Hohenzollern

The House of Hohenzollern (, also , german: Haus Hohenzollern, , ro, Casa de Hohenzollern) is a German royal (and from 1871 to 1918, imperial) dynasty whose members were variously princes, electors, kings and emperors of Hohenzollern, Brandenburg, Prussia, the German Empire, and Romania. The family came from the area around the town of Hechingen in Swabia during the late 11th century and took their name from Hohenzollern Castle. The first ancestors of the Hohenzollerns were mentioned in 1061.

The Hohenzollern family split into two branches, the Catholic Swabian branch and the Protestant Franconian branch,''Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser'' XIX. "Haus Hohenzollern". C.A. Starke Verlag, 2011, pp. 30–33. . which ruled the Burgraviate of Nuremberg and later became the Brandenburg-Prussian branch. The Swabian branch ruled the principalities of Hohenzollern-Hechingen and Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen until 1849, and also ruled Romania from 1866 to 1947. Members of the Franconian branch became Margrave of Brandenburg in 1415 and Duke of Prussia in 1525.

The Margraviate of Brandenburg and the Duchy of Prussia were ruled in personal union after 1618 and were called Brandenburg-Prussia. From there, the Kingdom of Prussia was created in 1701, eventually leading to the unification of Germany and the creation of the German Empire in 1871, with the Hohenzollerns as hereditary German Emperors and Kings of Prussia.

Germany's defeat in World War I in 1918 led to the German Revolution. The Hohenzollerns were overthrown and the Weimar Republic was established, thus bringing an end to the German monarchy and Prussian monarchy. Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia is the current head of the formerly royal Prussian line, while Karl Friedrich, Prince of Hohenzollern is the head of the formerly princely Swabian line.

County of Zollern

Zollern, from 1218 Hohenzollern, was a county of the Holy Roman Empire. Later its capital was Hechingen.

The Hohenzollerns named their estates after Hohenzollern Castle in the Swabian Alps. The Hohenzollern Castle lies on an 855 meters high mountain called Hohenzollern. It still belongs to the family today.

The dynasty was first mentioned in 1061. According to the medieval chronicler Berthold of Reichenau, Burkhard I, Count of Zollern (''de Zolorin'') was born before 1025 and died in 1061.

In 1095, Count Adalbert of Zollern founded the Benedictine monastery of Alpirsbach, situated in the Black Forest.

The Zollerns received the Graf title from Emperor Henry V in 1111.

As loyal vassals of the Swabian Hohenstaufen dynasty, they were able to significantly enlarge their territory. Count Frederick III (c. 1139 – c. 1200) accompanied Emperor Frederick Barbarossa against Henry the Lion in 1180, and through his marriage was granted the Burgraviate of Nuremberg by Emperor Henry VI in 1192. In about 1185, he married Sophia of Raabs, the daughter of Conrad II, Burgrave of Nuremberg. After the death of Conrad II who left no male heirs, Frederick III was granted Nuremberg as Burgrave Frederick I.

In 1218, the burgraviate passed to Frederick's elder son Conrad I, he thereby became the ancestor of the Franconian Hohenzollern branch, which acquired the Electorate of Brandenburg in 1415.

Counts of Zollern (1061–1204)

* until 1061: Burkhard I
* before 1125: Frederick I
* between ca. 1125 and 1142: Frederick II, eldest son of Frederick I
* between ca. 1143 and 1150–1155: Burkhard II, 2nd oldest son of Frederick I
* between ca. 1150–1155 and 1160: Gotfried of Zimmern, 4th oldest son of Frederick I
* before 1171 – c. 1200: Frederick III/I (son of Frederick II, also Burgrave of Nuremberg)

After Frederick's death, his sons partitioned the family lands between themselves:
* Conrad I received the county of Zollern and exchanged it for the Burgraviate of Nuremberg with his younger brother Frederick IV in 1218, thereby founding the Franconian branch of the House of Hohenzollern. Members of the Franconian line eventually became the Brandenburg-Prussia branch and later converted to Protestantism.
* Frederick IV received the burgraviate of Nuremberg in 1200 from his father and exchanged it for the county of Zollern in 1218 with his brother, thereby founding the Swabian branch of the House of Hohenzollern, which remains Catholic.

Franconian branch

The senior Franconian branch of the House of Hohenzollern was founded by Conrad I, Burgrave of Nuremberg (1186–1261).

