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The House of Hohenzollern is a noble family
Family

Family denotes a group of people affiliated by a common ancestry, affinity or co-residence. Although the concept of consanguinity originally referred to relations by "blood," some cultural anthropology have argued that one must understand the idea of "blood" metaphorically, and that many societies understand 'family' through other concepts r...
 and royal dynasty
Dynasty

A dynasty is a succession of rulers who belong to the same family for generations. A dynasty is also often called a "Royal House", e.g. the House of Saud or House of Habsburg....
 of electors
Prince-elector

The Prince-Electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of Imperial election the Holy Roman Emperors....
, kings, and emperors of Prussia
Prussia

Prussia was, most recently, a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. This state had for centuries substantial influence on Germany and European history....
, Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
, and Romania
Romania

Romania is a country located in Southeastern Europe Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian Mountains, bordering on the Black Sea....
. It originated in the area around the town of Hechingen
Hechingen

Hechingen is a town in the Zollernalbkreis of Baden-W?rttemberg, Germany. It is located under the hill and castle Burg Hohenzollern. Jungingen is nearby....
 in Swabia
Swabia

Swabia, Suabia, or Svebia is both a historic and linguistics region in Germany. Swabia consists of much of the present-day state of Baden-W?rttemberg , as well as the Bavarian Swabia ....
 during the 11th century. They took their name from their ancestral home
Family seat

A seat or family seat is the principal House of a lord, noble, or aristrocracy, and his family. The residence usually denotes the social, economic, political, or historic connection of the family within a given area....
, the Burg Hohenzollern
Burg Hohenzollern

Hohenzollern Castle is a castle, about 50 km south of Stuttgart, considered home to the House of Hohenzollern family that came to power during the Middle Ages and ruled Prussia and Brandenburg until the end of World War I....
 castle near the forementioned town.

The family uses the motto
Motto

A motto is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used....
 Nihil Sine Deo
Nihil Sine Deo

Nihil Sine Deo, Latin for "Nothing without God", is used as a motto by the German Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen royal family.This formula was the motto of the Kingdom of Romania, while ruled by the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen dynasty ....
 . The family coat of arms
Coat of arms

A coat of arms, more properly called an armorial achievement, armorial bearings or often just arms for short, in European tradition, is a design belonging to a particular person and used by them in a wide variety of ways....
, first adopted in 1192, began as a simple shield quarterly
Quartering (heraldry)

Quartering in heraldry is a method of joining several different coat of arms together in one Escutcheon by dividing the shield into equal parts and placing different coats of arms in each division....
 sable
Sable

The sable is a small carnivorous mammal, closely related to the martens. It inhabits taiga environments primarily in Russia from the Ural Mountains throughout Siberia, in northern Mongolia and China and on Hokkaido in Japan....
 and argent
Argent

In heraldry, argent is the tincture of silver , and belongs to the class of light tinctures, called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it....
. The head and shoulders of a hound were added in 1317 by Frederick IV
Frederick IV, Burgrave of Nuremberg

Frederick IV of Nuremberg , Burgrave of Nuremberg from House of Hohenzollern. He was younger son of Frederick III of Nuremberg from his second marriage with Helene of Saxony....
.






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The House of Hohenzollern is a noble family
Family

Family denotes a group of people affiliated by a common ancestry, affinity or co-residence. Although the concept of consanguinity originally referred to relations by "blood," some cultural anthropology have argued that one must understand the idea of "blood" metaphorically, and that many societies understand 'family' through other concepts r...
 and royal dynasty
Dynasty

A dynasty is a succession of rulers who belong to the same family for generations. A dynasty is also often called a "Royal House", e.g. the House of Saud or House of Habsburg....
 of electors
Prince-elector

The Prince-Electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of Imperial election the Holy Roman Emperors....
, kings, and emperors of Prussia
Prussia

Prussia was, most recently, a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. This state had for centuries substantial influence on Germany and European history....
, Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
, and Romania
Romania

Romania is a country located in Southeastern Europe Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian Mountains, bordering on the Black Sea....
. It originated in the area around the town of Hechingen
Hechingen

Hechingen is a town in the Zollernalbkreis of Baden-W?rttemberg, Germany. It is located under the hill and castle Burg Hohenzollern. Jungingen is nearby....
 in Swabia
Swabia

Swabia, Suabia, or Svebia is both a historic and linguistics region in Germany. Swabia consists of much of the present-day state of Baden-W?rttemberg , as well as the Bavarian Swabia ....
 during the 11th century. They took their name from their ancestral home
Family seat

A seat or family seat is the principal House of a lord, noble, or aristrocracy, and his family. The residence usually denotes the social, economic, political, or historic connection of the family within a given area....
, the Burg Hohenzollern
Burg Hohenzollern

Hohenzollern Castle is a castle, about 50 km south of Stuttgart, considered home to the House of Hohenzollern family that came to power during the Middle Ages and ruled Prussia and Brandenburg until the end of World War I....
 castle near the forementioned town.

The family uses the motto
Motto

A motto is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used....
 Nihil Sine Deo
Nihil Sine Deo

Nihil Sine Deo, Latin for "Nothing without God", is used as a motto by the German Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen royal family.This formula was the motto of the Kingdom of Romania, while ruled by the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen dynasty ....
 . The family coat of arms
Coat of arms

A coat of arms, more properly called an armorial achievement, armorial bearings or often just arms for short, in European tradition, is a design belonging to a particular person and used by them in a wide variety of ways....
, first adopted in 1192, began as a simple shield quarterly
Quartering (heraldry)

Quartering in heraldry is a method of joining several different coat of arms together in one Escutcheon by dividing the shield into equal parts and placing different coats of arms in each division....
 sable
Sable

The sable is a small carnivorous mammal, closely related to the martens. It inhabits taiga environments primarily in Russia from the Ural Mountains throughout Siberia, in northern Mongolia and China and on Hokkaido in Japan....
 and argent
Argent

In heraldry, argent is the tincture of silver , and belongs to the class of light tinctures, called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it....
. The head and shoulders of a hound were added in 1317 by Frederick IV
Frederick IV, Burgrave of Nuremberg

Frederick IV of Nuremberg , Burgrave of Nuremberg from House of Hohenzollern. He was younger son of Frederick III of Nuremberg from his second marriage with Helene of Saxony....
. Later quartering
Quartering (heraldry)

Quartering in heraldry is a method of joining several different coat of arms together in one Escutcheon by dividing the shield into equal parts and placing different coats of arms in each division....
 incorporated other branches of the family.

