Ludwig Averkamp

Who was Ludwig Averkamp?

Ludwig Averkamp was a German prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Osnabrück from 1987 to 1994, and Archbishop of Hamburg from 1994 to 2002.

Born in Velen, Averkamp was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Ettore Cunial on October 10, 1954.

On January 18, 1973, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Münster and Titular Bishop of Thapsus. Averkamp received his episcopal consecration on the following February 24 from Bishop Heinrich Tenhumberg, with Bishops Heinrich Baaken and Laurenz Böggering serving as co-consecrators.

He was named Coadjutor Bishop of Osnabrück on November 7, 1985, and succeeded Helmut Wittler on September 9, 1987. Averkamp was later made the first Archbishop of Hamburg by Pope John Paul II on October 24, 1994; he was installed as such on January 7, 1995.

Upon reaching age 75, Averkamp resigned as Hamburg's archbishop on February 16, 2002, after seven years of service. The Archbishop Emeritus was also a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, in World Religions.