The bishop of Paderborn is lord of his city and holds the comital rights that Bishop Meinwerk gathered in the early 11th century, with the town and castle of Warburg on the Diemel as his second centre.
His lands lie inside the area where the archbishop of Cologne claims ducal power since 1180, and Cologne is expanding at Paderborn's expense; Bernhard II stands with Cologne for Otto.
Who holds it
- Name
- Bernhard II (of Ibbenbüren)
- Title
- Bishop of Paderborn
- Since
- 1188
- Confidence
- medium
Bishop 1188-1203. The German encyclopedia credits his time with the first secular administrative posts in the outlying parts of the see. He voted for Otto at Cologne in 1198 (campaign notes).
What it holds
- Paderborn: the bishop's city, with Meinwerk's cathedral and the old royal palace beside it
- Comital rights in several counties around Paderborn, secured by Bishop Meinwerk (1009-1036), who also gave the see his own inheritance
- Warburg: Count Dodiko's estate and castle, which passed to the bishop in 1020 when the count's only son died; the emperor then granted the bishop the count's rights; the old town was given town rights about 1180 (the new town is founded only in 1228-1229)
How it was acquired
Royal grants and Meinwerk's inheritance and purchases (1009-1036); Warburg in 1020. The territory proper is built much later (town foundations under Bernhard V, 1321-1341).
How things stand that morning
Bernhard holds his city and Warburg. He is Otto's man, like his Cologne neighbour, which spares him Cologne's hostility for now.
Wealth
The Hellweg and Diemel roads; the markets of Paderborn and Warburg; the grain of the Paderborn plain.
Threats
- Cologne's ducal claims
- The advocates and the lords of Lippe
- A Staufen army in Westphalia
Advocates and rivals
The archbishop of Cologne, duke in Westphalia since 1180, whose claims cover Paderborn's diocese; the counts of Schwalenberg, the church's advocates in the 12th century; the lords of Lippe and Büren; the abbey of Corvey, a rival on the Weser.
Places of note
- Paderborn cathedral and palace: Meinwerk's cathedral beside the old royal palace
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: The bishop's name and dates and Warburg's history are attested; the extent of Meinwerk's counties in 1200 is not pinned, so only the city and Warburg are drawn.
On the map: Minimal drawing; the counties the bishop held around Paderborn are larger than the drawn town territory but cannot be bounded for 1200. Cologne's ducal claim over the same ground is on the Westphalia card.
Sources and studies
- Hochstift Paderborn (dewiki.de, mirror of de.wikipedia)
- Prince-Bishopric of Paderborn (en.wikipedia)
- Warburg (en.wikipedia)
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.