The family split into two branches, the Catholic Swabia
Swabia

Swabia, Suabia, or Svebia is both a historic and linguistics region in Germany. Swabia consists of much of the present-day state of Baden-W?rttemberg , as well as the Bavarian Swabia ....
n branch and Protestant
Protestantism

Protestantism is a movement within Christianity that originated in the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation. It is considered to be one of the three principal traditions of Christianity, together with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy....
 Franconia
Franconia

Franconia is a region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria and a much smaller region in northeastern Baden-W?rttemberg called Heilbronn-Franken....
n branch. The Swabian branch ruled the area of Hechingen
Hechingen

Hechingen is a town in the Zollernalbkreis of Baden-W?rttemberg, Germany. It is located under the hill and castle Burg Hohenzollern. Jungingen is nearby....
 until their eventual extinction in 1869. The Franconian branch was comparatively more successful. Branches within the Franconian branch ascended the throne of Margraviate of Brandenburg
Margraviate of Brandenburg

The Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
 in 1415 and of the Duchy of Prussia in 1525. The union of these two Franconian branches in 1618 allowed the creation of the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia

The Kingdom of Prussia was a Germany monarchy from 1701 to 1918 and, from 1871, was the leading state of the German Empire, comprising almost two-thirds of the area of the empire....
 in 1701, the state which led the unification of Germany
Unification of Germany

The unification of Germany took place on January 18, 1871, when Otto von Bismarck, the Prime Minister of Prussia, managed to unify a number of independent German people states into a nation-state, and thus create the German Empire, from which all of the states since that time bearing the name of Germany descend....
 and the creation of the German Empire
German Empire

The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from the unification of Germany and proclamation of William I, German Emperor as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became Weimar republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of William II, German Emperor ....
 in 1871.

Social unrest at the end of World War I
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
 led to the German Revolution
German Revolution

The German Revolution was the politically-driven civil conflict in Germany at the end of World War I. The period lasted from 1918#November until the formal establishment of the Weimar Republic in August 1919....
 of 1918, with the subsequent formation of the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic

The Weimar Republic was the democracy and republican period of Germany from 1919 to 1933. Following World War I, the republic emerged from the German Revolution in November 1918....
 forcing the Hohenzollerns to abdicate, thus bringing an end to the modern German monarchy
German monarchy

TheGerman Monarchy existed formally from 1871 to 1918. It shared its monarch with that of Prussia which was part of the House of Hohenzollern....
. The Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles

The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaty at the end of World War I. It ended the declaration of war between German Empire and Allies of World War I....
 in 1919 set the final terms for the dismantling of the German Empire (see list of members).

Origins


Counts of Zollern (before 1061 until 1204)


The oldest known mentioning of the Zollern
Zollern

Zollern, or Hohenzollern, was a county of the Holy Roman Empire. Its ruling dynasty was the House of Hohenzollern, which started with Tassilo von Zolorin....
 dates from 1061. It was a countship, ruled by the counts of Zollern. The accepted origin of the counts of Zollern is that they are derived from the Burchardinger dynasty.

  • until 1061: Burkhard I
  • before 1125: Frederick I (son of)
  • circa 1142 : Frederick II (son of)
  • before 1171 - circa 1200: Frederick III/I
    Frederick I, Burgrave of Nuremberg

    Frederick I of Nuremberg , the first Burgrave of Nuremberg from the House of Hohenzollern. He was elder son of Count Frederick II of Zollern. He was Frederick III as Count of Zollern....
     (son of, also Burgrave of Nuremberg
    Burgrave of Nuremberg

    List of Burgraves of Nuremberg...
    )


Count Frederick III of Zollern was a loyal retainer of the Holy Roman emperors Frederick Barbarossa
Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor

Frederick I Barbarossa was elected King of Germany at Frankfurt am Main on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March, crowned King of Italy in Pavia in 1154, and finally crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Adrian IV on 18 June 1155....
 and Henry VI
Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor

Henry VI was King of Germany from 1190 to 1197, Holy Roman Emperor from 1191 to 1197 and King of Sicily from 1194 to 1197....
 and 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 the burgraviate of Nuremberg in 1192 as burgrave Frederick I of Nuremberg-Zollern. Since then the family name became to be known as Hohenzollern.

After Frederick's death, his sons partitioned the family lands between themselves:

  • The youngest brother, Frederick IV, received the county of Zollern and burgraviate of Nuremberg in 1200 from his father, thereby founding the Swabian branch of the House of Hohenzollerns. The Swabian line remained Catholic
    Roman Catholic Church

    The Roman Catholic Church, officially known as the Catholic Church is the world's largest Christianity Ecclesia , representing over half of all Christians and one-sixth of the world population....
    .


  • The oldest brother, Conrad III
    Conrad I, Burgrave of Nuremberg

    Conrad I of Nuremberg , was a Burgrave of Nuremberg of the House of Hohenzollern. He was the elder son of Frederick I of Nuremberg and Sofie of Raabs....
    , received the burgraviate of Nuremberg in 1218 from his younger brother Frederick IV, thereby founding the Franconian branch of the House of Hohenzollerns. The Franconian line later converted to Protestantism
    Protestantism

    Protestantism is a movement within Christianity that originated in the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation. It is considered to be one of the three principal traditions of Christianity, together with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy....
    .


Franconian senior branch and Brandenburg-Prussian Branch

The senior Franconian branch of the House of Hohenzollern was founded by Conrad III, Burgrave of Nuremberg.

Beginning in the 16th century, this branch of the family became Protestant and decided on expansion through marriage and a purchase of surrounding lands.

The family were supporters of the rulers from the House of Hohenstaufen and the House of Habsburg of the Holy Roman Empire during the 12th to 15th centuries, by which they were rewarded with several territorial benefits.

In a first phase, the family gradually added to their lands, at first with many small acquisitions in the Franconia
Franconia

Franconia is a region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria and a much smaller region in northeastern Baden-W?rttemberg called Heilbronn-Franken....
n and Bavaria
Bavaria

Bavaria , with an area of and almost 12.5 million inhabitants, is a region located in the southeast of Germany and is the largest States of Germany of Germany by area....
n regions of Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
:

  • Ansbach
    Ansbach

    Ansbach, or Anspach, originally Onolzbach, is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk of Mittelfranken....
     in 1331
  • Kulmbach
    Kulmbach

    Kulmbach is the capital of the district of Kulmbach in Bavaria in Germany. The City is famous for the Plassenburg Castle, which contains the largest pewter-figure museum of the world and its famous sausages, called "Bratw?rste"....
     in 1340


In a second phase, the family expanded their lands further with large acquisitions in the Brandenburg
Brandenburg

Brandenburg is one of the sixteen states of Germany of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany....
 and Prussia
Prussia

Prussia was, most recently, a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. This state had for centuries substantial influence on Germany and European history....
n regions of Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 and Poland
Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north....
:

  • Margraviate of Brandenburg
    Margraviate of Brandenburg

    The Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
     in 1417
  • Duchy of Prussia in 1618


These acquisitions were to eventually propel the Hohenzollerns from a minor German princely family into one of the most important in Europe.

