Wilhelm of Gennep
Wilhelm von Gennep († September 15, 1362 in Cologne ) was elector and archbishop of Cologne from 1349 to 1362 .
He came from a smaller Lower Rhine-Maasland count family named after the place Gennep . Even under his predecessor Walram von Jülich , he was the archbishop's secretary in Cologne and his most important advisor.
After the death of his predecessor, he was elected archbishop against the will of the king (and later emperor ) Charles IV . He found support here mainly from Brabant and French protection, so that he was on December 18, 1349 by Pope Clement VI. could be appointed Archbishop of Cologne. Wilhelm agreed on May 13, 1351 with Duke Johann von Brabant , his son Duke Gottfried von Limburg (* 1347, † 1352) and the cities of Cologne and Aachen the Maas-Rhine Peace Alliance for ten years .
Wilhelm proved to be a capable prince and so within a short time he succeeded in the economic consolidation of the archbishopric, which enabled him to exercise his sovereign power in a powerful way. His powerful domestic policy was the basis for a generally non-warlike and successful foreign policy. This culminated in an intensive Reich policy. Not only political ties to France, England and the north-western Europe were the result, but probably also a significant participation in the formulation of the Golden Bull in 1356. The Golden Bull confirmed the archbishops of Cologne, the Elector dignity and the Erzamt the arch-chancellor of imperial Italy .
He died on September 15, 1362 in Cologne. Here he was buried in a high grave built by him in the cross chapel of Cologne Cathedral .
Wilhelm was a sponsor of the cathedral building in Cologne, he supported the then cathedral building association. To finance the construction of the cathedral, he procured papal indulgences for the archbishopric. At the same time, he must have had a certain veneration for his predecessor, for whom he also had a magnificent high grave built.
literature
- Hermann Keussen : Wilhelm, Archbishop of Cologne . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 43, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1898, pp. 113-115.
Web links
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Walram from Jülich |
Elector Archbishop of Cologne 1349–1362 |
Adolf II of the Mark |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Wilhelm of Gennep |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Wilhelm of Cologne |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cologne (1349–1362) |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 13th century or 14th century |
| DATE OF DEATH | September 15, 1362 |
| Place of death | Cologne |