Prince Joseph Ernst Friedrich Karl Anton Meinrad of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (24 May 1702 in

Sigmaringen Sigmaringen ( Swabian: ''Semmerenga'') is a town in southern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Situated on the upper Danube, it is the capital of the Sigmaringen district. Sigmaringen is renowned for its castle, Schloss Sigmaringen ...

– 8 December 1769 at Haag Castle,

Haigerloch Haigerloch is a town in the north-western part of the Swabian Alb in Germany. Geography Geographical location Haigerloch lies at between 430 and 550 metres elevation in the valley of the Eyach river, which forms two loops in a steep shelly limes ...

) was the fifth

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...

Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen ( en, Nothing without God) , national_anthem = , common_languages = German , religion = Roman Catholic , currency = , title_leader = Prince , leader1 ...

. He ruled from 1715 to 1769.

Life

Joseph was the eldest son of Prince Meinrad II of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (1673–1715) from his marriage to

Johanna Katharina von Montfort Johanna Katharina Victoria, Princess of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (née Countess Johanna Katharina Victoria von Montfort-Tettnang (9 October 1678 - 26 January 1759) was a German noblewoman and consort of Meinrad II. She served as the regent of H ...

(1678–1759), daughter of Count Johann Anton I of Montfort-Tettnang. He was initially raised by his mother. However, due to the turmoil of the

War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phil ...

, the family moved to his father's residence in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

. Joseph continued to be educated in Vienna after his parents returned to Sigmaringen in 1714. After his father's death in 1715, he succeeded as Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. However, as he was still a minor, he stood under his mother's regency until 1720. Shortly before 1720, Joseph joined the Austrian army, where he held the rank of

General of the Cavalry General of the Cavalry (german: General der Kavallerie) was a General officer rank in the cavalry in various states of which the modern states of German and Austria are successors or in other armies which used the German model. Artillery officers ...

and later Fieldmarshal Lieutenant of the imperial

Swabian Circle The Circle of Swabia or Swabian Circle (german: Schwäbischer Reichskreis or ''Schwäbischer Kreis'') was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire established in 1500 on the territory of the former German stem-duchy of Swabia. However, it di ...

. Joseph managed to befriend the

Electorate of Bavaria The Electorate of Bavaria (german: Kurfürstentum Bayern) was an independent hereditary electorate of the Holy Roman Empire from 1623 to 1806, when it was succeeded by the Kingdom of Bavaria. The Wittelsbach dynasty which ruled the Duchy of Ba ...

and after the election, Emperor Charles VII appointed him as imperial

Geheimrat ''Geheimrat'' was the title of the highest advising officials at the Imperial, royal or princely courts of the Holy Roman Empire, who jointly formed the ''Geheimer Rat'' reporting to the ruler. The term remained in use during subsequent monarchic r ...

. Joseph was an avid hunter and in 1727, he created the game park Josefslust in

. In 1736, he modernized and remodeled

Sigmaringen Castle Sigmaringen Castle (German: ''Schloss Sigmaringen'') was the princely castle and seat of government for the Princes of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. Situated in the Swabian ''Alb'' region of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, this castle dominates the s ...

. He also embellished the local Knight's Hall and added portraits of all his ancestors. In Sigmaringen, he built the St Johann's Church, the St. Joseph Chapel, and the

Jagdschloss A ''Jagdschloss'' is a hunting lodge in German-speaking countries. It is a '' schloss'' set in a wildlife park or a hunting area (such as a forest, field or by a lake) that served primarily as accommodation for a ruler or aristocrat and his ent ...

in Josefslust Park. In

, which he preferred as a residence over Sigmaringen, he built the St Anna's Church. He was known as a patron of the arts. He commissioned works by the artist

Johann Michael Feuchtmayer Johann Michael Feuchtmayer (the Younger) (sometimes spelled Johann Michael Feuchtmayr or Feichtmayr) (1709 – June 4, 1772) was a German stuccoworker and sculptor of the late Baroque period. He collaborated with the architects Johann Michael Fis ...

, Johann Georg Weckenmann and Andreas Meinrad von Ow. He supported the canonization of the local saint

Fidelis of Sigmaringen Fidelis of Sigmaringen, O.F.M. Cap. (1577 - 1622) was a Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, Capuchin friar who was involved in the Catholic Counter-Reformation, and was martyred by his opponents at Seewis im Prättigau, now part of Switzerland. Fideli ...

. He also supported the school and church life.

Marriages and Issue

Oettingen Oettingen in Bayern (Swabian: ''Eadi'') is a town in the Donau-Ries district, in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany. It is situated northwest of Donauwörth, and northeast of Nördlingen. Geography The town is located on the river Wörnitz, a tributary ...

on 20 May 1722 Joseph married firstly with Maria Franziska Louise (21 May 1703 – 29 November 1737), daughter of Prince Franz Albrecht of Oettingen-Spielberg, who brought him a considerable fortune. They had six children: * Karl Friedrich (9 January 1724 – 20 December 1785), Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. * Maria Johanna (13 November 1726 – 9 April 1793), a nun in Buchau. * Maria Amalia Franziska (8 May 1729 – 4 March 1730). * Meinrad Ferdinand Joseph (20 October 1732 – 8 June 1733). * Maria Anna Theresia (born and died 16 August 1736). * A son (born and died 29 November 1737). On 5 July 1738 Joseph married secondly with Maria Judith Katharina Philippina (30 April 1718 – 9 May 1743), daughter of Count Franz Anton of Closen, Baron of Arnstorf. They had three children: * Karl Albrecht Joseph (24 March 1741 – 23 May 1741). * Maria Amalia Josepha (29 May 1742 – 27 August 1742). * Maria Theresia Philippina (15 April 1743 – 11 August 1743). On 22 October 1743 Joseph married thirdly with Maria Theresa (3 March 1696 – 7 May 1761), daughter of Count Franz Christoph of Waldburg at Trauchburg. They had no children.

Ancestry

References

* Günter Schmitt: ''Sigmaringen'', in: Günter Schmitt: ''Burgenführer Schwäbische Alb'', vol. 3: ''Donautal. Wandern und entdecken zwischen Sigmaringen und Tuttlingen'', Biberacher Verlagsdruckerei, Biberach, 1990, , p. 41–62 * Gustav Schilling: ''Geschichte des Hauses Hohenzollern in genealogisch fortlaufenden Biographien aller seiner Regenten von den ältesten bis auf die neuesten Zeiten, nach Urkunden und andern authentischen Quellen'', Fleischer, Leipzig 1843
p. 283 ff
{{DEFAULTSORT:Joseph Friedrich Ernst # Hohenzollern Sigmaringen Princes of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen Counts of Hohenzollern-Haigerloch House of Hohenzollern 1702 births 1769 deaths 18th-century German people