Burgraves of Nuremberg (1192-1427)


  • 1192–1200/1204: Frederick I/III (also count of Zollern)
  • 1204–1218: Frederick II/IV (son of, also count of Zollern)
  • 1218–1261/1262: Conrad I/III (brother of, also count of Zollern)
  • 1262–1297: Frederick III (son of)
  • 1297–1300: John I (son of)
  • 1300–1332: Frederick IV (brother of)
  • 1332–1357: John II (son of)
  • 1357–1398: Frederick V (son of)


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

  • 1398-1420: John III/I
    John III, Burgrave of Nuremberg

    John III of Nuremberg , Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach from the House of Hohenzollern. He was elder son of Frederick V of Nuremberg and Elisabeth of Meissen....
     (son of, also Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach)
  • 1420-1427: Frederick VI/I/I, (brother of, also Elector of Brandenburg and Margrave of Brandenburg-Asbach)


After John III/I's death on 11 June 1420, the two principalities were shortly reunited under Frederick VI/I/I. From 1412 Frederick VI became Margrave of Brandenburg as Frederick I and Elector of Brandenburg as Frederick I. From 1420 he became Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach. Upon his death on 21 September 1440, his territories were divided between his sons:

  • John II, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
    John, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach

    John, nicknamed the Alchemist , was a Margrave of Principality of Bayreuth and served as the peace-loving Margrave of Brandenburg after the abdication of his father, Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg, the first member of the House of Hohenzollern to rule Brandenburg....


  • Frederick II, Elector of Brandenburg
    Frederick II, Elector of Brandenburg

    Frederick II , nicknamed "the Iron" and sometimes "Irontooth" , was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from 1440 until his abdication in 1470, and was a member of the House of Hohenzollern....




From 1427 onwards the title of Burgrave of Nuremberg was absorbed into the titles of Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach.

Margraves of Brandenburg-Ansbach (1398-1791)


  • 1398: Frederick I (also Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach)
  • 1440: Albert I/I/III Achilles (son of, also Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach and Elector of Brandenburg)
  • 1486: Frederick II/III
    Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach

    Friedrich, Margrave of Ansbach and Bayreuth, known as Friedrich I or Friedrich V was born at Ansbach, the eldest son of the Albert III, Margrave of Brandenburg by his second wife Anna, daughter of Frederick II, Elector of Saxony....
      (son of, also Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach)
  • 1515: George I/I the Pious
    George, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach

    George the Pious was a Margrave of Principality of Ansbach from the House of Hohenzollern....
     (son of, also Duke of Brandenburg-Jägerndorf)
  • 1543: George Frederick I/I/I/I
    George Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach

    George Frederick the Elder was Margrave of Principality of Ansbach and Principality of Bayreuth, as well as Regent of Duchy of Prussia. He was the son of George, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and a member of the House of Hohenzollern....
     (son of, also Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, Duke of Brandenburg-Jägerndorf and Regent of Prussia)
  • 1603: Joachim Ernst
  • 1625: Frederick III
  • 1634: Albert II
  • 1667: John Frederick
  • 1686: Christian I Albrecht
  • 1692: George Frederick II/II (later Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach)
  • 1703: William Frederick (before 1686-1723)
  • 1723: Charles William (1712-1757)
  • 1757: Christian II Frederick (1757-1791) (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)


  • 1397: John I
    John III, Burgrave of Nuremberg

    John III of Nuremberg , Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach from the House of Hohenzollern. He was elder son of Frederick V of Nuremberg and Elisabeth of Meissen....
  • 1420: Frederick I (also Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach)
  • 1440: John II
    John, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach

    John, nicknamed the Alchemist , was a Margrave of Principality of Bayreuth and served as the peace-loving Margrave of Brandenburg after the abdication of his father, Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg, the first member of the House of Hohenzollern to rule Brandenburg....
  • 1457: Albert I/I/III Achilles (also Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and Elector of Brandenburg)
  • 1464: Frederick II
    Frederick II, Elector of Brandenburg

    Frederick II , nicknamed "the Iron" and sometimes "Irontooth" , was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from 1440 until his abdication in 1470, and was a member of the House of Hohenzollern....
     (also Elector of Brandenburg)
  • 1486: Siegmund
    Siegmund, Margrave of Bayreuth

    Siegmund, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth was the sixth but third surviving son of Albert III, Margrave of Brandenburg. On the death of his father on 11 March 1486, his elder brothers Johann Cicero and Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach succeeded to Brandenburg and Ansbach respectively, and Siegmund succeeded to Bayreuth....
  • 1495: Frederick III/II
    Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach

    Friedrich, Margrave of Ansbach and Bayreuth, known as Friedrich I or Friedrich V was born at Ansbach, the eldest son of the Albert III, Margrave of Brandenburg by his second wife Anna, daughter of Frederick II, Elector of Saxony....
     (also Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach)
  • 1515: Casimir
    Casimir, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth

    Casimir , Margrave of Bayreuth, was the son of Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and his wife Princess Sofia, a daughter of Kazimierz IV Jagiellon....
  • 1527: Albert II Alcibiades
    Albert Alcibiades, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach

    Albert Alcibiades was a Margrave of Principality of Bayreuth, also known as Brandenburg-Bayreuth.Because of his bellicose nature Albert received the cognomen Alcibiades after his death; during his lifetime Albert was known as Bellator ....
  • 1553: George Frederick I/I/I/I
    George Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach

    George Frederick the Elder was Margrave of Principality of Ansbach and Principality of Bayreuth, as well as Regent of Duchy of Prussia. He was the son of George, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and a member of the House of Hohenzollern....
     (also Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, Duke of Brandenburg-Jägerndorf and Regent of Prussia)
  • 1603: Christian I
    Christian, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth

    Christian, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth was a member of the House of Hohenzollern and Principality of Bayreuth .He eldest of the eleven children born to John George, Elector of Brandenburg by his third wife Princess Elisabeth of Anhalt-Zerbst....
  • 1655: Christian II Ernst
    Christian Ernst, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth

