Bishop of Magdeburg
Gerhard Feige was born in 1951 in Halle. He obtained the Abitur at the August-Hermann-Francke School of the Saale city. After studying theology in Erfurt, Feige received priestly ordination in 1978 in Magdeburg. Before Feige was appointed in 1982 as an academic assistant at the Philosophical-Theological Study Erfurt, he was a pastor in Salzwedel and Magdeburg. The doctorate as Doctor of Theology in 1988 was followed by a one-year study stay in Rome. From 1989 Feige was lecturer in ancient church history, patrology, and ecumenical theology in Erfurt; from 1994 he taught there as professor of ancient church history, patrology, and Eastern Church studies. On 11 September 1999 Gerhard Feige received episcopal consecration and was initially auxiliary bishop in Magdeburg, and from 2004 also diocesan administrator. On 16 April 2005 he was installed as Bishop of Magdeburg. In the German Bishops' Conference Feige is chairman of the Ecumenism Commission. He also belongs to various bodies for dialogue with the Orthodox Church at national and international level, as well as with the Protestant Church in Germany. In 2014 Bishop Feige was appointed by Pope Francis to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.