Between 1235 and 1803 the elected and papally confirmed bishops of the Hildesheim See were additionally
imperially invested princely power as prince-bishops. In 1235 part of the Hildesheim diocesan territory, the episcopal and capitular
temporalities (
Stift) were disentangled from the
Duchy of Brunswick and Lunenburg and became an own territory of
imperial immediacy called Prince-Bishopric of Brunswick and Lunenburg (), a vassal of the
Holy Roman Empire. The prince-bishopric was an
elective monarchy, with the monarch being the respective bishop usually elected by the
Hildesheim Cathedral chapter and confirmed by the
Holy See, or exceptionally only appointed by the Holy See. Papally confirmed bishops were then invested by the emperor with the princely
regalia, thus the title
prince-bishop. However, sometimes the respective incumbent of the see never gained a papal confirmation as bishop (lacking canonical qualification; e.g. Ferdinand of Bavaria and Frederick of Denmark), but was still invested the princely regalia. The respective incumbents of the see bore the following titles: The respective incumbents of the see bore the following titles: •
Bishop of Hildesheim from 815 to 1235 •
Prince-bishop of Hildesheim from 1235 to 1803 • Bishop of Hildesheim since 1803 == Bishops of Hildesheim till 1235 ==