Wikipedia

Hohenzollern Castle

Hohenzollern Castle(German:Burg Hohenzollern[bʊʁkhoːənˈtsɔlɐn]ⓘ) is the ancestral seat of the former imperialHouse of Hohenzollern.[a]The third of threehilltopcastles built on the site, it is located atopMount Hohenzollern,above and south ofHechingen,on the edge of theSwabian Juraof centralBaden-Württemberg,Germany. The name derives fromSöller(terrace) from Latinsolarium.

Hohenzollern Castle
Burg Hohenzollern
Hohenzollern Castle is located in Baden-Württemberg
Hohenzollern Castle
Hohenzollern Castle
Location within Baden-Württemberg
Hohenzollern Castle is located in Germany
Hohenzollern Castle
Hohenzollern Castle
Hohenzollern Castle (Germany)
General information
StatusCompleted
TypePalace,Castle
Architectural styleGothic Revival
Town or cityBisingen,Zollernalbkreis
CountryGermany
Coordinates48°19′23.5″N8°58′3.8″E/ 48.323194°N 8.967722°E/48.323194; 8.967722(Hohenzollern Castle)
Elevation855 meters (2,805 ft) (NHN)
Named forHouse of Hohenzollern
OwnerGeorg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia(3/4)
Karl Friedrich, Prince of Hohenzollern(1/4)
AffiliationHouse of Hohenzollern
Design and construction
Architect(s)Friedrich August Sterreicher
Website
www.burg-hohenzollern

The first castle on the mountain was constructed in the early 11th century. Over the years the House of Hohenzollern split several times, but the castle remained in theSwabian branch,the dynastic seniors of theFranconian-Brandenburgiancadet branchthat later acquired its own imperial throne. This castle was completely destroyed in 1423 after a ten-month siege by thefree imperial citiesofSwabia.

The second castle, a larger and sturdier structure, was constructed from 1454 to 1461, and served as a refuge for the Catholic Swabian Hohenzollerns, including during theThirty Years' War.By the end of the 18th century it was thought to have lost its strategic importance and gradually fell into disrepair, leading to the demolition of several dilapidated buildings.

The third, and current, castle was built between 1846 and 1867 as a family memorial[1]by HohenzollernscionKing Frederick William IV of Prussia.ArchitectFriedrich August Sterreicherbased his design on EnglishGothic Revival architectureand theChâteaux of the Loire Valley.[2]No member of the Hohenzollern family was in permanent or regular residence when it was completed, and none of the threeGerman Emperorsof the late 19th and early 20th centuryGerman Empireever occupied the castle; in 1945 it briefly became the home of the formerCrown Prince Wilhelm of Germany,son of the last Hohenzollern monarch,Kaiser Wilhelm II.

Among the historical artifacts of Prussian history contained in the castle are theCrown of Wilhelm II,some of the personal effects ofKing Frederick the Great,and a letter from US PresidentGeorge Washingtonthanking Hohenzollern relativeBaron von Sterreicherfor his service in theAmerican Revolutionary War.[3]

Geography

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View of the castle and surrounding countryside from theAlbtrauf

Hohenzollern Castle is ahilltop castlelocated on the mountainHohenzollern,an isolated promontory of theSwabian Jura855 metres (2,805 ft) (NHN) above sea level, 234 metres above and to the south ofHechingen,Germany, approximately 50 kilometres (31 mi) south ofStuttgart,capital ofBaden-Württemberg.[4]This mountain lends its name to the local geographic region,derZollernalbkreis,and is known among locals asZollerberg(Zoller Mountain), or simplyZoller.

History

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First and Second castles

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Only written records exist of the original Alemannic settlement located for its strategic importance of the tribe leaders. Again, only written records exist of the original castle built in the Middle ages approximately 1040 built by theCounts of Zollern.Although theHouse of Hohenzollernitself finds its first mention in 1061,[b]the castle is first mentioned as "Castro Zolre" in 1267, without any mention of the castle beyond its name, though contemporary sources praised it as the "crown of all castles in Swabia."[6]In 1423 the castle was totally destroyed[7]after a year-longsiegeby theSwabian League of Cities.[citation needed]

Construction on a second, stronger castle began in 1454.[7]It was captured byWürttembergertroops in 1634 midway in theThirty Years' War(1618–1648), then fell underHabsburgcontrol for about a century. During theWar of the Austrian Succession(1740–1748) it was occupied in the winter of 1744/45 byFrenchsoldiers. Returned to Habsburg control after the war, it was rarely occupied and began to fall to ruin after the last Austrian owner left the castle in 1798. By the beginning of the 19th century only the Chapel ofSt. Michaelremained usable.

