EBERHARD, MATTHIAS. — Bishop of Trier, born on 1 November 1815 in Trier, died there on 30 May 1876. Ordained a priest in 1839, he taught dogmatic theology at the Seminary of Trier, which he headed from 1849 to 1862. A deputy to the Prussian Diet, in 1853 he called upon the government to treat Catholic ministers of religion more equitably, since they were at a disadvantage compared with Protestant ministers. Bishop of Trier in 1867, he firmly opposed the anti-Catholic laws during the Kulturkampf; for this attitude he was arrested and imprisoned from 6 March to 31 December 1874.
BIBL.: H. Bruck, Geschichte der katholischen Kirche in Deutschland, III-IV, Magonze-Münster 1896-1908, passim; A. Discheld, E. im Kulturkampf, Trier 1900; K. Kammer, Trierer Kulturkampfpriester, there 1926. Silvio Furlani