Roman Catholic Cardinal. Velmede born Franz Hengsbach had five brothers and two sisters. Receiving his education at the Institute of Brilon and later at the seminaries of Paderborn and Freiburg, he earned a doctorate in theology from the theological faculty of Münich in 1944. Ordained priest on March 13, 1937 in Paderborn by Msgr. Kaspar Klein, Archbishop of Paderborn, between 1937 and 1946 he served as vicar of Herne-Bukau, St. Mariren. Named secretary general of the Academy Bonifat-Eingung in Paderborn and general secretary of the Central Committee for the Preparation of German Catholics, on January 1, 1948 he was appointed director of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Office of Paderborn. General secretary of the Central Committee of German Catholic as of April 30, 1952, the following year he was appointed auxiliary bishop for the archdiocese of Paderborn, receiving his episcopal consecration with the titular see of Cantanus on September 29, 1953 at the metropolitan cathedral of Paderborn, from the local ordinary, Msgr. Lorenz Jaeger. Appointed the first bishop of the diocese of Essen on November 18, 1957, he took possession on January 1 of the following year. Founder of the Adveniat Organization of the German Episcopate to assist the Church in Latin America, he served as bishop of the Military Ordinariate of Germany between October 10, 1961 and May 22, 1978. Elected grand prior of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem and later president of the German Episcopal Commission for Universal Church Affairs, in 1977 he was named member of the Council of the European Episcopal Conference. Pope John Paul II created him cardinal in the consistory of June 28, 1988 with the title of Nostra Signora di Guadalupe a Monte Mario. Resigning the pastoral government of his see on February 21, 1991, he died shortly afterwards on the following June 24 in a hospital in Essen due to complications after undergoing stomach surgery. His remains lie interred inside the crypt of the diocesan cathedral of Essen. Known throughout Germany as the "workers' bishop", he wore a piece of coal in his bishop's ring to symbolize his concern for miners and other workers. A life-size colored statue of the Cardinal was erected in the cathedral grounds of Essen on the occasion of the centenary of his birth in 2010. The conference center for the training of priests, pastoral education and retreats in the diocese of Essen is named "Kardinal-Hengsbach-Haus" in his honor.