Background
Adolf of Schauenburg was born on January 19, 1511 and baptized on 3 February. He was the son of Jobst I, Count of Holstein-Schauenburg and his wife Maria of Nassau-Dillenburg.
archbishop priest prince-elector
Adolf of Schauenburg was born on January 19, 1511 and baptized on 3 February. He was the son of Jobst I, Count of Holstein-Schauenburg and his wife Maria of Nassau-Dillenburg.
From 1522 he studied at Leuven.
As a younger son, Adolf was groomed for a life in the church from a young age. He became a canon of Liège Cathedral on September 2, 1528, and then provost of the cathedral on May 30, 1533. In 1529, he also became a canon of Mainz Cathedral and, on December 23, 1529, of Cologne Cathedral.
He became dean of Saint Gereon"s Basilica, and then its provost in 1533.
He played a role in the governance of Schaumburg until 1544. To try to curb the archbishop"s influence, on December 17, 1533, the cathedral chapter of Cologne Cathedral elected Adolf to be the coadjutor bishop of Cologne.
He was to be a conservative counterweight to Hermann"s attempted reforms. On June 3, 1543, Pope Paul III wrote to Adolf encouraging him to be vigilant in his efforts against the archbishop.
The pope excommunicated Hermann on July 3, 1546, naming Adolf the administrator of the archdiocese in his stead.
The cathedral chapter elected Adolf as Archbishop of Cologne on January 24, 1547. He was ordained as a priest by Bishop Johann Nopel on May 3, 1547. Adolf"s first task was to roll back the reforms initiated by his predecessor.
He was ordained a bishop on April 8, 1548, in the presence of Pope Paul III and Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.
He attended the 1551 session of the Council of Trent, accompanied by Billick and Johann Gropper. Adolf died in Brühl on September 20, 1556.
Originally located in the choir, they were relocated to the radiating chapels in 1863.