The family supported the Hohenstaufen and Habsburg rulers of the Holy Roman Empire during the 12th to 15th centuries, being rewarded with several territorial grants. Beginning in the 16th century, this branch of the family became Protestant and decided on expansion through marriage and the purchase of surrounding lands.

In the first phase, the family gradually added to their lands, at first with many small acquisitions in the Franconian region of Germany:
* Ansbach in 1331
* Kulmbach in 1340

In the second phase, the family expanded their lands further with large acquisitions in the Brandenburg and Prussian regions of Germany and present-day Poland:
* Margraviate of Brandenburg in 1417
* Duchy of Prussia in 1525
These acquisitions eventually transformed the Franconian Hohenzollerns from a minor German princely family into one of the most important dynasties in Europe.

From 8 January 1701 the title of Elector of Brandenburg was attached to the title of King ''in'' Prussia and, from 13 September 1772, to that of King ''of'' Prussia.

Burgraves of Nuremberg (1192–1427)

* 1192–1200/1204: Frederick I (also count of Zollern as Frederick III)
* 1204–1218: Frederick II (son of, also count of Zollern as Frederick IV)
* 1218–1261/1262: Conrad I/III (brother of, also count of Zollern)
* 1262–1297: Frederick III (c. 1220–1297), son of
* 1297–1300: John I (c. 1279–1300), son of
* 1300–1332: Frederick IV (1287–1332), brother of
* 1332–1357: John II (c. 1309–1357), son of
* 1357–1397: Frederick V (before 1333–1398), son of

At Frederick V's death on 21 January 1398, his lands were partitioned between his two sons:

* 1397–1420: John III/I (son of, also Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach)
* 1397–1427: Frederick VI/I/I, (brother of, also Elector and Margrave of Brandenburg, also Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and Brandenburg-Kulmbach)

After John III/I's death on 11 June 1420, the margraviates of Brandenburg-Ansbach and Brandenburg-Kulmbach were briefly reunited under Frederick VI/I/I. He ruled the Margraviate of Brandenburg-Ansbach after 1398. From 1420, he became Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach. From 1411 Frederick VI became governor of Brandenburg and later Elector and Margrave of Brandenburg as Frederick I. Upon his death on 21 September 1440, his territories were divided among his sons:

* Frederick II, Elector of Brandenburg
* Albert III, Elector of Brandenburg and Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
* John II, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach

In 1427 Frederick, Elector of Brandenburg sold Nuremberg Castle and his rights as burgrave to the Imperial City of Nuremberg. The territories of Brandenburg-Ansbach and Brandenburg-Kulmbach remained possessions of the family, once parts of the Burgraviate of Nuremberg.

File:Nürnberger Burg im Herbst 2013.jpg, Nuremberg Castle (The Emperor's castle, left, and the Burgrave's castle, right)
File:Cadolzburg-burg-wseite-gesamt-v-nw.jpg, Cadolzburg Castle near Nuremberg (from 1260 seat of the Burgraves)
File:Heilsbronn_M%C3%BCnster_0592.jpg, Heilsbronn Abbey, which the Hohenzollerns used as the family burial place

Margraves of Brandenburg-Ansbach (1398–1791)

* 1398–1440: Frederick I (also Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach)
* 1440–1486: Albert I/I/III Achilles (son of, also Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach and Elector of Brandenburg)
* 1486–1515: Frederick II/II (son of, also Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach)
* 1515–1543: George I/I the Pious (son of, also Duke of Brandenburg-Jägerndorf)
* 1543–1603: George Frederick I/I/I/I (son of, also Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, Duke of Brandenburg-Jägerndorf and Regent of Prussia)
* 1603–1625: Joachim Ernst (1583–1625), son of John George of Brandenburg
* 1625–1634: Frederick III (1616–1634), son of
* 1634–1667: Albert II, brother of
* 1667–1686: John Frederick (1654–1686), son of
* 1686–1692: Christian I Albrecht, son of
* 1692–1703: George Frederick II/II (brother of, later Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach)
* 1703–1723: William Frederick (before 1686–1723), brother of
* 1723–1757: Charles William (1712–1757), son of
* 1757–1791: Christian II Frederick (1736–1806) (son of, also Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach)

On 2 December 1791, Christian II Frederick sold the sovereignty of his principalities to King Frederick William II of Prussia.

