Gerhard Pieschl (born 23 January 1934) is a German Roman Catholic prelate, who served as an Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Limburg from 1977 until his retirement in 2009.[1]
Early life and education
Pieschl was born in Moravská Třebová in Czechoslovakia. Following the expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia after World War II, his family settled in Hesse, Germany. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Limburg on 8 December 1961.[2]
Episcopal ministry
On 24 August 1977, Pope Paul VI appointed Pieschl as Auxiliary Bishop of Limburg and Titular Bishop of Misenum. He received his episcopal consecration on 23 October 1977 from Bishop Wilhelm Kempf, with Bishop Walther Kampe and Bishop Joseph Maria Reuss serving as co-consecrators.[1]
During his tenure, Pieschl was known for his advocacy for displaced persons and ethnic German refugees (Heimatvertriebene). He served as the commissioner for the German Bishops' Conference for the pastoral care of displaced persons and as the national praeses of the Sudetendeutsche Landsmannschaft.[3]
On 15 June 2009, Pope Benedict XVI accepted his resignation from the office of auxiliary bishop upon reaching the age limit of 75.[4] He continues to reside in Limburg as a bishop emeritus.
References
- 1.[1.2]Cheney, David M. "Bishop Gerhard Pieschl". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2026-03-21.
- 2.Kopp, Klaus-Dieter (2019-01-22). "Hessen/Limburg: Ein Mann der klaren Worte – Limburger Weihbischof Gerhard Pieschl wird 85 Jahre". Frankfurter Neue Presse (in German). Retrieved 2026-03-21.
- 3."Gerhard Pieschl celebrates 85th birthday". Familiaren ot. 2019-01-23. Retrieved 2026-03-21.
- 4."Rinuncia di Ausiliare di Limburg (Germania) e nomina di nuovo Ausiliare" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 2009-06-15. Retrieved 2026-03-21.