Diocese of Hildesheim

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Bishop(s) Heiner Wilmer, S.C.I., Bishop Heinz-Günter Bongartz, Auxiliary Bishop Nikolaus Schwerdtfeger, Auxiliary Bishop Norbert Trelle, Bishop Emeritus Hans-Georg Koitz, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus

General Information Type of Jurisdiction: Diocese Erected: 800 Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Hamburg Rite: Latin (or Roman) Country: Germany Square Kilometers: 29,021 (11,209 Square Miles) Official Web Site: http://www.bistum-hildesheim.de/ Mailing Address: Domhof 18/21, 31134 Hildesheim, Bundesrepublik Deutschland Telephone: (05121)3070 Fax: 307-488

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Past and Present Ordinaries

• Ebbo † (1 Oct 847 Appointed - 20 Mar 851 Died)
• St. Bernward † ( 993 Appointed - 20 Nov 1022 Died)
• St. Godehard von Hildesheim † (2 Dec 1022 Appointed - 5 May 1038 Died)
• Dietmar von Hildesheim † ( 1038 Appointed - 14 Nov 1044 Died)
• Azelin † ( 1044 Appointed - 8 Mar 1054 Died)
• Hezilo von Hildesheim † ( 1054 Appointed - 5 Aug 1079 Died)
• Udo von Gleichen-Reinhausen † ( 1079 Appointed - 19 Oct 1114 Died)
• Bruning † ( 1115 Appointed - 1118 Resigned)
• Berthold von Alvensleben † (31 Oct 1119 Appointed - 14 Mar 1130 Died)
• Bernhard von Hildesheim † (12 Jun 1130 Appointed - 1153 Resigned)
• Bruno von Hildesheim † (3 Jun 1153 Appointed - 18 Oct 1162 Died)
• Hermann von Hildesheim † ( 1162 Appointed - 10 Jul 1170 Died)
• Adelog von Hildesheim † ( 1170 Appointed - 20 Sep 1190 Died)
• Berno von Hildesheim † ( 1190 Appointed - 28 Oct 1194 Died)
• Konrad von Querfurt † ( 1194 Appointed - 1199 Resigned)
• Hartbert von Hildesheim † ( 1199 Appointed - 21 Mar 1216 Died)
• Siegfried von Lichtenberg † ( 1216 Appointed - 26 Jan 1221 Resigned)
• Konrad von Riesenberg † (3 Sep 1221 Appointed - 1246 Resigned)
• Heinrich von Rusteberg (Wernigerode) † (Feb 1246 Appointed - 25 May 1257 Died)
• Johann von Brakel † (Sep 1257 Appointed - 15 Sep 1260 Died)
• Otto von Braunschweig-Lüneburg † (9 Oct 1260 Appointed - 4 Jul 1279 Died)
• Siegfried von Querfurt † (18 Jul 1279 Appointed - 27 Apr 1310 Died)
• Heinrich von Woldenberg † (6 Sep 1310 Appointed - 21 Sep 1318 Died)
• Otto von Woldenberg † (23 May 1319 Appointed - 1331 Resigned)
• Heinrich von Braunschweig-Lüneburg † (28 Aug 1331 Appointed - 6 Feb 1363 Died)
• Johann Schadland, O.P. † (22 Mar 1363 Appointed - 20 Aug 1365 Appointed, Bishop of Worms)
• Gerhard von Berg † (20 Aug 1365 Appointed - 15 Nov 1398 Died)
• Johann von Hoya † (28 Feb 1399 Appointed - May 1424 Resigned)
• Magnus von Sachsen-Lauenburg † (12 May 1424 Succeeded - 20 May 1452 Resigned)
• Bernhard von Braunschweig-Lüneburg † (20 Oct 1452 Confirmed - 1458 Resigned)
• Ernst von Schaumberg † (24 Mar 1458 Confirmed - 22 Jul 1471 Died)
• Henning von Haus † (15 Jan 1472 Confirmed - Nov 1480 Resigned)
• Berthold von Landsberg † (25 Sep 1480 Appointed - 4 May 1502 Died)
• Erich von Sachsen-Lauenburg † (2 Dec 1502 Confirmed - 1504 Resigned)
• Johann von Sachsen-Lauenburg † (13 Jul 1504 Confirmed - 6 May 1527 Resigned)
• Balthasar Maerklin † (9 Mar 1530 Confirmed - 28 May 1531 Died)
• Otto von Schaumberg † (28 Jul 1531 Appointed - 22 Dec 1576 Died)
• Valentin von Tetleben † (11 Jan 1538 Confirmed - 19 Apr 1551 Died)
• Friedrich von Schleswig-Holstein † (6 Jul 1554 Confirmed - 27 Sep 1556 Died)
• Burchard Oberg † (23 Jan 1559 Confirmed - 23 Feb 1573 Died)
• Ernst von Bayern † (4 Oct 1573 Confirmed - 17 Feb 1612 Died)
• Ferdinand von Bayern † (17 Feb 1612 Succeeded - 13 Sep 1650 Died)
• Max Heinrich von Bayern † (13 Sep 1650 Succeeded - 3 Jun 1688 Died)
• Jobst Edmund von Brabeck † (29 Nov 1688 Confirmed - 13 Aug 1702 Died)
• Joseph Clemens von Bayern von Wittelsbach † (13 Aug 1702 Succeeded - 12 Nov 1723 Died)
• Clemens August Maria von Bayern † (3 Aug 1724 Confirmed - 6 Feb 1761 Died)
• Friedrich Wilhelm von Westphalen † (16 May 1763 Confirmed - 6 Jan 1789 Died)
• Franz Egon von Fürstenberg † (6 Jan 1789 Succeeded - 11 Aug 1825 Died)
• Godehard Joseph Osthaus † (27 Jul 1829 Confirmed - 30 Dec 1835 Died)
• Franz Ferdinand (Johann Franz) Fritz, O.S.B. † (11 Jul 1836 Confirmed - 6 Sep 1840 Died)
• Jakob Joseph Wandt † (23 May 1842 Confirmed - 16 Oct 1849 Died)
• Eduard Jakob Wedekin † (30 Sep 1850 Confirmed - 25 Dec 1870 Died)
• Daniel Wilhelm Sommerwerk (Jacobi) † (27 Oct 1871 Confirmed - 18 Dec 1905 Died)
• Adolf Bertram † (12 Jun 1906 Confirmed - 8 Sep 1914 Confirmed, Bishop of Wrocław (Breslau))
• Joseph Ernst † (1 Jun 1915 Confirmed - 5 May 1928 Died)
• Nikolaus Bares † (15 Jan 1929 Appointed - 21 Dec 1933 Confirmed, Bishop of Berlin)
• Joseph Godehard Machens † (22 Jun 1934 Appointed - 14 Aug 1956 Died)
• Heinrich Maria Janssen † (3 Feb 1957 Appointed - 28 Dec 1983 Retired)
• Josef Homeyer † (25 Aug 1983 Appointed - 20 Aug 2004 Retired)
• Norbert Trelle (29 Nov 2005 Appointed - 9 Sep 2017 Retired)
• Heiner Wilmer, S.C.I. (6 Apr 2018 Appointed - )