    Christian Ernest, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth , was a member of the House of Hohenzollern and Principality of Bayreuth.He was the only son of Erdmann August of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, Hereditary Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, by his wife and first cousin, Sophie of Brandenburg-Ansbach....
  • 1712: George I William
    George William, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth

    George William, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth was a member of the House of Hohenzollern and Margrave_of_Bayreuth....
  • 1726: George Frederick II/II
    George Frederick Charles, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth

    Georg Frederick Karl, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth , was a German prince member of the House of Hohenzollern, nominal Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth-Kulmbach and Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth ....
     (previously Margrave of Kulmbach)
  • 1735: Frederick IV
    Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth

    Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth , was a member of the House of Hohenzollern and Principality of Bayreuth.He was the eldest son of George Frederick Charles, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, nominal Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth-Kulmbach, by his wife Dorothea von Holstein-Beck....
  • 1763: Frederick V Christian
    Frederick Christian, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth

    Frederick Christian, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth , was a member of the House of Hohenzollern and Principality of Bayreuth....
  • 1769: Christian II Frederick (until 1791, also Margrave of brandenburg-Ansbach)


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

Margraves and Electors of Brandenburg (1417-1806)

Wappen Mark Brandenburg
  • 1415-1440: Frederick I/I/VI (also Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach and Burgrave of Nuremberg)
  • 1440-1470: Frederick II
    Frederick II, Elector of Brandenburg

    Frederick II , nicknamed "the Iron" and sometimes "Irontooth" , was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from 1440 until his abdication in 1470, and was a member of the House of Hohenzollern....
     (son)
  • 1470-1486: Albrecht III/I/I Achilles (brother) (also Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach and Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach)
  • 1486-1499: John I Cicero (son)
  • 1499-1535: Joachim I Nestor (son)
  • 1535-1571: Joachim II Hector (son)
  • 1571-1598: John II George
    John George, Elector of Brandenburg

    John George was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg and a Duke of Prussia. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he was the son of Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg, and his first wife Magdalena of Saxony....
     (son)
  • 1598-1608: Joachim III/I/I Frederick
    Joachim Frederick, Elector of Brandenburg

    Joachim Frederick was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from the House of Hohenzollern.Joachim Frederick was born in C?lln to John George, Elector of Brandenburg, and Sophie, Princess of Legnica ....
     (son, also Duke of Brandenburg-Jägerndorf and Regent of Prussia)
  • 1608-1619: John III/I Sigismund (son, also duke of Prussia)
  • 1619-1640: George William I/I (son, also duke of Prussia)
  • 1640-1688: Frederick III/I William the Great (son, also duke of Prussia)
  • 1688-1701: Frederick IV/II/I
    Frederick I of Prussia

    Frederick I , of the House of Hohenzollern dynasty, was Prince-elector of Brandenburg and the first King in Prussia ....
     (son, also Duke of Prussia and King in Prussia)


From 1701 the title of Elector of Brandenburg was attached to the title of King in and of Prussia.

Dukes of Brandenburg-Jägerndorf (1523-1622)

The Duchy of Brandenburg-Jägerndorf was purchased in 1523.

  • 1541–1543 : George I/I the Pious
    George, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach

    George the Pious was a Margrave of Principality of Ansbach from the House of Hohenzollern....
     (also Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach)
  • 1543–1603 : George Frederick I/I/I/I
    George Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach

    George Frederick the Elder was Margrave of Principality of Ansbach and Principality of Bayreuth, as well as Regent of Duchy of Prussia. He was the son of George, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and a member of the House of Hohenzollern....
     (also Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach and Regent of Prussia)
  • 1603–1606 : Joachim I/I/III (also Regent of Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg)
  • 1606–1621 : Johann Georg of Hohenzollern


The duchy of Brandenburg-Jägerndorf was confiscated by Ferdinand III of the Holy Roman Empire
Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor

Ferdinand III was Holy Roman Emperor February 15, 1637 – 1657. King of Hungary, King of Bohemia, Archduke of Austria, King of the Romans....
 in 1622.

Margraves of Brandenburg-Küstrin (1535-1571)

The short-lived Margraviate of Brandenburg-Küstrin (principality) was set up, against the Hohenzollern house law
House law

House law or House laws are rules that govern a royal family or dynasty in matters of eligibility for order of succession, membership in a dynasty, exercise of a Regent, or entitlement to dynastic order of precedence, titles and style ....
s on succession, as a secundogenitur fief of the House of Hohenzollern, a typical German institution.

  • 1535–1571: Johan 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 the Margraviate and Electorate of Brandenburg.

Margraves of Brandenburg-Schwedt (1688-1788)

From 1688 onwards the Margraves of Brandenburg-Schwedt were a side branch of the House of Hohenzollern. The Margraviate of Brandenburg-Schwedt although never was a principality with allodial rights in its own right.

  • 1688-1711 : Philip William, Prince in Prussia, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt (son of Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg
    Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg

    Frederick William was the Prince-elector of Margraviate of Brandenburg and the Duke of Duchy of Prussia from 1640 until his death. He was of the House of Hohenzollern and is popularly known as the Great Elector because of his military and political skill....
    )
  • 1731-1771 : Frederick William, Prince in Prussia, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt (son of)
  • 1771–1788 : Henry Frederick, Prince in Prussia, Margrave of Brandenburg Schwedt (son of)


In 1788 the title was incorporated into the Kingdom of Prussia.

Dukes of Prussia (1525-1701)

In 1525 the Duchy of Prussia was established as a fief of the King of Poland.

  • 1525–1568: Albert I
    Albert I, Duke of Prussia

    Albert was the 37th Grand Masters of the Teutonic Knights of the Teutonic Knights and, after converting to Lutheranism, the first duke of the Duchy of Prussia, which was the first state to adopt the Lutheran faith and Protestantism as the official state religion....
  • 1568–1618: Albert II Frederick
    Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia

    Albert Frederick was duke of Duchy of Prussia from 1568 until his death. He was a son of Albert of Prussia and Anna Marie of Brunswick-L?neburg....
     co-inheritor (son of)
  • 1568–1571: Joachim I/II Hector co-inheritor (also Elector of Brandenburg)
    • 1578–1603: George Frederick I/I/I/I
      George Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach

      George Frederick the Elder was Margrave of Principality of Ansbach and Principality of Bayreuth, as well as Regent of Duchy of Prussia. He was the son of George, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and a member of the House of Hohenzollern....
       (Regent, also Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach and Duke of Brandenburg-Jägerndorf)
    • 1603–1608: Joachim I/I/III Frederick
      Joachim Frederick, Elector of Brandenburg

