Landesbischof
A Landesbischof is the head of some Protestant regional churches in Germany. Based on the principle of summus episcopus, after the Reformation each Lutheran prince assumed the position of supreme governor of the state church in his territory. After the First World War, all the German monarchies were abolished and in some regional churches a member of the clergy was elected as Landesbischof.
Regional churches not using the term Landesbischof for their chairpersons, and often also allowing laypersons to take that office, use titles such as bishop, church president, praeses, state superintendent or secretary.
Churches with chairpersons titled
- Protestant [Church in Baden], title used since 1933
- Evangelical [Lutheran Church in Bavaria], title used since 1933
- Lutheran Church in Brunswick|Evangelical Lutheran State Church in Brunswick], title used since 1923
- Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Eutin, title used since 1961
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Hamburg State, title used since 1933
- Evangelical-Lutheran State Church of Hanover, title used since 1925
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Lübeck State, title used since 1934
- Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Mecklenburg (ELLM), title used since 1933
- Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, title used since 1921
- Mecklenburg-Strelitz State Church, title used since 1921
- Evangelical State Church in Nassau, title used from 1827 to 1882, and again from 1922 to 1934
- Evangelical Church in Middle Germany (EKM), title used since 2009
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany, Landesbischof since 2013
- Evangelical Church of the (old-Prussian) Union, title used between 1933 and 1935
- Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Saxony, title used since 1922
- Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Schaumburg-Lippe, title used since 1949
- Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Schleswig-Holstein, title used between 1933 and 1945
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thuringia, title used since 1933
- Evangelical State Church in Württemberg, title used since 1934
Churches with chairpersons titled
- Evangelical Church in Berlin, Brandenburg and Silesian Upper Lusatia
- Evangelical Church of Kurhessen-Waldeck
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oldenburg
Churches with chairpersons titled church president ()
- Protestant Church in Hesse and Nassau
- Protestant Church of Anhalt
- Protestant Church of Palatinate
- Evangelical Reformed Church in Germany