Margraves of Brandenburg-Kulmbach (1398–1604), later Brandenburg-Bayreuth (1604–1791)

* 1398–1420: John I (c. 1369–1420), son of Frederick V of Nuremberg
* 1420–1440: Frederick I (also Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach)
* 1440–1457: John II (1406–1464), son of
* 1457–1486: Albert I/I/III Achilles (also Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and Elector of Brandenburg)
* 1486–1495: Siegmund (1468–1495), son of
* 1495–1515: Frederick II/II (also Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach)
* 1515–1527: Casimir (1481–1527), son of
* 1527–1553: Albert II Alcibiades (1522–1557), son of
* 1553–1603: George Frederick I/I/I/I (also Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, Duke of Brandenburg-Jägerndorf and Regent of Prussia)
* 1603–1655: Christian I (1581–1655), son of John George, of Brandenburg
* 1655–1712: Christian II Ernst (1644–1712), son of Erdmann August
* 1712–1726: George I William (1678–1726), son of
* 1726–1735: George Frederick II/II (previously Margrave of Kulmbach)
* 1735–1763: Frederick IV (1711–1763), son of
* 1763–1769: Frederick V Christian (1708–1769), son of Christian Heinrich
* 1769–1791: Charles Alexander (also Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach)

On 2 December 1791, Charles Alexander sold the sovereignty of his principalities to King Frederick William II of Prussia.

Dukes of Jägerndorf (1523–1622)

The Duchy of Jägerndorf (Krnov) was purchased in 1523.
* 1541–1543: George I the Pious (also Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach)
* 1543–1603: George Frederick I (also Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach and Regent of Prussia)
* 1603–1606: Joachim I (also Regent of Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg)
* 1606–1621: Johann Georg von Brandenburg

The duchy of Jägerndorf was confiscated by Emperor Ferdinand III in 1622.

Brandenburg-Prussian branch

Margraves of Brandenburg (1415–1619)

In 1411, Frederick VI, Burgrave of the small but wealthy Nuremberg, was appointed governor of Brandenburg in order to restore order and stability. At the Council of Constance in 1415, King Sigismund elevated Frederick to the rank of Elector and Margrave of Brandenburg as Frederick I. According to the Iron Kingdom, the most comprehensive book about the History of Prussia written by historian Christopher Clark, in 1417, Elector Frederick purchased Brandenburg from its then-sovereign, Emperor Sigismund, for 400,000 Hungarian guilders.

Margraves of Brandenburg-Küstrin (1535–1571)

The short-lived Margraviate of Brandenburg-Küstrin was set up as a secundogeniture of the House of Hohenzollern.

* 1535–1571: John the Wise, Margrave of Brandenburg-Küstrin (son of Joachim I Nestor, Elector of Brandenburg). He died without issue. The Margraviate of Brandenburg-Küstrin was absorbed in 1571 into Brandenburg.

Margraves of Brandenburg-Schwedt (1688–1788)

Although recognized as a branch of the dynasty since 1688, the Margraviate of Brandenburg-Schwedt remained subordinate to the electors, and was never an independent principality.
* 1688–1711: Philip William, Prince in Prussia, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt (son of Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg)
* 1731–1771: Frederick William, Prince in Prussia, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt (son of)
* 1771–1788: Frederick Henry, Prince in Prussia, Margrave of Brandenburg Schwedt (brother of)

Dukes of Prussia (1525–1701)

In 1525, the Duchy of Prussia was established as a fief of the King of Poland. Albert of Prussia was the last Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights and the first Duke of Prussia. He belonged to the Ansbach branch of the dynasty. The Duchy of Prussia adopted Protestantism as the official state religion.
* 1525–1568: Albert I
* 1568–1618: Albert II Frederick co-heir (son of)
* 1568–1571: Joachim I/II Hector co-heir (also Elector of Brandenburg)
** 1578–1603: George Frederick I/I/I/I (Regent, also Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach and Duke of Brandenburg-Jägerndorf)
** 1603–1608: Joachim I/I/III Frederick (Regent, also Duke of Brandenburg-Jägerndorf and Elector of Brandenburg)
** 1608–1618: John Sigismund (Regent, also Elector of Brandenburg)
* 1618–1619: John Sigismund (Regent, also Elector of Brandenburg, after 1618 Brandenburg-Prussia)
* 1619–1640: George William I/I (son of, also Elector of Brandenburg)
* 1640–1688: Frederick I/III William the Great Elector (son of, also Elector of Brandenburg)
* 1688–1701: Frederick II/IV/I (also Elector of Brandenburg and King in Prussia)

From 1701, the title of Duke of Prussia was attached to the title of King in and of Prussia.