      Joachim Frederick was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from the House of Hohenzollern.Joachim Frederick was born in C?lln to John George, Elector of Brandenburg, and Sophie, Princess of Legnica ....
       (Regent, also Duke of Brandenburg-Jägerndorf and Elector of Brandenburg)
    • 1608–1618: John I/III Sigismund
      John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg

      John Sigismund was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from the House of Hohenzollern. He also served as a Duchy of Prussia.John Sigismund was born in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt to Joachim Frederick, Elector of Brandenburg, and his first wife Catherine, Princess of Brandenburg-K?strin....
       (Regent, also Elector of Brandenburg)
  • 1618–1619: John I/III Sigismund
    John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg

    John Sigismund was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from the House of Hohenzollern. He also served as a Duchy of Prussia.John Sigismund was born in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt to Joachim Frederick, Elector of Brandenburg, and his first wife Catherine, Princess of Brandenburg-K?strin....
     (Regent, also Elector of Brandenburg)
  • 1619–1640: George William I/I
    George William, Elector of Brandenburg

    George William of the Hohenzollern dynasty was margrave and Prince-Elector of Brandenburg and duke of Duchy of Prussia . His reign was marked by ineffective governance during the Thirty Years' War....
     (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
    Frederick I of Prussia

    Frederick I , of the House of Hohenzollern dynasty, was Prince-elector of Brandenburg and the first King in Prussia ....
     (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
King in Prussia

King in Prussia was a title used by the Elector of Brandenburg from 1701 to 1772. Subsequently they used the title King of Prussia.The Prince-Elector of Brandenburg was a subject of the Holy Roman Emperor....
 was granted, without the Duchy of Prussia being elevated to a Kingdom within the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire was a union of territories in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and the Early modern Europe under a Holy Roman Emperor....
. From 1701 onwards the titles of Duke of Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg were always attached to the title of King in Prussia.

  • 1701–1713: Frederick I/II/IV
    Frederick I of Prussia

    Frederick I , of the House of Hohenzollern dynasty, was Prince-elector of Brandenburg and the first King in Prussia ....
     (also Duke of Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg)
  • 1713–1740: Frederick William I
    Frederick William I of Prussia

    Frederick William I of the House of Hohenzollern, was the King in Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg from 1713 until his death. He is popularly known as "the Soldier-King" ....
     (son of)
  • 1740–1786: Frederick II the Great
    Frederick II of Prussia

    Frederick II was a monarch of Kingdom of Prussia from the House of Hohenzollern. In his role as a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, he was Frederick IV of Margraviate of Brandenburg....
     (son of, later also King of Prussia)


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

Kings of Prussia (1772-1918)


In 1772 the title of King of Prussia was granted with the establishment of the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia

The Kingdom of Prussia was a Germany monarchy from 1701 to 1918 and, from 1871, was the leading state of the German Empire, comprising almost two-thirds of the area of the empire....
. From 1772 onwards the titles of Duke of Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg were always attached to the title of King of Prussia.

  • Frederick II the Great
    Frederick II of Prussia

    Frederick II was a monarch of Kingdom of Prussia from the House of Hohenzollern. In his role as a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, he was Frederick IV of Margraviate of Brandenburg....
     (1740–1786) (son of, before King in Prussia
    King in Prussia

    King in Prussia was a title used by the Elector of Brandenburg from 1701 to 1772. Subsequently they used the title King of Prussia.The Prince-Elector of Brandenburg was a subject of the Holy Roman Emperor....
    )
  • Frederick William II
    Frederick William II of Prussia

    Frederick William II was the fourth King of Kingdom of Prussia, reigning from 1786 until his death....
     (1786–1797) (nephew of)
  • Frederick William III
    Frederick William III of Prussia

    Frederick William III was king of Kingdom of Prussia from 1797 to 1840....
     (1797–1840) (son of)
  • Frederick William IV
    Frederick William IV of Prussia

    King Frederick William IV of Prussia , the eldest son and successor of Frederick William III of Prussia, reigned as King of Prussia from 1840 to 1861....
     (1840–1861) (son of)
  • Wilhelm I
    William I, German Emperor

    Wilhelm I, also known as Wilhelm the Great of the House of Hohenzollern was the monarch of Kingdom of Prussia and the first German Emperor ....
     (1861–1888) (brother of)
  • Frederick III
    Frederick III, German Emperor

    Frederick III was List of German monarchs and King of Prussia for 99 days in 1888 during the Year of the Three Emperors. Frederick William Nicholas Charles , known informally as Fritz, was the only son of Emperor Wilhelm I, and was raised in his family's tradition of military service....
     (1888) (son of)
  • Wilhelm II
    William II, German Emperor

    Wilhelm II was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia , ruling both the German Empire and the Prussia from 15 June 1888 to 9 November 1918....
     (1888–1918) (son of)


In 1871 the Kingdom of Prussia was a constituting member of the German Empire
German Empire

The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from the unification of Germany and proclamation of William I, German Emperor as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became Weimar republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of William II, German Emperor ....
.

German Kings and Emperors (1871-1918)


Reigning (1871-1918)

In 1871 the German empire
German Empire

The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from the unification of Germany and proclamation of William I, German Emperor as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became Weimar republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of William II, German Emperor ....
 was proclaimed. With the accession of Wilhelm 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.

  • 1871–1888: William I
    William I, German Emperor

    Wilhelm I, also known as Wilhelm the Great of the House of Hohenzollern was the monarch of Kingdom of Prussia and the first German Emperor ....
     (also King of Prussia)
  • 1888: Frederick III
    Frederick III, German Emperor

    Frederick III was List of German monarchs and King of Prussia for 99 days in 1888 during the Year of the Three Emperors. Frederick William Nicholas Charles , known informally as Fritz, was the only son of Emperor Wilhelm I, and was raised in his family's tradition of military service....
     (son of, also King of Prussia)
  • 1888–1918: William II
    William II, German Emperor

    Wilhelm II was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia , ruling both the German Empire and the Prussia from 15 June 1888 to 9 November 1918....
     (grandson of, also King of Prussia)


In 1918 the German empire was abolished and replaced by the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic

The Weimar Republic was the democracy and republican period of Germany from 1919 to 1933. Following World War I, the republic emerged from the German Revolution in November 1918....
.

Pretenders (1918 until today)
The House of Hohenzollern never relinquished their claims to the thrones of Prussia and the German Empire. However, these claims are not recognised by the Federal Republic of Germany.

