Johann Georg of Hohenzollern-Hechingen (born 1577 in

Hechingen Hechingen ( Swabian: ''Hächenga'') is a town in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated about south of the state capital of Stuttgart and north of Lake Constance and the Swiss border. Geography The town lies at the foot of t ...

; died 28 September 1623 in

) was the first Prince of

Hohenzollern-Hechingen Hohenzollern-Hechingen was a small principality in southwestern Germany. Its rulers belonged to the Swabian branch of the Hohenzollern dynasty. History The County of Hohenzollern-Hechingen was created in 1576, upon the partition of the Coun ...

Life

Johann Georg was the only surviving son of Count Eitel Friedrich IV of Hohenzollern-Hechingen (1545–1605) from his second marriage with Sibylle (1558–1599), daughter of Count

Froben Christoph of Zimmern Count Froben Christoph of Zimmern (19 February 1519 – 27 November 1566) was the author of the '' Zimmern Chronicle'' and a member of the von Zimmern family of Swabian nobility. This article is based primarily on Beat Rudolf Jenny's biograp ...

. Johann Georg was raised by his relatives in Berlin at the court of Brandenburg. Johann Georg was a Catholic and loyal to the Emperor's side. From 1603 to 1605, he was president of the

Reichskammergericht The ''Reichskammergericht'' (; ; la, Iudicium imperii) was one of the two highest judicial institutions in the Holy Roman Empire, the other one being the Aulic Council in Vienna. It was founded in 1495 by the Imperial Diet in Worms. All legal ...

and later he was president of the

Aulic Council The Aulic Council ( la, Consilium Aulicum, german: Reichshofrat, literally meaning Court Council of the Empire) was one of the two supreme courts of the Holy Roman Empire, the other being the Imperial Chamber Court. It had not only concurrent juri ...

. The latter post proved helpful when during a military confrontation with Georg Dietrich of Westerstetten, Johann Georg's army had inadvertently strayed into Württemberg territory. He represented Austria at the Imperial Diet. Together with

Johann Pistorius Johann Pistorius (14 February 1546 – 19 June 1608), also anglicized as John Pistorius or distinguished as Johann Pistorius the Younger, was a German controversialist and historian. He is sometimes called Niddanus from the name of his birthp ...

, the tried, in vain, to persuade margrave Georg Friedrich, Margrave of Baden-Durlach, Georg Friedrich of Baden-Durlach to revert to Catholicism. In 1609, the emperor sent him as a special envoy to the French court. On his return, he met Archduke Albrecht VII, Archduke of Austria, Albrecht VII in Brussels. He would correspond with the Archduke ever after. Because of the low pay and several disputes with Melchior Klesl, he tried to resign three times in 1612 and 1613. The Emperor, however, did not accept his resignation. In 1614, he was again sent on a successful mission to France. In 1620, Emperor Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor, Ferdinand II made Johann Georg a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece and in on 23 March 1623, he was made an Imperial Prince, together with 22 other imperial counts, including the counts of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and Hohenzollern-Haigerloch. With this elevation, Ferdinand attempted to restore the balance between Catholic and Protestant princes. Johann Georg was described as a talented and scientifically formed.''Heidelberger Jahrbücher der Literatur'', vol. 41, Mohr und Winter, 1848, p. 126
Online
In 1623, he added bastions to his hohenzollern Castle.

Marriage and issue

Johann Georg married on 11 October 1598 in Hechingen with Franziska (d. 1619), daughter of Wild- and Rhinegrave Friedrich I of Salm-Neufville. They had the following children: *Karl (1599–1599) *Sibyl (died 1621) :married in 1615 Ernst of County of Mark, Marck, Count of Schleiden (1590–1654) *Franziska Katharina (died 1665) :married in 1619 Count Jakob Hannibal II of Hohenems (1595–1646) *Eitel Friedrich V, Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen, Eitel Friedrich V (1601–1661), married in 1630 Countess Elisabeth of Berg-'s-Heerenberg, Marchioness and heiress of Bergen op Zoom (1613–1671), daughter of Hendrik van den Bergh (count), Hendrik van den Bergh. *Johann Friedrich (* / † 1602) *Anna Maria (1603–1652) :married Landgrave Egon VIII of Fürstenberg-Heiligenberg (1588–1635) *Georg Friedrich (died 1633), fell in battle *Marie Domina (died young) *Katharina Ursula of Hohenzollern-Hechingen, Katharina Ursula (died 1640) :married in 1624 Margrave William, Margrave of Baden-Baden, William von Baden-Baden (1593–1677) *Renate Marie (died 1637) :married in 1625 with Count Hugo of Königsegg-Rothenfels (1595–1666) *Maximiliane (died 1639) :married in 1630 with Johann Franz Trautson, count of Falkenstein (1609–1663) *Leopold Friedrich (died 1659), a canon at Cologne *Anna Maria (1614–1670) :married in 1630 Count Ernst of Isenburg-Grenzau (1584–1664) *Philipp, Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen (1616–1671) :married in 1662 with Margravine Marie Sidonie of Baden-Rodemachern (1635–1686)

Footnotes

References

* *E. G. Johler: ''Geschichte, Land- und Ortskunde der souverainen teutschen Fürstenthümer Hohenzollern, Hechingen und Sigmaringen'', 1824, p. 54 ff {{DEFAULTSORT:Johann Georg, Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen Princes of Hohenzollern-Hechingen Counts of Hohenzollern House of Hohenzollern Knights of the Golden Fleece 1577 births 1623 deaths 16th-century German people 17th-century German people People from Hechingen