Kings in Prussia (1701–1772)

In 1701, the title of King in Prussia was granted, without the Duchy of Prussia being elevated to a Kingdom within Poland but recognized as a kingdom by the Holy Roman Emperor, theoretically the highest sovereign in the West. From 1701 onwards the titles of Duke of Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg were always attached to the title of King in Prussia. The Duke of Prussia adopted the title of king as Frederick I, establishing his status as a monarch whose royal territory lay outside the boundaries of the Holy Roman Empire, with the assent of Emperor Leopold I: Frederick could not be "King of Prussia" because part of Prussia's lands were under the suzerainty of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland. In Brandenburg and the other Hohenzollern domains within the borders of the empire, he was legally still an elector under the ultimate overlordship of the emperor. By this time, however, the emperor's authority had become purely nominal over the other German prices outside the immediate hereditary lands of the emperor. Brandenburg was still legally part of the empire and ruled in personal union with Prussia, though the two states came to be treated as one ''de facto.'' The king was officially ''Margrave of Brandenburg'' within the Empire until the Empire's dissolution in 1806. In the age of absolutism, most monarchs were obsessed with the desire to emulate Louis XIV of France with his luxurious palace at Versailles.

In 1772, the Duchy of Prussia was elevated to a kingdom.

Kings of Prussia (1772–1918)

Frederick William's successor, Frederick the Great gained Silesia in the Silesian Wars so that Prussia emerged as a great power. The king was strongly influenced by French culture and civilization and preferred the French language.

In the 1772 First Partition of Poland, the Prussian king Frederick the Great annexed neighboring Royal Prussia, i.e., the Polish voivodeships of Pomerania ( Gdańsk Pomerania or Pomerelia), Malbork, Chełmno and the Prince-Bishopric of Warmia, thereby connecting his Prussian and Farther Pomeranian lands and cutting the rest of Poland from the Baltic coast. The territory of Warmia was incorporated into the lands of former Ducal Prussia, which, by administrative deed of 31 January 1772 were named ''East Prussia''. The former Polish Pomerelian lands beyond the Vistula River together with Malbork and Chełmno Land formed the Province of West Prussia with its capital at Marienwerder (Kwidzyn) in 1773. The Polish Partition Sejm ratified the cession on 30 September 1772, whereafter Frederick officially went on to call himself King "of" Prussia. From 1772 onwards the titles of Duke of Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg were always attached to the title King of Prussia.

In 1871, the Kingdom of Prussia became a constituent member of the German Empire, and the King of Prussia gained the additional title of German Emperor.

German Emperors (1871–1918)

In 1871, the German Empire was proclaimed. With the accession of William I to the newly established imperial German throne, the titles of King of Prussia, Duke of Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg were always attached to the title of German Emperor.

Prussia's Minister President Otto von Bismarck convinced William that German Emperor instead of Emperor of Germany would be appropriate. He became ''primus inter pares'' among other German sovereigns.

William II intended to develop a German navy capable of challenging Britain's Royal Navy. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria on 28 June 1914 set off the chain of events that led to World War I. As a result of the war, the German, Russian, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires ceased to exist.

In 1918, the German empire was abolished and replaced by the Weimar Republic. After the outbreak of the German revolution in 1918, both Emperor William II and Crown Prince William signed the document of abdication.

File:Kaiser Wilhelm I. .JPG, William I (1871–1888)
File:Emperor Friedrich III.png, Frederick III (1888)
File:Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany - 1902.jpg, William II (1888–1918)