House of Hohenzollern

Since the death of William II in 1941, last reigning king and emperor and thereafter head of the House of Hohenzollern, he was succeeded by:

  • 1941–1951: Crown Prince William
  • 1951–1994: Prince Louis Ferdinand
    Louis Ferdinand, Prince of Prussia

    }|-|}Louis Ferdinand, Prince of Prussia , a member of the Hohenzollern family, was the pretender to the abolished German monarchy, staunch opponent of the National Socialist German Workers Party in Germany, a business man, and patron of the arts....
  • 1994–present: Prince George Frederick
    Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia

    Georg Friedrich Ferdinand, Prince of Prussia, is the current head of the Imperial House of Hohenzollern, the former ruling house of the German Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia....
  • heir presumptive
    Heir Presumptive

    An heir presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honor, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the throne....
     : Prince Christian-Sigismund of Prussia
    Prince Christian-Sigismund of Prussia

    Prince Christian-Sigmund of Prussia is the heir presumptive and uncle to Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia, head of the House of Hohenzollern....


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
Prince of Orange

Prince of Orange is a title of nobility, originally associated with the Principality of Orange, now in southern France.It is carried by members of the House of Orange-Nassau, as heirs to the crown of the Netherlands, and is also seen carried by the pretenders by members of the Hohenzollern....
. Members of this line style themselves princes of Prussia.

Swabian junior branch


The junior Swabian branch of the House of Hohenzollern was founded by Frederick IV, Burgrave of Nuremberg
Frederick IV, Burgrave of Nuremberg

Frederick IV of Nuremberg , Burgrave of Nuremberg from House of Hohenzollern. He was younger son of Frederick III of Nuremberg from his second marriage with Helene of Saxony....
.

Ruling the minor German principalities of Hechingen
Hechingen

Hechingen is a town in the Zollernalbkreis of Baden-W?rttemberg, Germany. It is located under the hill and castle Burg Hohenzollern. Jungingen is nearby....
, Sigmaringen
Sigmaringen

Sigmaringen is a town in southern Germany, in the state of Baden-W?rttemberg. Situated on the upper Danube, it is the capital of the Sigmaringen ....
 and Haigerloch
Haigerloch

Art = Stadt|Wappen = Wappen Haigerloch.png|lat_deg = 48 |lat_min = 21 |lat_sec = 53|lon_deg = 08 |lon_min = 48 |lon_sec = 18...
, this branch of the family decided to remain Roman Catholic and from 1567 onwards split into the Hohenzollern-Hechingen
Hohenzollern-Hechingen

Hohenzollern-Hechingen was a county and principality in southwestern Germany. Its rulers belonged to a branch of the senior Swabian branch of the Hohenzollern dynasty....
, Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen

The House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen is the cadet branch of the senior Swabian branch of the Hohenzollern dynasty, less known than the Franconian branch which became Burgrave of Nuremberg and later ruled Brandenburg-Prussia and the German Empire....
 and Hohenzollern-Haigerloch branches. When the last count of Hohenzollern, Charles I of Hohenzollern (1512-1579) died, the territory was to be divided up between his three sons:
  • Eitel Frederick IV of Hohenzollern-Hechingen (1545–1605)
  • Charles II of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
    Charles II, Count of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen

    Charles II, Count of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen became Count of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen in 1576 and remained so until his death.Charles II was one of three sons of Karl I of Hohenzollern, Count of Hohenzollern, and Anna of Baden-Durlach ....
     (1547–1606)
  • Christoph of Hohenzollern-Haigerloch (1552–1592)


They never expanded from these three Swabia
Swabia

Swabia, Suabia, or Svebia is both a historic and linguistics region in Germany. Swabia consists of much of the present-day state of Baden-W?rttemberg , as well as the Bavarian Swabia ....
n principalities, which was one of the reasons they became relatively unimportant in German history for much of their existence. However, they kept royal lineage and married members of the great royal European houses.

In 1767 the principality of Hohenzollern-Haigerloch was incorporated in the other two principalities. In 1850, the princes of both Hohenzollern-Hechingen and Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen abdicated their thrones, and their principalities were incorporated as the Prussian province of Hohenzollern
Province of Hohenzollern

Hohenzollern was a de facto Provinces of Prussia of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was created in 1850 by joining the principalities of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and Hohenzollern-Hechingen after both formerly independent states had handed over their sovereignty to Prussia, ruled by the Protestant branch of the House of Hohenzollern....
.

The last ruling Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Karl Anton, would later serve as Minister-President of Prussia between 1858 and 1862.

The Hohenzollern-Hechingen finally became extinct in 1869. A descendent of this branch was Sophie Chotek, wife of Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria-Este
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria

Franz Ferdinand was an Archduke of Austria-Este, Prince Imperial of Austria and Royal Prince of Hungary and Bohemia, and from 1889 until his death, heir presumptive to the Austria-Hungary throne....
.

However, a member of the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen family, Charles Eitel
Carol I of Romania

Carol I of Romania, original name Prince Karl Eitel Friedrich Zephyrinus Ludwig of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, later simply of Hohenzollern , German prince, was elected Domnitor of Romania on 20 April 1866 following the overthrow of Alexander John Cuza by a palace coup; following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in the Russo-Turkis...
, second son of prince Karl Anton, was chosen to become prince of Romania as Charles I
Carol I of Romania

Carol I of Romania, original name Prince Karl Eitel Friedrich Zephyrinus Ludwig of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, later simply of Hohenzollern , German prince, was elected Domnitor of Romania on 20 April 1866 following the overthrow of Alexander John Cuza by a palace coup; following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in the Russo-Turkis...
 in 1866. In 1881 Charles I became the first king of the Romanians
Romania

Romania is a country located in Southeastern Europe Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian Mountains, bordering on the Black Sea....
.

Charles' older brother, Leopold, was offered the Spanish throne after a revolt removed queen Isabella II
Isabella II of Spain

Isabella II was List of Spanish monarchs She was Spain's first and so far only queen regnant, although she is sometimes considered the third Queen Regnant of Spain, as previous monarchs of Leon and Castile were counted as kings and queens of Spain....
 in 1870. Although encouraged by Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck

Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Sch?nhausen, Duke of Lauenburg, Prince of Bismarck, , was a Kingdom of Prussia and Germany statesman and aristocrat of the 19th century....
 to accept it, Leopold backed down once France's Emperor, Napoleon III, stated his objection. Despite this, France still declared war, beginning the Franco-Prussian war
Franco-Prussian War

The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between Second French Empire and Kingdom of Prussia, while Prussia was backed by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Grand Duchy of Baden, History of W?rttemberg#The Kingdom...
.