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Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
800	Erected		Diocese of Hildesheim (erected)
24 October 1994	Territory Lost	Diocese of Hildesheim Apostolic Administration of Schwerin	Archdiocese of Hamburg

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Statistics

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
1950	669,532	4,875,462	13.7%	432	31	463	1,446		51	994	324	ap1951
1970	738,919	5,510,238	13.4%	494	125	619	1,193		150	864	427	ap1971
1980	765,531	6,000,000	12.8%	465	112	577	1,326	18	128	625	365	ap1981
1990	725,000	6,000,000	12.1%	456	106	562	1,290	55	125	532	361	ap1991
1999	682,181	5,700,000	12.0%	388	67	455	1,499	75	83	470	279	ap2000
2000	685,672	5,700,000	12.0%	383	61	444	1,544	79	77	449	279	ap2001
2001	669,251	5,700,000	11.7%	377	61	438	1,527	81	72	339	279	ap2002
2002	681,747	5,700,000	12.0%	367	60	427	1,596	83	70	418	279	ap2003
2003	633,093	5,700,000	11.1%	363	62	425	1,489	80	71	415	349	ap2004
2004	659,500	5,700,000	11.6%	360	66	426	1,548	81	75	409	348	ap2005
2006	652,461	5,700,000	11.4%	348	59	407	1,603	91	69	366	313	ap2007
2013	616,210	5,349,318	11.5%	290	62	352	1,750	100	228	210	170	ap2014
2016	611,052	5,261,658	11.6%	272	55	327	1,868	101	64	231	119	ap2017

Note: Any changes in boundaries over time are not indicated in the above table.

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Affiliated Bishops, Living

• Heinz-Günter Bongartz (Priest: 5 Jun 1982; Auxiliary Bishop: 4 Dec 2010)
• Hans-Georg Koitz (Priest: 30 Jun 1962; Auxiliary Bishop: 24 Aug 1992 to 4 Dec 2010)
• Nikolaus Schwerdtfeger (Priest: 5 Jun 1982; Auxiliary Bishop: 19 Jun 1995)
• Norbert Trelle (Bishop: 29 Nov 2005 to 9 Sep 2017)
• Heiner Wilmer, S.C.I. (Bishop: 6 Apr 2018 - )
• Michael Wüstenberg (Priest: 5 Jun 1982 to 19 Dec 2007)

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Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