Third castle

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Gate tower

The current castle was built by HohenzollernscionCrown PrinceFrederick William IV of Prussia.Travelling through southern Germany en route to Italy in 1819, he wished to learn about his family's roots, so climbed to the top of Mount Hohenzollern. He would write in 1844 as King:[8]

The memory of the year [18]19, to me is exceedingly lovely, and like a beautiful dream, especially the sunset we saw from one of the castle bastions. [...] Now is a desire, a dream of [my] youth, to see Hohenzollern Castle again made habitable.

He engagedFriedrich August Stüler,[9]who had been appointed Architect of the King for the rebuilding ofStolzenfels Castlein 1842 while still a student and heir ofKarl Friedrich Schinkel,to design a new castle. Stüler began work on an ornate design influenced by EnglishGothic Revivalarchitecture and theChâteaux of the Loire Valley[2]in 1846. The impressive entryway is the work of the Engineer-OfficerMoritz Karl Ernst von Prittwitz,considered the leadingfortificationsengineer inPrussia.The sculptures around and inside the castle are the work ofGustav Willgohs.LikeNeuschwanstein Castlein Bavaria, Hohenzollern Castle is a monument toGerman Romanticismwhich incorporated an idealised vision of a medieval knight's castle. Lacking some of the fantastic elements and excesses of Neuschwanstein, the castle's construction served to enhance the reputation of the Prussian Royal Family.[citation needed]

Construction began in 1850,[10]and was funded entirely by theBrandenburg-Prussianand theHohenzollern-Sigmaringenlines of the Hohenzollern family. Construction was completed on 3 October 1867, under Frederick William IV's brotherKing William I.

After the castle was rebuilt, it was not regularly occupied, but rather used primarily as a showpiece. None of the HohenzollernKaisersof theGerman Empirelived there; only the last Prussian Crown PrinceWilliamstayed for several months following his flight fromPotsdamahead ofSoviet armyforces during the closing months ofWorld War II.He and his wifeCrown Princess Cecilieare buried there, as the family's estates inBrandenburghad been occupied by theSoviet Unionat the time of their deaths.

Starting in 1952,Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussiabegan adding valuable artwork and Prussian memorabilia[6]from the collections of the Hohenzollern family and the former Hohenzollern Museum inSchloss Monbijou.Two of the major pieces are theCrown of Wilhelm IIand a uniform that belonged toKing Frederick the Great.From 1952 until 1991 the caskets ofFrederick Wilhelm Iand his son Frederick the Great were in the chapel, but were moved back to Potsdam followingGerman reunificationin 1991 at the instigation of Prince Louis Ferdinand.[11]

The castle was heavily damaged by aMs5.7 earthquake(de)on September 3, 1990, which caused some of its turrets to collapse, and was under repair until the mid-1990s.[12]

Today

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Central courtyard
Aerial view of the Castle (2017)

With over 350,000 visitors per year, Hohenzollern castle is one of the most visited castles in Germany.[13]The castle is privately owned by theHouse of Hohenzollern,[14]with two-thirds belonging to theBrandenburg-Prussian branch,and the balance to theSwabian branch.

Flag of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen

Since 1952, thePrincess Kira of PrussiaFoundation has used the castle for an annual summer camp for children.[15]WheneverGeorgeand his family are staying at the castle, the Prussian flag flies over the castle,[14]while the flag of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen is used by the Swabians.

In 2015, parts of the 2016 thriller-horror filmA Cure for Wellnesswere filmed at the castle,[16][17]closing it from 13 to 24 July 2015.[18]Hohenzollern Castle as well asPeckforton Castlein England were also used in the filming of the2017 TV adaptionofThe Worst Witch.[19][20]

Architecture

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Hohenzollern Castle, covering almost all ofMount Hohenzollern's summit, is a structure composed of four primary parts: military architecture, the palatial buildings, chapels, and the gardens.

Military architecture

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The Eagle Gate

The Eagle Gate (German:Adlertor) and its attacheddrawbridgeform the entrance to the castle. The castle's windingzwingerturns four times and terminates in thebastions.From here, the palatial buildings can be accessed through the square upper gate and so are the rest of the bastions.

Palatial buildings

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Palace, StMichael's chapel, and the courtyard

The palace itself, sitting upon the outline of the second castle, is an open-air museum arranged in a u-shape that ends with Protestant and Catholic chapels. Sitting on top of the oldcasematesare the three-storyGothic Revivalbuildings ofFriedrich August Stüler's design, decorated with towers andpinnacles.The four towers of the palace are aligned to the bastions, with the Emperor's Tower to the Fuchsloch bastion, Bishop's Tower to the Spitz bastion, Markgraf Tower to the Scharfeck bastion, and Michael's Tower to the garden bastion. Attached to the main residential building, the Count's Hall, is the final tower, the Watch Tower (German:Wartturm), which functions both as a staircase to the library and as the flag pole whenever the Hohenzollern family is residing in the castle.