Charles I had no children of his own, so Leopold's younger son Ferdinand I
Ferdinand I of Romania

Ferdinand was the King of the Romanians from October 10 1914 until his death....
 would succeed his uncle as king of the Romanians in 1906, and his descendants continued to rule in Romania until the end of the monarchy in 1947.

Today this branch is represented only by the last king, Michael
Michael I of Romania

Michael reigned as King of Romania from July 20, 1927 to June 8, 1930, and again from September 6, 1940, until forced to abdicate by the Communist Party of Romania backed up by orders of Stalin to the Soviet armies of occupation on December 30, 1947....
, and his daughters. The descendants of Leopold's oldest son William continue to use the titles of prince or princess of Hohenzollern.

Counts of Hohenzollern (1204-1575)


In 1204, the County of Hohenzollern was established out of the fusion of the County of Zollern and the Burgraviate of Nuremberg.

  • 1204–1251/1255: Frederick IV/II
    Frederick IV, Burgrave of Nuremberg

    Frederick IV of Nuremberg , Burgrave of Nuremberg from House of Hohenzollern. He was younger son of Frederick III of Nuremberg from his second marriage with Helene of Saxony....
    , also Burgrave of Nuremberg
    Burgrave of Nuremberg

    List of Burgraves of Nuremberg...
  • 1251/1255–1289: Frederick V
    Frederick V, Burgrave of Nuremberg

    Frederick V of Nuremberg was a Burgrave of Nuremberg, of the House of Hohenzollern....
    , also Burgrave of Nuremberg
  • 1289–1298: Frederick VI/I
    Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg

    Frederick was Burgrave of Nuremberg as Frederick VI and Elector of Brandenburg as Frederick I. He was a son of Burgrave Frederick V, Burgrave of Nuremberg of Nuremberg and Elisabeth of Meissen, and was the first member of the House of Hohenzollern to rule the Margraviate of Brandenburg....
    , also Elector of Brandenburg
  • 1298–1309: Frederick VII/II
    Frederick II, Elector of Brandenburg

    Frederick II , nicknamed "the Iron" and sometimes "Irontooth" , was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from 1440 until his abdication in 1470, and was a member of the House of Hohenzollern....
    , also Elector of Brandenburg
  • 1309–1333: Frederick VIII
  • 1333–1377: Frederick IX
  • 1377–1401: Frederick XI
  • 1401–1426: Frederick XII
  • 1426–1439: Eitel Frederick I
  • 1439–1488: Jobst Nikolaus I
  • 1488–1512: Eitel Frederick II
  • 1512–1525: Eitel Frederick III
  • 1525–1575: Charles I


In 1575 the County of Hohenzollern was split in two Counties with allodial rights, Hohenzollern-Hechingen
Hohenzollern-Hechingen

Hohenzollern-Hechingen was a county and principality in southwestern Germany. Its rulers belonged to a branch of the senior Swabian branch of the Hohenzollern dynasty....
 and Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen

The House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen is the cadet branch of the senior Swabian branch of the Hohenzollern dynasty, less known than the Franconian branch which became Burgrave of Nuremberg and later ruled Brandenburg-Prussia and the German Empire....
.

Counts of Hohenzollern-Haigerloch (1567-1630 and 1681-1767)


The County of Hohenzollern-Haigerloch was established in 1567 without allodial rights

  • 1575-1601 : Christoph of Hohenzollern-Haigerloch
  • 1601-1623 : Johann Christoph of Hohenzollern-Haigerloch
  • 1601-1630 : Johann of Hohenzollern-Haigerloch


Between 1630 and 1681 the county was temporarly integrated into the Margraviate of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen.

  • 1681-1702: Francis Anthony of Hohenzollern-Haigerloch
  • 1702-1750: Ferdinand Anthony of Hohenzollern-Haigerloch
  • 1750-1767: Francis Christoph Anthony of Hohenzollern-Haigerloch


With the death of Francis Christoph Anthony, the county of Hohenzollern-Haigenloch was definitely absorbed into the principality of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen in 1767.

Counts, later Princes of Hohenzollern-Hechingen (1576-1623-1850)


The County of Hohenzollern-Hechingen was established in 1576 with allodial rights.

  • Eitel Friedrich IV (1576-1605)
  • Johann Georg (1605-1623) (also prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen)
  • Eitel Friedrich V (1623-1661) (also count of Hohenzollern-Hechingen)
  • Philipp Christoph Friedrich (1661-1671)
  • Friedrich Wilhelm (1671-1735)
  • Friedrich Ludwig (1735-1750)
  • Josef Friedrich Wilhelm (1750-1798)
  • Hermann (1798-1810)
  • Friedrich (1810-1838)
  • Konstantin (1838-1850)


In 1850 the principality was sold to the Franconian branch of the family and incorporated into the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia

The Kingdom of Prussia was a Germany monarchy from 1701 to 1918 and, from 1871, was the leading state of the German Empire, comprising almost two-thirds of the area of the empire....
. The branch became extinct in dynastic line with Konstantin's death in 1869.

Counts, later Princes of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (1576-1623-1849)


The County of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was established in 1576 with allodial rights.

  • Karl II
    Charles II, Count of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen

    Charles II, Count of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen became Count of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen in 1576 and remained so until his death.Charles II was one of three sons of Karl I of Hohenzollern, Count of Hohenzollern, and Anna of Baden-Durlach ....
     (1576–1606)
  • Johann I (1606–1623) (also Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen)
  • Johann II (1623–1638) (also Count of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen)
  • Meinrad I (1638–1681)
  • Maximilian (1681–1689)
  • Meinrad II (1689–1715)
  • Joseph Franz Ernst (1715–1769)
  • Karl Friedrich (1769–1785)
  • Anton Aloys (1785–1831)
  • Karl III (1831–1848)
  • Karl Anton (1848–1849)


In 1850 the principality was sold to the Franconian branch of the family and incorporated into the kingdom of Prussia. Since then the family continue to use the princely title of Fürsten von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen until 1869 and Fürsten von Hohenzollern until today.

Kings of the Romanians


Reigning (1866-1947)

The Principality of Romania was established in 1862, after the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299?1923. It was Treaty of Lausanne by the Republic of Turkey, which was officially proclaimed on October 29, 1923....
 vassal states of Wallachia
Wallachia

Wallachia or Walachia is a Historical regions of Romania and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians....
 and Moldavia
Moldavia

Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river....
 had been united in 1859 under Alexander John Cuza
Alexander John Cuza

Alexander John Cuza was a Moldavian-born Romanian politician who ruled as the first Domnitor of the Danubian Principalities between 1859 and 1866....
 as Prince of Romania in a personal union
Personal union

A personal union is the combination by which two or more different states are governed by the same monarch, while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct....
.

