Wilhelm von Gennep

Wilhelm von Gennep († September 15, 1362 in Cologne) was from 1349 to 1362 Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cologne.

He came from a smaller Lower Rhine and Meuse Counts, which is named after the place Gennep. Already under his predecessor Walram of Jülich he was archbishop's secretary in Cologne and worked his main advisor.

After the death of his predecessor, he was elected against the will of the King ( and later Emperor ) Charles IV as archbishop. He found support for this in particular through Brabant and French protection, so that he at December 18, 1349 by Pope Clement VI. was appointed Archbishop of Cologne. Wilhelm agreed on May 13, 1351 with Duke John of Brabant, whose son Duke Godfrey of Limburg (* 1347, † 1352) and the cities of Cologne and Aachen to ten years the country peace alliance Meuse-Rhine.

William proved to be efficient prince and so he succeeded in a short time the economic consolidation of the Archbishopric, which allowed him to give full exercise of its sovereign power. His powerful domestic policy was the basis for a whole unwarlike and successful foreign policy. This culminated in an intense imperial politics. Not only political connections to France, England and northwestern Europe were the result, but probably also a significant participation in the formulation of the Golden Bull in 1356.

He died on September 15, 1362 in Cologne. Here he was buried in a grave he built high in the Cross Chapel of the Cologne Cathedral.

Wilhelm was a patron of the Dombaus in Cologne, he supported the then Dombauverein. To finance the Dombaus he procured the Archbishopric of papal indulgences. At the same time he must have had a certain admiration for his predecessor, he had also built a magnificent high grave.