Historian, Bishop of Rottenburg, born Unterkochen, Wurttemberg, 1809; died Rottenburg, 1893. He taught church history at Tübingen (1836-1869), where he opposed Illuminism and laid special emphasis on Christian archaeology. Hefele accepted the definition of papal infallibility after opposing it during the deliberations of the Vatican Council. His best-known work is a great history of the councils.