He was deposed in 1866 by the Romanian parliament which then invited a German
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 prince of the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen

The House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen is the cadet branch of the senior Swabian branch of the Hohenzollern dynasty, less known than the Franconian branch which became Burgrave of Nuremberg and later ruled Brandenburg-Prussia and the German Empire....
 family, Charles, to become the new Prince of Romania.

In 1881 the Principality of Romania was proclaimed a Kingdom
Kingdom of Romania

The Kingdom of Roumania was the old Romanian state based on a form of parliamentary monarchy between March 13, 1881 and December 30, 1947, specified by the First , and respectively, the Second Constitution of Roumania....
.

  • 1866–1914: Charles I (also Prince of Romania)
  • 1914–1927: Ferdinand
  • 1927–1930: Michael I
    Michael I of Romania

    Michael reigned as King of Romania from July 20, 1927 to June 8, 1930, and again from September 6, 1940, until forced to abdicate by the Communist Party of Romania backed up by orders of Stalin to the Soviet armies of occupation on December 30, 1947....
  • 1930–1940: Charles II
  • 1940–1947: Michael I
    Michael I of Romania

    Michael reigned as King of Romania from July 20, 1927 to June 8, 1930, and again from September 6, 1940, until forced to abdicate by the Communist Party of Romania backed up by orders of Stalin to the Soviet armies of occupation on December 30, 1947....


In 1947 the Kingdom of Romania was abolished and replaced with the People's Republic of Romania
Communist Romania

Communist Romania refers to the period in Romanian history when that country was a dictatorship led by the Romanian Communist Party, the sole legal party....
.

Succession (1947 until today)

King Michael has retained his claim on the Romanian throne. At present, the claim is not recognised by Romania
Romania

Romania is a country located in Southeastern Europe Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian Mountains, bordering on the Black Sea....
, a republic.

House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen


The princely House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen never relinquished their claims to the princely throne of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen or the royal throne of Romania. Because the last reigning king of the Romanians, Michael I, has no male issue, upon his death the claim will devolve to the head of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen.

  • 1849-1885: Karl Anton, Prince of Hohenzollern
  • 1885-1905: Leopold, Prince of Hohenzollern
  • 1905-1927: Wilhelm, Prince of Hohenzollern
    Wilhelm, Prince of Hohenzollern

    William, Prince of Hohenzollern was the eldest son of Leopold, Prince of Hohenzollern and Infanta Ant?nia of Portugal. His maternal grandparents were Maria II of Portugal and her King consort Ferdinand II of Portugal....
  • 1927-1965: Friedrich, Prince of Hohenzollern
    Friedrich, Prince of Hohenzollern

    Frederick, Prince of Hohenzollern was born on 30 August 1891 in Heiligendamm, Mecklenburg-Schwerin and died on 6 February 1965 in Krauchenwies, Baden-W?rttemberg, Germany....
  • 1965-present : Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
  • heir apparent
    Heir apparent

    An heir apparent is an heir who cannot be displaced from inheriting; the term is used in contrast to heir presumptive, the term for a conditional heir who is currently in line to inherit but could be displaced at any time in the future....
     : Karl Friedrich, Hereditary Prince of Hohenzollern
    Karl Friedrich, Hereditary Prince of Hohenzollern

    Karl Friedrich, Hereditary Prince of Hohenzollern was born on 20 April 1952 in Sigmaringen, Baden-W?rttemberg, Germany. He is the eldest son of Frederick William, Prince of Hohenzollern and Princess Margarita of Leiningen and heir to the headship of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen....


The head of the family is styled His Serene Highness The Prince of Hohenzollern.

See also

  • Kings of Germany family tree. The Hohenzollerns were the 15th dynasty to rule Germany and were related by marriage to all the others.


  • Coat of arms of Prussia
    Coat of arms of Prussia

    File:Wappen Preu?en.pngThis article is about the coat of arms of the former German state of Prussia....
  • Coat of arms of Germany
    Coat of arms of Germany

    The coat of arms of Germany is a sign of Germany; the coat of arms features an eagle . The colors of the coat of arms are similar to those of the flag of Germany ....
  • Coat of arms of the House of Hohenzollern
  • House Order of Hohenzollern
    House Order of Hohenzollern

    The House Order of Hohenzollern was an Order of the House of Hohenzollern. It was both a military and a civil award. The order itself could only be awarded to commissioned officers , but associated with the various versions of the order were crosses and/or medals which could be awarded to non-commissioned officers and soldiers or civilians...
  • Heil dir im Siegerkranz
    Heil dir im Siegerkranz

    Heil dir im Siegerkranz was from 1871 to 1918 the unofficial national anthem of the German Empire. Previously it had been the anthem of Prussia, but the melody of the hymn is actually the same as the United Kingdom anthem, God Save the King and My Country Tis Of Thee from U.S.A ....
  • Order of the Black Eagle
    Order of the Black Eagle

    The Order of the Black Eagle was the highest Order in the Kingdom of Prussia. The order was founded on January 17, 1701 by Elector Friedrich III of Brandenburg ....
     and SUUM CUIQUE
  • Order of the Red Eagle
    Order of the Red Eagle

    The Order of the Red Eagle was an Order of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful service to the kingdom, or other achievements....
     and SINCERE ET CONSTANTE
  • Wilhelm-Orden
    Wilhelm-Orden

    The Wilhelm-Orden was instituted on the 18th January 1896 by the Emperor of Germany and King of Prussia William II, German Emperor, and was dedicated to the memory of his grandfather Emperor William I, German Emperor "the Great"....
  • Order of the Crown (Prussia)
    Order of the Crown (Prussia)

    The Order of the Crown was Prussia's lowest ranking Order . Instituted in 1861 as an award equal in rank to the Order of the Red Eagle, it could only be awarded to commissioned officers , but there was a medal associated with the order which could be earned by non-commissioned officers and enlisted men....
     and GOTT MIT UNS
    Gott Mit Uns

    Gott mit uns is a phrase commonly associated with the German military from the German Empire to the end of the Third Reich, although its historical origins are far older....
  • Iron Cross
    Iron Cross

    The Iron Cross was a military decoration of the Kingdom of Prussia, and later of Germany, which was established by King Frederick William III of Prussia and first awarded on 10 March 1813 in Breslau ....


External links



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