg also: vom Berge as Otto III	*unknown – 1 January 1398*	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	*unknown – 28. Dezember 1406*	became Prince-Bishop of Constance in 1398	nephew of Patriarch Marquard of Randeck Marquard of Randeck Marquard of Randeck was Patriarch of Aquileia from 1365 until his death.-Biography:...
1398–1402		William of Buchen as William II		death
1402–1403		sede vacante Sede vacante Sede vacante is an expression, used in the Canon Law of the Catholic Church, that refers to the vacancy of the episcopal see of a particular church...
1403–1406		Otto of Rietberg as Otto IV	*unknown – 1406*	death	son of Otto II, Count of Rietberg
1406–1436		Wilbrand of Hallermund also: Wulbrand	*? – 23 December 1436*	death	before prince-Abbot Prince-abbot A Prince-Abbot is a title for a cleric who is a Prince of the Church , in the sense of an ex officio temporal lord of a feudal entity, notably a State of the Holy Roman Empire. The secular territory ruled by the head of an abbey is known as Prince-Abbacy or Abbey-principality...  of Corvey Abbey Corvey Abbey The Imperial Abbey of Corvey was a Benedictine monastery on the River Weser, 2 km northeast of Höxter, now in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany....  (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)			son of Eric I, Count 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 and Lunenburg, Wolfenbüttel as Francis I (House of Welf)	*1492 – 25 November 1529*, Wolfenbüttel Wolfenbüttel Wolfenbüttel is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, located on the Oker river about 13 kilometres south of Brunswick. It is the seat of the District of Wolfenbüttel and of the bishop of the Protestant Lutheran State Church of Brunswick...	death	son of Henry IV Henry IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg Henry , Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, called Henry the Elder or Henry the Evil, was prince of Wolfenbüttel from 1491 until his death.-Life:...
1530–1553		Francis of Waldeck as Francis II (House of Waldeck)	Sparrenberg Castle Sparrenberg Castle The Sparrenburg is a restored fortress in the Bielefeld-Mitte district of Bielefeld, Germany. It is situated on the Sparrenberg in the Teutoburg Forest and towers above the city centre. Its current appearance mainly originated in the 16th and 19th century... , *1491 – 15 July 1553*, Wolbeck (a part of today's Minden)	death	also Prince-Bishop of Münster (1532–1553) and of Osnabrück Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück The Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück was a prince-bishopric centred on the Roman Catholic Diocese of Osnabrück. The diocese was erected in 772 and is the oldest see founded by Charlemagne, in order to Christianize the conquered stem-duchy of Saxony.... (1532–1553)
1553–1554		Julius of Brunswick and Lunenburg, Wolfenbüttel (House of Welf)	Wolfenbüttel Wolfenbüttel Wolfenbüttel is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, located on the Oker river about 13 kilometres south of Brunswick. It is the seat of the District of Wolfenbüttel and of the bishop of the Protestant Lutheran State Church of Brunswick... , *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

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)	*22 November 1494 – 4 December 1566*, Verden upon Aller	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 Archbishopric of Bremen The Archdiocese of Bremen was a historical Roman Catholic diocese and formed from 1180 to 1648 an ecclesiastical state , named Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen within the Holy Roman Empire...  and Verden sees (1558–1566)
1566–1582		Hermann of Schauenburg (House of Schaumburg)	*1545–1592*		son of Otto IV of Schaumburg Otto IV of Schaumburg Otto IV of Schaumburg , Count of Hogsmeade, adopted the teachings of Albus Dumbledore. However, with respect to his elder brothers, Durmstrang's Archbishop-Electors Gellert Grindewald and Igor Karkaroff , he refrained from open confrontation...
1582–1585		Henry Julius of Brunswick and Lunenburg, Wolfenbüttel (House of Welf)	Hessen am Fallstein Hessen (Osterwieck) Hessen is a village in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Osterwieck.... , *15 October 1564 – 20 July 1613*, Prague Prague Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...	resigned, became Prince of Calenberg and of Wolfenbüttel in 1589	also administrator of the Prince-Bishopric of Halberstadt (1566-1613)
1585–1587		sede vacante Sede vacante Sede vacante is an expression, used in the Canon Law of the Catholic Church, that refers to the vacancy of the episcopal see of a particular church...
1587–1599		Anthony of Schauenburg (House of Schaumburg)	*1549–1599*	death	son of Otto IV of Schaumburg Otto IV of Schaumburg Otto IV of Schaumburg , Count of Hogsmeade, adopted the teachings of Albus Dumbledore. However, with respect to his elder brothers, Durmstrang's Archbishop-Electors Gellert Grindewald and Igor Karkaroff , he refrained from open confrontation...
1599–1625		Christian of Brunswick and Lunenburg, Celle Christian, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg Christian the Elder, Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg, was Prince of Lüneburg and Administrator of the Prince-Bishopric of Minden.- Life :... (House of Welf)	*9 November 1566 – 8 November 1633*	deposed	as Christian the Elder also Prince of Lunenburg-Celle Principality of Lüneburg The Principality of Lüneburg was a territorial division of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg within the Holy Roman Empire, immediately subordinate to the emperor. It existed from 1269 until 1705 and its territory lay within the modern-day state of Lower Saxony in Germany...  (1611–1633)
1625–1631		sede vacante

Catholic Prince-Bishop (1631–1648)

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 Munich Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat... , *1 March 1593 – 1 December 1661*, Ratisbon Regensburg Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...	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 Bishopric of Regensburg The Bishopric of Regensburg was a small prince-bishopric of the Holy Roman Empire, located in what is now southern Germany. It was elevated to the Archbishopric of Regensburg in 1803 after the dissolution of the Archbishopric of Mainz, but became a bishopric again in 1817.-History:The diocese...  (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 Personal union A personal union is the combination by which two or more different states have the same monarch while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct. It should not be confused with a federation which is internationally considered a single state...  by the House of Hohenzollern House of Hohenzollern The House of Hohenzollern is a noble family and royal dynasty of electors, kings and emperors of Prussia, Germany and Romania. It originated in the area around the town of Hechingen in Swabia during the 11th century. They took their name from their ancestral home, the Burg Hohenzollern castle near...  in Brandenburg.

Sources

• Website Chronik Alt-Minden (retrieved on 29 April 2010)
• "Liste der Bischöfe" on Lexikon des Mittelalters
  Lexikon des Mittelalters
  The Lexikon des Mittelalters is a German encyclopedia on the history of the Middle Ages. Written by authors from all over the world, it comprises more than 36,000 articles in 9 volumes. The first six volumes were published by Artemis , Munich and Zürich; volumes seven through nine by LexMA, Munich...