Christoph Bernhard Von Galen, a German soldier and prelate, born at Bispink, Westphalia, about 1600, died at Ahaus, Sept. 19, 1678. Early connected with the church, and having studied at the Jesuits' college and in various universities, he became prominent in the civil as well as in the ecclesiastical administration of Minister, and was promoted to be bishop of that see in 1650, after the death of the elector Ferdinand of Cologne. But he had no sooner restored the discipline and prosperity of his diocese, and caused the last remnants of the foreign invaders to leave, than he had to contend with the jealousy of the deacon Malling-krott, and with the refractory citizens of Minister. On his threatening to put the place in a state of siege, they sent emissaries with whom he concluded an arrangement. But the feeling against him continued, and the representative of the city at the Hague declared that it would rather be ruled by the Turks, or even by the devil, than by the bishop. While the Netherlands loaned 25,000 florins to the insurgent city, the emperor Leopold I. threatened (1660) to put it under the ban of the empire, and sent troops for the restoration of obedience. Munster was obliged to surrender (March, 1661) to the bishop, who ruled thenceforward with an iron hand and remained undisturbed in his authority.

In 1664 he was appointed by the diet of Ratis-bon as inspector, together with the margrave Frederick of Baden, of the military organization of the Rhenish alliance, joined with the bulk of his army the war against the Turks, and gained a renown which encouraged him to retaliate upon the Dutch republic, by attacking it on land, while England was to engage in hostile naval operations. Through the mediation of Louis XIV. peace was made in April, 1666, and the bishop was restored to the possession of his whole diocese with the exception of the domain of Borkelo. In 1672 hostilities were renewed by his joining France against the Netherlands, after having in the preceding year settled his differences with the Brunswick dynasty in regard to the abbey of Korvei, of which he had been appointed administrator in 1662. The operations against the Netherlands opened auspiciously, but he was overwhelmingly defeated at Coevorden at the close of 1672; and the emperor of Germany having entered into a coalition with the elector of Brandenburg, the bishop hastened home to protect his own dominions, He succeeded, with Turenne, in occupying several Westphalian possessions of the elector, but, with an army considerably reduced in numbers by defeats, he was but too glad to accept terms of peace in 1074. pledging himself to restore to the Dutch all the places which he had taken from them.

Ever ready to join a fray, the warrior-bishop sided in 1075 with the emperor against France, and in August of the same year he joined Denmark and Brandenburg in operations against Sweden.He personally conducted the operations against the duchies of Bremen and Verden, which then formed part of the latter kingdom, and in August, 1676, captured Stade, the capital of the duchy of Bremen; after which he divided the conquered territory with the dukes of Brunswick, receiving the whole of Bremen and other localities. He now increased his military forces in order to furnish to Spain, in 1677, a contingent of 9,000 men against France, and to Denmark one of 5,000 against Sweden, while part of his troops re-enforced the imperialists on the Rhine and the Moselle. But a portion of his soldiers having taken up winter quarters in East Friesland, complications arose in that region, again involving him in war; and he would have insisted upon a permanent occupation if the East Frieslanders had not induced him by considerable bribes to evacuate their soil in 1678. He participated in the negotiation of peace at Nime-guen.-Tucking has published Geschichte des Stifts Minister under Galen (Minister, 1805).