• Adam Adami, O.S.B. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 16 Dec 1652 to 19 Feb 1663)
• Berthold von Alvensleben † (Bishop: 31 Oct 1119 to 14 Mar 1130)
• Johann Heinrich von Anethan † (Auxiliary Bishop: 6 Jul 1665 to 13 Nov 1676)
• Johann Anguli Wilkelmann, O.F.M. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 28 Nov 1436)
• Nikolaus Arresdorf, O.F.M. Conv. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 23 Nov 1592 to 28 Mar 1620)
• Nikolaus Bares † (Bishop: 15 Jan 1929 to 21 Dec 1933)
• Clemens August Maria von Bayern † (Bishop: 3 Aug 1724 to 6 Feb 1761)
• Ernst von Bayern † (Bishop: 4 Oct 1573 to 17 Feb 1612)
• Ferdinand von Bayern † (Coadjutor Bishop: 18 May 1611; Bishop: 17 Feb 1612 to 13 Sep 1650)
• Max Heinrich von Bayern † (Coadjutor Bishop: 23 Nov 1633; Bishop: 13 Sep 1650 to 3 Jun 1688)
• Joseph Clemens von Bayern von Wittelsbach † (Coadjutor Bishop: 6 Nov 1694; Bishop: 13 Aug 1702 to 12 Nov 1723)
• Gerhard von Berg † (Bishop: 20 Aug 1365 to 15 Nov 1398)
• Adolf Bertram † (Priest: 31 Jul 1881; Bishop: 12 Jun 1906 to 8 Sep 1914)
• Albert Bitter †
• Jobst Edmund von Brabeck † (Bishop: 29 Nov 1688 to 13 Aug 1702)
• Johann von Brakel † (Bishop: Sep 1257 to 15 Sep 1260)
• Bernhard von Braunschweig-Lüneburg † (Bishop: 20 Oct 1452 to 1458)
• Heinrich von Braunschweig-Lüneburg † (Bishop: 28 Aug 1331 to 6 Feb 1363)
• Otto von Braunschweig-Lüneburg † (Bishop: 9 Oct 1260 to 4 Jul 1279)
• Johannes Bydolek † (Priest: 16 Oct 1915; Auxiliary Bishop: 10 Sep 1949 to 18 Oct 1957)
• Johann Christiani von Schleppegrell, O.S.A. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 7 Jun 1428 to 8 Oct 1468)
• Joseph Ernst † (Priest: 2 Aug 1886; Bishop: 1 Jun 1915 to 5 May 1928)
• Balthasar Fannemann (Waneman), O.P. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 26 Aug 1540 to 8 Oct 1561)
• Johann Ignace von Franken-Siersdorf † (Priest: 5 Mar 1742 to 17 Sep 1760)
• Franz Ferdinand (Johann Franz) Fritz, O.S.B. † (Priest: 1803; Bishop: 11 Jul 1836 to 6 Sep 1840)
• Franz Egon von Fürstenberg † (Coadjutor Bishop: 24 Jul 1786; Bishop: 6 Jan 1789 to 11 Aug 1825)
• Udo von Gleichen-Reinhausen † (Bishop: 1079 to 19 Oct 1114)
• Ludwig Hatteisen, O.S.B. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 2 Oct 1758 to 3 Apr 1771)
• Henning von Haus † (Bishop: 15 Jan 1472 to Nov 1480)
• Adelog von Hildesheim † (Bishop: 1170 to 20 Sep 1190)
• Bernhard von Hildesheim † (Bishop: 12 Jun 1130 to 1153)
• Berno von Hildesheim † (Bishop: 1190 to 28 Oct 1194)
• Bruno von Hildesheim † (Bishop: 3 Jun 1153 to 18 Oct 1162)
• Dietmar von Hildesheim † (Bishop: 1038 to 14 Nov 1044)
• Hartbert von Hildesheim † (Bishop: 1199 to 21 Mar 1216)
• Hermann von Hildesheim † (Bishop: 1162 to 10 Jul 1170)
• Hezilo von Hildesheim † (Bishop: 1054 to 5 Aug 1079)
• St. Godehard von Hildesheim † (Bishop: 2 Dec 1022 to 5 May 1038)
• Josef Homeyer † (Bishop: 25 Aug 1983 to 20 Aug 2004)
• Johann Friedrich Adolf von Hörde zu Schönholthausen † (Priest: 14 Mar 1714 to 15 Dec 1722)
• Johann von Hoya † (Bishop: 28 Feb 1399 to May 1424)
• Heinrich Maria Janssen † (Bishop: 3 Feb 1957 to 28 Dec 1983)
• Adolf Kindermann † (Auxiliary Bishop: 11 Jul 1966 to 23 Oct 1974)
• Georg von Kopp † (Priest: 28 Aug 1862 to 15 Nov 1881)
• Arnold Krebs (or Cancrinus), O.S.A. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 1512 to 1524)
