Hohenzollern Castle

Hohenzollern Castle is located on top of the mountain Hohenzollern near Hechingen. a city on the Swabian Alb. It is the ancestral seat ofthe Family of Hohenzollern. The first Castle was constructed in the first half of the 11th Century.

Later the Family split into two branches, but the Castle remained the property of the Swabian branch, which was dynastically senior to the Franconian/Brandenburg branch which eventually became Kings of Prussia.

In 1423 the Castle was completly destroyed in a 10m-month siege by the imperial Cities of Swaba. From 1454-1561 a second bigger Castle was build and served as refugee for the cathloic swabian branch of the Family during wartime including the 30-years War. By the end of the 18th century, however, the Castle was thought to have lost its strategic importance and gradually fell into disrepair, leading to the demolition of several dilapidated buildings. Today, only the chapel remains from the medieval castle.

The third and present version of the Castle was constructed for King Friedrich Wilhelm IV. of Prussia between 1846 and 1867, under the direction of Friedrich August Stüler, who based his design on English Neo-Gothic style as well as the castles in Loire. Because the Castle was built as a family memorial, no member of the Hohenzollern family took residence in this third castle until 1945. Only then it became home to the last prussian-german Crown Prince Wilhelm who lived her until his death. Both he and his wife Crown Princess Cecilie as well as other Family members are buried on a small Cemetery on the St. Michaels Bastion.

Now the Castle is a popular Tourist attraction and among the items who are siplayed are the Crown of the prussian Kings and some personal Items of King Friedrich II. (The Great) of Prussia.

The Castle is now co-owned by both Parts of the Family. The Royal Family of Prussia owns 2/3 and the Princely Family owns 1/3 of the Castle.