Roman Catholic Diocese of Trier
The Roman Catholic diocese of Trier, in English traditionally known by its French name of Treves, is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church in Germany. When it was the archbishopric and Electorate of Trier, it was one of the most important states of the Holy Roman Empire, both as an ecclesiastical principality and as a diocese of the church. Unlike the other Rhenish dioceses — Mainz and Cologne, Trier was the former Roman provincial capital of Augusta Treverorum. Given its status, Trier has always been the seat of a bishop since Roman times, one of the oldest dioceses in all of Germany. The diocese was elevated to an Archdiocese in the time of Charlemagne and was the metropolitan for the dioceses of Metz, Toul, and Verdun. After the victory of Napoleon Bonaparte of France, the archdiocese was lowered to a diocese and is now a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Cologne. The diocesan cathedral is the Cathedral of Saint Peter.
History
The bishops of Trier were already virtually independent territorial magnates in Merovingian times. In 772 Charlemagne granted Bishop Wiomad complete immunity from the jurisdiction of the ruling count for all the churches and monasteries, as well as villages and castles that belonged to the Church of St. Peter at Trier. In his will he also elevated the diocese to the Archdiocese of Trier, with suffragans on both sides of the Rhine. This arrangement lasted over a thousand years.In Early Modern times, the archdiocese of Trier still encompassed territory along the Moselle River between Trier, near the French border, and Koblenz on the Rhine. The Archbishop of Trier, as holder of an imperial office was traditionally an Imperial Elector of the German king. The purely honorary office of Archchancellor of Gaul arose in the 13th century. In this context that was taken to mean the Kingdom of Arles, or Burgundy, technically from 1242 and permanently from 1263, and nominally until 1803. Arles along with Germany and Italy was one of the three component kingdoms of the Empire.
The last elector removed to Koblenz in 1786. From 1795, the territories of the Archbishopric on the left bank of the Rhine — which is to say almost all of them — were under French occupation, and were annexed in 1801 and a separate bishopric established. In 1803, what was left of the Archbishopric was secularized and annexed by the Princes of Nassau.
Ordinaries
Before 1000
- Auspicius of Trier c. 130, uncertain
- Eucharius c. 250
- Valerius c. 250
- Maternus c. 300
- Agricius 327–335
- Maximinus II 335–352
- Paulinus 353–358
- Bonosus of Trier 359–365
- Veteranius of Trier 365–384
- Britto of Trier
- Felix II 384–398
- Mauritius II of Trier 398–407
- Leontius of Trier 407–409
- Auctor II 409–427
- Severus of Trier 428–455
- Cyrillus of Trier 455–457
- Iamblichus of Trier 457–458
- Evemerus 458–461
- Marcus II 461–465
- Volusianus of Trier 465–469
- Miletius 469–476
- Modestus 476–479
- Maximianus of Trier 479–499
- Fibicius 500–526
- Aprunculus 526–527
- Nicetius 527–566
- Rusticus II 566–573
- Magnerich 573–596
- Gunderich 596–600
- Sibald 600–626
- Modoald 626–645
- Numerianus 645–665
- Hildulf 665–671, d. 707
- Basinus 671–697 d. 706 ?
- Leudwinus 697–718
- Milo 718–758
- Wermad 758–791
- Richbod 791–804, first archbishop
- Waso 804–809
- Amalhar 809–814
- Hetto 814–847
- Dietgold 847–868
- Bartholf von Wetterau 869–883
- Radbod 883–915
- Rudgar 915–930
- Rotbert 930–956
- Henry I 956–964
- Dietrich I 965–977
- Egbert 977–993
- Ludolf 994–1008
1000–1200
- Megingod 1008–1015
- Poppo von Babenberg 1016–1047
- Eberhard 1047–1066
- Kuno I von Wetterau 1066–1066
- Udo of Nellenburg 1066–1078
- Egilbert of Rothenburg, 1079–1101
- Bruno 1101–1124
- Gottfrid 1124–1127
- Meginher 1127–1130
- Albero de Montreuil 1131–1152
- Hillin of Falmagne 1152–1169
- Arnold I of Vaucourt 1169–1183
- Folmar of Karden 1183–1189
- Rudolf of Wied 1183–1189
1200–1500
Archbishop-Electors of Trier
- John I 1189–1212
- Theodoric II 1212–42
- Arnold II von Isenburg 1242–59
- Heinrich I von Finstingen 1260–86
- Bohemond I von Warnesberg 1286–99
- Diether von Nassau 1300–07
- Heinrich II von Virneburg 1300–06
- Baldwin von Luxemburg 1307–54
- Bohemond II von Saarbrücken 1354–61
- Kuno II von Falkenstein 1362–88
- Werner von Falkenstein 1388–1418
- Otto von Ziegenhain 1418–30
- Rhaban von Helmstadt 1430–38
- Jakob von Sierck †
- Johann Markgraf von Baden †
1500–1800
- Jakob Markgraf von Baden †
- Richard von Greiffenclau zu Vollrads †
- Johann von Metzenhausen †
- Johann Ludwig von Hagen †
- Johann von Isenburg †
- Johann von der Leyen †
- Jakob von Eltz †
- Johann von Schönenberg †
- Lothar von Metternich †
- Philipp Christoph Reichsritter von Sötern †
- Karl Kaspar Reichsfreiherr von Leyen-Hohengeroldseck †
- Johann Hugo von Orsbeck †
- Karl Joseph Ignaz Herzog von Lothringen †
- Franz Ludwig Pfalzgraf am Rhein zu Neuburg †
- Franz Georg Reichsfgraf von Schönborn †
- Johann Philipp Reichsgraf von Waldendorff †
- Klemens Wenzeslaus Herzog von Sachsen †
After 1800
Bishops of Trier
- Charles Mannay †
- Josef von Hommer †
- Wilhelm Arnoldi †
- Leopold Pelldram †
- Matthias Eberhard †
- Michael Felix Korum †
- Franz Rudolf Bornewasser †
- Matthias Wehr †
- Bernhard Stein †
- Hermann Josef Spital †
- Reinhard Marx
- Stephan Ackermann
Auxiliary bishops
- Nicolas Arlon, O. Carm.
- Gerhard, O.F.M.
- Johann von Eindhoven, C.R.S.A.
- Johannes von Helmont, O.S.B.
- Johannes Enen
- Nikolaus Schienen
- Peter Binsfeld
- Gregor Helfenstein
- Otto von Senheim, O.P.
- Johannes Holler
- Johann Heinrich von Anethan
- Maximilian Burmann
- Johann Matthias von Eyss
- Lothar Friedrich von Nalbach
- Johann Nikolaus von Hontheim
- Jean-Marie Cuchot d’Herbain
- Johann Michael Josef von Pidoll de Quitenbach
- Johann Heinrich Milz
- Wilhelm Arnold Günther, O. Praem.
- Johann Georg Müller
- Godehard Braun
- Matthias Eberhard
- Johann Jakob Kraft
- Heinrich Feiten
- Anton Mönch
- Albert Maria Fuchs
- Heinrich Metzroth
- Carl Schmidt
- Karl Ernst Schrod
- Bernhard Stein
- Johannes Petrus Verhorst
- Joannes Franqueloy de Vico, O.P.
- Gregor Virneburg
- Hubert Yffz, O. Praem.
- Karl Heinz Jacoby
- Alfred Kleinermeilert
- Leo Schwarz
- Gehard Jakob
- Felix Genn
- Robert Brahm
- Jörg Michael Peters
- Stephan Ackermann
- Helmut Dieser
Footnotes