ALandesbischof (German: [ˈlandəsˌbɪʃɔf]) is the head of some Protestant regional churches in Germany.[1] Based on the principle of summus episcopus (German: landesherrliches Kirchenregiment), 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 (Bischof, only clergy), church president (Kirchenpräsident), praeses (Präses), state superintendent (Landessuperintendent, only clergy) or secretary (Schriftführer).
