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Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen

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Principality of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
Fürstentum Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
1576–1850
Flag of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
Flag
Motto: Latin: Nihil Sine Deo
(English: Nothing without God)
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen in 1848
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen in 1848
StatusState of the Holy Roman Empire,
State of the Confederation of the Rhine,
State of the German Confederation
CapitalSigmaringen
Common languagesGerman
Religion
Roman Catholic
GovernmentPrincipality
Historical eraMiddle Ages
 
1576 1576
• Raised to Principality
1623
• Incorporation into
    Kingdom of Prussia
 
1850 1850
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
County of Zollern Zollern
Province of Hohenzollern

The House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen is the cadet branch of the senior Swabian branch of the Hohenzollern dynasty, less known however than the Franconian branch which became Burgraves of Nuremberg and later ruled Brandenburg, Prussia and ultimately Germany in the centuries to 1918.

History

The countship of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was created in 1576, upon the partition of the countship of Hohenzollern, a fief of the Holy Roman Empire. When the last count of Hohenzollern, Charles I of Hohenzollern (1512-1579) died, the territory was to be divided up between his three sons:

The Princes of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen ruled over a small principality in southwest Germany. Unlike the Hohenzollerns of Brandenburg and Prussia, the Hohenzollern of Sigmaringen, and their cousins of Hohenzollern of Hechingen, the seniormost branch of the Swabian branch of the House of Hohenzollern, and Hohenzollern of Haigerloch, remained Roman Catholic.

The principality became an independent nation in 1815. In 1849, Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was annexed by Prussia. The annexation of their state did not, however, mean the end of the importance of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen.

The last prince, Karl Anton, served as Minister-President of Prussia from 1858 to 1861. Karl Anton's second son, Karl Eitel Friedrich of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen became prince (1866–1881) and then king (1881–1914) of the Romanians, under the name Carol and the house remained on the throne until the end of the monarchy in 1947.

Because the Hohenzollern branch of Hechingen died out in 1869 with the death of Constantin of Hohenzollern-Hechingen, the head of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Karl Anton of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen took the title of prince (Fürst) of Hohenzollern instead of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen.

French opposition to the candidacy of Carol's elder brother Prince Leopold for the throne of Spain triggered the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871), which led to the founding of the German Empire in January 1871.

Noble jurisdictions, titles and styles

Southern Germany

Hohenzollern region (Württemberg, Germany).

Noble jurisdiction

The head of the Swabian branch, of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, ruled over the following noble jurisdictions held in a personal union:

From 1061 until 1806 the six fiefs were an imperial immediacy of the Holy Roman Empire and the count of Zollern, and his successors, was a vassal of the Holy Roman Emperor.

From 1806 until 1813 the fiefs were a province of the Confederation of the Rhine, a short-lived state set up by Napoleon I Bonaparte. From 1815 until 1849 the principality was a sovereign country, who was a member of the German Confederation. In 1849 it lost its independence, and was incorporated into the kingdom of Prussia as the province of Hohenzollern.

The German Confederation was succeeded in 1866 by the North German Confederation, who itself was succeeded by the German Empire in 1871. In 1918, the kingdom of Prussia became the Free State of Prussia, and the German Empire was replaced by the Weimar Republic. In 1933 the republic was replaced by the Third Reich. After the defeat of the national-socialists in 1945 the province of Hohenzollern was merged with other territories into the state of Württemberg-Hohenzollern. This state was part of the Allied Occupation Zones in Germany until 1952. In that year, the state of Württemberg-Hohenzollern was merged into Baden-Württemberg, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Noble titles

The head of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen holds the titles of:

The first degree descendants of the head of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen born within holy matrimony and in good standing hold the titles of:

Styles

The German original is: Seine Durchlaucht (S.D.) N.N. von Gottes Gnaden, Fürst von Hohenzollern, Burggraf von Nürnberg, Graf zu Sigmaringen, Veringen und Berg, Herr zu Haigerloch und Wehrstein

The English translation is: His Serene Highness (H.S.H.) N.N. by the Grace of God, Prince of Hohenzollern, Burgrave of Nuremberg, Count of Sigmaringen, Veringen and Berg, Lord of Haigerloch and Wehrstein.

Eastern Europe

Noble jurisdictions

Romanian region.

Prince Charles Eitel of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, and his descendants ruled over the sovereign state of the kingdom of the Romanians. As monarch, the king of the Romanians is a sovereign and head of state.

The modern state of Romania was formed by the merging of the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia in 1859 under the Moldavian domnitor Alexandru Ioan Cuza. He was replaced by Charles Eitel of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen in 1866, who became known as Prince Carol of Romania.

During the Russo-Turkish War, Romania fought on the Russian side. In the 1878 Treaty of Berlin, Romania was subsequently recognized as an independent state by the Great Powers.

In return for ceding to Russian Empire the three southern districts of Bessarabia that had been regained by Moldavia after the Crimean War in 1852, Northern Dobruja was acquired.

In 1881, the principality was raised to a kingdom and Prince Carol became King Carol I. From 1940 the kingdom was occupied by the USSR. In 1947 the king was deposed and a peoples republic proclaimed. In 1989 it regained independence of communist Russia, and became the Republic of Romania.

In 1918 Transylvania and Bessarabia are incorporated. In 1918-1919, confirmed by the Treaty of Versailles of 1919 and the Treaty of Trianon of 1920, most of the Banat became part of Romania. Also Bukovina was incorporated in 1918.

Noble titles

The head of the royal house of Romania holds the title of:

The first degree descendants of the head of the royal house of Romania born within holy matrimony and in good standing hold the title of:

  • Prince or Princess of Romania

Styles

The Romanian original is: S.M. N.N., Regele Românilor

The English translation is: His Majesty (H.M.) N.N., King of the Romanians

Coats of arms

Southern Germany

Major coat of arms (Gesamtwappen)

Combined coat of arms of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (1849).

The combined coat of arms of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen is:

Family coat of arms (Gesamt- mit Hauswappen)

The combined coat of arms with inclusion of the House coat of arms of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen is:

(*) Eitel Frederick II, count of Hohenzollern and Burgrave of Nuremberg became Heridatary Officer of the Chancellery of the Holy Roman Empire by appointment of Joachim I, elector and margrave of Brandenburg and confirmed by Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor.

Eastern Europe

Major Coat of arms of the kingdom of the Romanians (1922).

The major coat of arms of the kingdom of the Romanians consisted, from 1922 onwards, in its:

Rulers

Members of the House of Hohezollern reigned as monarchs in Europe.

Southern Germany

Counts (Graf) of Hohenzollern (1576-1623)

Princes (Fürst) of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (1623-1849)

Claimants (1849-present)

Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen

Eastern Europe

Princes of Romania (1866-1881)

King of the Romanians (1881-1947)

Claimants (1947-present)

See also

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