• Berthold von Landsberg † (Bishop: 25 Sep 1480 to 4 May 1502)
• Siegfried von Lichtenberg † (Bishop: 1216 to 26 Jan 1221)
• Heinrich Machens † (Priest: 13 Mar 1949; Auxiliary Bishop: 24 Mar 1976 to 11 Feb 1994)
• Joseph Godehard Machens † (Priest: 19 Mar 1911; Bishop: 22 Jun 1934; Archbishop (Personal Title): 13 Jul 1956 to 14 Aug 1956)
• Balthasar Maerklin † (Bishop: 9 Mar 1530 to 28 May 1531)
• Berthold von Oberg, O.P. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 1478 to 1480)
• Burchard Oberg † (Bishop: 23 Jan 1559 to 23 Feb 1573)
• Godehard Joseph Osthaus † (Deacon: 18 Dec 1796; Priest: 16 Jun 1797; Bishop: 27 Jul 1829 to 30 Dec 1835)
• Heinrich Pachowiak † (Priest: 15 May 1940; Auxiliary Bishop: 27 May 1958 to 24 Aug 1992)
• Johannes Pelking (Pelcking), O.F.M. Conv. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 16 Dec 1619 to 28 Dec 1642)
• Konrad von Querfurt † (Bishop: 1194 to 1199)
• Siegfried von Querfurt † (Bishop: 18 Jul 1279 to 27 Apr 1310)
• Konrad von Riesenberg † (Bishop: 3 Sep 1221 to 1246)
• Heinrich von Rusteberg (Wernigerode) † (Bishop: Feb 1246 to 25 May 1257)
• Erich von Sachsen-Lauenburg † (Bishop: 2 Dec 1502 to 1504)
• Johann von Sachsen-Lauenburg † (Bishop: 13 Jul 1504 to 6 May 1527)
• Magnus von Sachsen-Lauenburg † (Coadjutor Bishop: 10 May 1424; Bishop: 12 May 1424 to 20 May 1452)
• Johann Schadland, O.P. † (Bishop: 22 Mar 1363 to 20 Aug 1365)
• Ernst von Schaumberg † (Bishop: 24 Mar 1458 to 22 Jul 1471)
• Otto von Schaumberg † (Bishop: 28 Jul 1531 to 22 Dec 1576)
• Friedrich von Schleswig-Holstein † (Bishop: 6 Jul 1554 to 27 Sep 1556)
• Ludwig von Siegen, O.F.M. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 25 May 1502 to 13 Feb 1508)
• Daniel Wilhelm Sommerwerk (Jacobi) † (Priest: 24 Sep 1846; Bishop: 27 Oct 1871 to 18 Dec 1905)
• Valentin von Tetleben † (Bishop: 11 Jan 1538 to 19 Apr 1551)
• Johannes Tideln, O.P. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 6 Feb 1477 to 28 Jul 1501)
• Friedrich von Tietzen-Schlütter † (Priest: 1669; Auxiliary Bishop: 12 Dec 1677 to 4 Nov 1696)
• Ernst Friedrich von Twickel † (Deacon: 23 Jan 1707; Priest: 24 Dec 1707; Auxiliary Bishop: 27 Sep 1724 to 17 Jan 1734)
• Johann Wilhelm von Twickel † (Auxiliary Bishop: 27 Jun 1735 to 10 Sep 1757)
• Jakob Joseph Wandt † (Priest: 9 Mar 1805; Bishop: 23 May 1842 to 16 Oct 1849)
• Eduard Jakob Wedekin † (Deacon: 24 Sep 1821; Priest: 11 Nov 1821; Bishop: 30 Sep 1850 to 25 Dec 1870)
• Maximilian Heinrich von Weichs zu Rösberg † (Auxiliary Bishop: 1 Oct 1703 to 20 Sep 1723)
• Karl Friedrich von Wendt † (Deacon: 6 Apr 1777; Priest: 8 Apr 1777; Auxiliary Bishop: 25 Jun 1784 to 21 Jan 1825)
• Friedrich Wilhelm von Westphalen † (Bishop: 16 May 1763 to 6 Jan 1789)
• Heinrich von Woldenberg † (Bishop: 6 Sep 1310 to 21 Sep 1318)
• Otto von Woldenberg † (Bishop: 23 May 1319 to 1331)
• Azelin † (Bishop: 1044 to 8 Mar 1054)
• St. Bernward † (Bishop: 993 to 20 Nov 1022)
• Bruning † (Bishop: 1115 to 1118)
• Ebbo † (Archbishop (Personal Title): 1 Oct 847 to 20 Mar 851)

Source(s)

Hierarchia Catholica, Volume 1, Page 276, and Page 277 Hierarchia Catholica, Volume 2, Page 165 Series Episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae, Volume 1, Page 281, to Page 282

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