Prussian Hohenzollern religion and religious policy

The official religion of the state was "bi-confessional". John Sigismund's most significant action was his conversion from Lutheranism to Calvinism, after he had earlier equalized the rights of Catholics and Protestants in the Duchy of Prussia under pressure from the King of Poland. He was probably won over to Calvinism during a visit to Heidelberg in 1606, but it was not until 25 December 1613 that he publicly took communion according to the Calvinist rite. The vast majority of his subjects in Brandenburg, including his wife Anna of Prussia, remained deeply Lutheran, however. After the Elector and his Calvinist court officials drew up plans for mass conversion of the population to the new faith in February 1614, as provided for by the rule of '' Cuius regio, eius religio'' within the Holy Roman Empire, there were serious protests, with his wife backing the Lutherans. This was doubly important as Anna brought with her the duchy of Prussia into the Brandenburg line of the house and the nascent Brandenburg-Prussian state. Resistance was so strong that in 1615, John Sigismund backed down and relinquished all attempts at forcible conversion. Instead, he allowed his subjects to be either Lutheran or Calvinist according to the dictates of their own consciences. Henceforward, Brandenburg-Prussia would be a bi-confessional state, with the ruling Hohenzollern house staying Calvinist.

This situation persisted until Frederick William III of Prussia. Frederick William was determined to unify the Protestant churches to homogenize their liturgy, organization, and architecture. The long-term goal was to have fully centralized royal control of all the Protestant churches in the Prussian Union of churches. The merging of the Lutheran and Calvinist (Reformed) confessions to form the United Church of Prussia was highly controversial. Angry responses included a large and well-organized opposition. The crown's aggressive efforts to restructure religion were unprecedented in Prussian history. In a series of proclamations over several years, the ''Church of the Prussian Union'' was formed, bringing together the majority group of Lutherans and the minority group of Reformed Protestants. The main effect was that the government of Prussia had full control over church affairs, with the king himself recognized as the leading bishop.

Brandenburg-Prussian branch since 1918 abdication

In June 1926, a referendum on expropriating the formerly ruling princes of Germany without compensation failed and as a consequence, the financial situation of the Hohenzollern family improved considerably. A settlement between the state and the family made Cecilienhof property of the state but granted a right of residence to Crown Prince Wilhelm and his wife Cecilie. The family also kept the ownership of Monbijou Palace in Berlin, Oleśnica Castle in Silesia, Rheinsberg Palace, Schwedt Palace and other property until 1945.

Since the abolition of the German monarchy, no Hohenzollern claims to imperial or royal prerogatives are recognized by Germany's Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany of 1949, which guarantees a republic.

The communist government of the Soviet occupation zone expropriated all landowners and industrialists; the House of Hohenzollern lost almost all of its fortune, retaining a few company shares and Hohenzollern Castle in West Germany. The Polish government appropriated the Silesian property and the Dutch government seized Huis Doorn, the Emperor's seat in exile.

After German reunification, however, the family was legally able to reclaim their portable property, namely art collections and parts of the interior of their former palaces. Negotiations on the return of or compensation for these assets are not yet completed.

The Berlin Palace, home of the German monarchs, was rebuilt in 2020. The Berlin Palace and the Humboldt Forum are located in the middle of Berlin.

Order of succession

File:Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany - 1902.jpg, Wilhelm II, the last incumbent of the throne
File:Kronprinz Wilhelm 1. Leib-Husarenregiment.jpg, Crown Prinz Wilhelm
File:Louis ferdinand c1930.jpg, Louis Ferdinand
File:Georg Friedrich Prinz von Preußen1, Pour le Merite 2014.JPG, Georg Friedrich

The head of the house is the titular King of Prussia and German Emperor. He also bears a historical claim to the title of Prince of Orange. Members of this line style themselves princes of Prussia.

Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia, the current head of the royal Prussian House of Hohenzollern, was married to Princess Sophie of Isenburg on 27 August 2011. On 20 January 2013, she gave birth to twin sons, Carl Friedrich Franz Alexander and Louis Ferdinand Christian Albrecht, in Bremen. Carl Friedrich, the elder of the two, is the heir apparent.

Royal House of Hohenzollern table

Family Tree of the House of Hohenzollern

Swabian branch

The cadet Swabian''Heraldry of the Royal Families of Europe'', Jiří Louda & Michael Maclagan, 1981, pp. 178–179. branch of the House of Hohenzollern was founded by Frederick IV, Count of Zollern. The family ruled three territories with seats at, respectively, Hechingen, Sigmaringen and Haigerloch. The counts were elevated to princes in 1623. The Swabian branch of the Hohenzollerns is Roman Catholic.

Affected by economic problems and internal feuds, the Hohenzollern counts from the 14th century onwards came under pressure by their neighbors, the Counts of Württemberg and the cities of the Swabian League, w