The exact origins of the House of Hohenzollern are a bit of a historical mystery. The first mention of the dynasty traces all the way back to 1061, with the first named man of the house being Count Burkhard I, the Lord of Zollern. His exact connections to the other royal families of Germany remain a mystery.
The name Hohenzollern originates from a mountain in southern Germany called Hohenzollern. Atop the mountain is Hohenzollern Castle, the ancestral home of the dynasty. Over the course of subsequent centuries, the Hohenzollerns expanded through war and marriage to incorporate various parts of Central Europe, expanding the power of the house.
The Franconian Hohenzollerns
In the late 1100s, a prince named Frederick of the House of Hohenzollern came to rule over the city of Nuremberg in southeastern Germany, granting him the title of burgrave, or governor, of Nuremberg. This area is known as Franconia, so the Hohenzollerns who ruled there are known as the Franconian branch. This represented a split in the house, with those who remained in Hohenzollern Castle being known as the Swabian branch.
Over the course of the Middle Ages, the Franconian Hohenzollerns rose in status by closely aligning themselves with the ruling dynasties of the Holy Roman Empire. For much of its existence, this decentralized empire was technically headed by the House of Habsburg, which originated in Austria. This alliance turned out to be fruitful for the Hohenzollerns: in 1415, Burgrave Frederick VI of Nuremberg was awarded control over the Margraviate of Brandenburg in northeastern Germany. Notably, the modern capital of Germany, Berlin, is located there. In 1427, this branch of the Hohenzollerns sold their position in Nuremberg and relocated fully to Brandenburg.
The Swabian Hohenzollerns
While the Franconian Hohenzollerns did well, their cousins in Swabia did not. Over the course of the Middle Ages, these Hohenzollern princes feuded with their neighbors, even witnessing the destruction of the old Hohenzollern Castle in 1423. This branch kept going over the centuries, however, maintaining control of a small set of counties in southwestern Germany.
The Brandenburg Hohenzollerns
After 1415, the Hohenzollerns found themselves in control of a key territory of the Holy Roman Empire. Notably, this branch of the house was split in two in 1440, with one line taking the title of Elector of Brandenburg and Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and another taking the title of Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach.
In the 1530s, the Hohenzollern Elector of Brandenburg, Joachim II, converted to Protestantism. This was part of a wave of religious reformism and radicalism in Germany during this time. Alongside participating in the religious civil wars of Germany, the House of Hohenzollern also launched pogroms against Jewish people in its lands.
The Prussian Hohenzollerns
Meanwhile, an organization of knights known as the Teutonic Order slowly gained control of the Baltic coast, including the land of Prussia. In 1510, Albert, a Hohenzollern prince of Ansbach, rose to power as the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order. Under pressure from the Kingdom of Poland, Albert agreed to become part of that empire in an exchange for being granted the title of Duke of Prussia in 1525.
In 1618, the two Hohenzollern realms of Brandenburg and Prussia were fused together once they were both ruled by John Sigismund, the Elector of Brandenburg and the Duke of Prussia. In exchange for the Hohenzollerns' aid in war, Poland granted Prussia autonomous rule over Prussia. In exchange for helping the Habsburg dynasty in a war for the throne of Spain, the Holy Roman Empire recognized the Hohenzollern dynasty as the Kings "in" Prussia, since they did not yet wish to give them the authority of an "of." In 1772, Frederick II adopted the title King of Prussia anyway after winning a war with his allies against Poland.
The Kingdom of Prussia
Over the course of the 1700s and 1800s, the Kingdom of Prussia was ruled by the House of Hohenzollern. Committing itself to armed conquest, this dynasty devoted its attention to its army. The rulers of the Kingdom of Prussia are:
| Name |
Date of Reign |
Notable Information |
| Frederick II |
1772-1786 |
During his reign, Frederick reorganized the Prussian army and sponsored the scientific Enlightenment. He is known as Frederick the Great for this. |
| Frederick William II |
1786-1797 |
This king is often seen as being too weak to lead Prussia effectively. He oversaw the construction of Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. |
| Frederick William III |
1797-1840 |
This king fought against Napoleon, who ultimately abolished the Holy Roman Empire. |
| Frederick William IV |
1840-1861 |
This king crushed revolutionaries but instituted a constitutional monarchy. |
| William I |
1861-1871 |
This king oversaw the unification of Germany under Prussian rule. |
After defeating Austria and France in a series of wars, King William I crowned himself Emperor of Germany in 1871. This marked the beginning of the German Empire. Much of the actual legwork was done by Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, of course. As a wise political leader and a realist, Bismarck played neighboring countries off of each other and deeply shaped Prussia's domestic policy.
Emperor William continued to rule the country for several years and was succeeded by his son, Emperor Frederick III, who died shortly into his reign and was followed by his son, Wilhelm II. Most consider Wilhelm II to be an irresponsible and rash ruler. He fired Chancellor Otto von Bismarck and ignored his advice on foreign policy, instead refocusing on bellicosity and strength. This drove a rift between Germany and Russia to the east.
When the First World War erupted in Europe in 1914, Germany had to fight against Britain, France, and Russia as a result of Wilhelm's decision. This drove Germany to lose the war and ultimately caused Emperor Wilhelm II to be forced from power in 1918. The German Empire was abolished and replaced by a republic.
The Romanian Hohenzollerns
Notably, Romania selected Prince Charles of Hohenzollern to become the King of Romania in 1881. He was followed by his nephew, Ferdinand, who was then followed by his son, Carol II, and then his grandson, Michael I. This Hohenzollern King of Romania was forced out of office and replaced by a communist government.
