Conrad I of Hochstaden

Konrad von Hochstaden (or Conrad of Hochstadt) (1198/1205 – 18 September 1261) was Archbishop of Cologne from 1238 to 1261.

Konrad was a son of Count Lothar of Hochstadt, canon of St. Maria ad Gradus and of the old Cologne Cathedral, of Holland.

In recognition of these services, Pope Innocent made him Apostolic legate in Germany (14 March 1249), an office which had become vacant by the death of Archbishop Siegfried III of Mainz, five days previously. The clergy and laity of Mainz desired to have the powerful Konrad of Cologne as their new archbishop. Konrad seems to have secretly encouraged them, but for diplomatic reasons referred them to the pope, who kindly but firmly refused to place the two most important ecclesiastical provinces of Germany under the power of one man.

Shortly after this decision, the hitherto friendly relations between Pope Innocent IV and the archbishop ceased and, in April 1250, the Apostolic legation in Germany was committed to Pierre de Colmieu, Bishop of Albano. At the same time began Konrad's estrangement from King William, which finally led to open rebellion. With all the means of a powerful and unscrupulous prince, Konrad attempted to dethrone William and probably would have succeeded had not the king's premature death made the archbishop's intrigues unnecessary. After the death of King William (28 January 1256), Konrad played an important role in the election of the new king. He sold his vote for a large sum to Richard of Cornwall, brother of Henry III of England, and crowned him at Aachen on 17 May 1257. This was the last important act of Konrad. He died on 28 September 1261 and is buried in the Cologne Cathedral, of which he laid the cornerstone on 15 August 1248.