Interiors

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George Friedrich photographed byOliver Markin Hohenzollern Castle, Bisingen 2018

Aperronleads up to the ancestry hall, where one enters the Count's Hall (German:Grafensaal), which covers the entirety of the southern wing. The rib vaulting of the Count's Hall, adorned withgrisaillesby Stüler depicting the history of the House of Hohenzollern and pointed-arch windows, is supported by eight free standing red marble columns. Below the Count's Hall is the old castle kitchen, today a treasure chamber. Next to the Count's Hall is the Emperor's Tower and the Bishop'sNiche,following the library decorated with murals of the Hohenzollern history byWilhelm Peters.The Margrave's Tower contains the King's parlor, also referred to as the Margrave's room, contrary toStüler's terminology.

Burials

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^The House of Hohenzollern emerged in the Middle Ages and produced all ninePrussian kings,including the threeGerman emperorsof theGerman Empirein late 19th and the early 20th centuries.
  2. ^Berthold of Reichenauwrites in a chronicle in 1061 that Wezil and Burchardus "de Zolorin" were killed in battle.[5]

Citations

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  1. ^Kelly, Erin (22 March 2021)."Discover This German Castle That Looks Like Something Out Of A Fairytale".All That's Interesting.
  2. ^abHerbert Gers.Hohenzollern Castle.5th ed. Hechingen: Administration of Hohenzollern Castle, 1984.
  3. ^abHays 2014,p. Hohenzollern Castle.
  4. ^"Hohenzollern Castle, Germany".youramazingplaces.Your Amazing Places. 12 March 2013.
  5. ^"Family History - Burg Hohenzollern EN".burg-hohenzollern.Retrieved18 February2023.
  6. ^abHendrix 2012,p. 17.
  7. ^ab"Castle History - Burg Hohenzollern EN".burg-hohenzollern.Retrieved18 February2023.
  8. ^Die Erinnerung vom J. 19 ist mir ungemein lieblich und wie ein schöner Traum, zumal der Sonnenuntergang, den wir von einer der Schloßbastionenen aus sahen. [...] Nun ist ein Jugendtraum-Wunsch, den Hohenzollern wieder bewohnbar gemachet zu sehen.. Kennzeichen BLHeimatkunde für den Zollernalbkreis; eds. Waldemar Lutz, Jürgen Nebel, Hansjörg Noe; Lörrach, Stuttgart, 1987ISBN978-3-12-258310-1;p. 121f.
  9. ^Taylor 2009,p. Burg Hohenzollern.
  10. ^Katritzki 2005,p. 50.
  11. ^Postscript: Coming Home to Rest After 205 Years, 6 Stops: Frederick the Great wanted to be buried in the garden of his summer palace. Now, he’s about to get his wish.,in:Los Angeles Times,Aug. 13, 1991
  12. ^"Burg Hohenzollern: Hundertfünfzig Jahre Einsamkeit"(in German).Südkurier.30 November 2017.
  13. ^Hohenzollern Castle,"Life-saving snuff box, gold and silver"
  14. ^abHohenzollern Castle,"Privately owned for 1,000 years"
  15. ^"George Frederick The Prince of Prussia".Archived fromthe originalon 12 May 2018.Retrieved10 September2017.
  16. ^"Castle Hohenzollern plays backdrop for a movie".Deutsche Welle.15 March 2017.Retrieved15 August2017.
  17. ^Architectural Digest:HowA Cure for WellnessMarries Horror and Beauty in Set Design, 14 February 2017
  18. ^Brenner, Julia."Regisseur Gore Verbinski dreht Horrorfilm auf Burg Hohenzollern"(in German). Schwarzwälder Bote.
  19. ^BBC:Top 15 facts about The Worst Witch – Media Centre, 11 December 2016
  20. ^BBC:Cast announced as production begins on CBBC's adaptation of The Worst Witch, 16 May 2016

References

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Further reading

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  • Bothe, Rolf (1979).Burg Hohenzollern: von d. mittelalterl. Burg zum national-dynast. Denkmal im 19. Jh(in German). Berlin: Mann.ISBN3-7861-1148-0.OCLC6981602.
  • Glückler, Patrick (2000).Burg Hohenzollern: Kronjuwel der Schwäbischen Alb; romantisches Stammschloss einer kaiserlichen Dynastie(in German). Hechingen: Glückler.ISBN978-3-925012-34-1.OCLC1193362511.
  • Stillfried-Alcantara, Rudolf Maria Bernhard von (2006).Beschreibung und Geschichte der Burg Hohenzollern(in German). Berlin.ISBN978-3-929829-55-6.OCLC315438031.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Friedrich Hossfeld und Hans Vogel:Die Kunstdenkmäler Hohenzollerns, erster Band: Kreis Hechingen.Holzinger, Hechingen 1939, S. 211 ff.

News sources

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