Pope Victor II

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Victor II, né Gebhard, Count of Calw, Tollenstein, and Hirschberg (c. 1018 – July 28, 1057), Pope from 1055 to 1057, kinsman of Emperor Henry III (1039–56). One of the series of German Popes during Pope Gregory VII's (1073–85) reform movement, he was consecrated in St. Peter's in Rome on April 13th, 1055. His father was a Swabian baron, Count Harwig von Calw, and his own baptismal name was Gebhard. At the insistence of another Gebhard, bishop of Ratisbon and uncle of Henry III, he was appointed at the age of 24 as bishop of Eichstätt. In this position, he supported the Emperor's interests and eventually became one of the Henry III's closest advisors. He was nominated to the Papacy by Henry III at Mainz, in September 1054, at the instance of a Roman delegation headed by Hildebrand, later Pope Gregory VII, who likely intended to deprive the empire of one of its most capable advocates.

In June 1055, Gebhard, (Pope Victor II) met the Emperor at Florence and held a council, which reinforced Pope Leo IX's (1049–54) condemnation of clerical marriage, simony, and the loss of the church's properties. In the following year, he was summoned to the Emperor's side, and was with Henry III when he died at Botfeld in the Harz on October 5th, 1056. As guardian of Henry III's infant son Henry IV (1056–1105) and adviser of the Empress Agnes, Henry IV's mother and regent, Victor II now wielded enormous power, which he used to maintain peace throughout the empire and to strengthen the papacy against the aggressions of the barons. He died shortly after his return to Italy, at Arezzo, on July 28, 1057.

Victor II's retinue wished to bring his remains to the cathedral at Eichstädt for burial. Before they reached the city, however, the remains were seized by some citizens of Ravenna and buried there in the Church of Santa Maria Rotonda, the burial place of Theodoric the Great.

Although there have been eight German Popes, Victor II is one of only three Popes from the territory of present-day Germany, the others being Pope Clement II (1046–47) and the current Benedict XVI.

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