Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen () was a

principality A principality (or sometimes princedom) is a type of monarchy, monarchical state or feudalism, feudal territory ruled by a prince or princess. It can be either a sovereign state or a constituent part of a larger political entity. The term "prin ...

in southwestern

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. Its rulers belonged to the junior Swabian branch of the

House of Hohenzollern The House of Hohenzollern (, ; , ; ) is a formerly royal (and from 1871 to 1918, imperial) German dynasty whose members were variously princes, Prince-elector, electors, kings and emperors of Hohenzollern Castle, Hohenzollern, Margraviate of Bran ...

. The Swabian Hohenzollerns were elevated to princes in 1623. The small sovereign state with the capital city of

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, ...

was

annexed Annexation, in international law, is the forcible acquisition and assertion of legal title over one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. In current international law, it is generally held to ...

to the

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (, ) was a German state that existed from 1701 to 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Rev. ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946. It played a signif ...

in 1850 following the abdication of its sovereign in the wake of the

revolutions of 1848 The revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the springtime of the peoples or the springtime of nations, were a series of revolutions throughout Europe over the course of more than one year, from 1848 to 1849. It remains the most widespre ...

, then became part of the newly created

Province of Hohenzollern The Province of Hohenzollern (, ''Hohenzollern Lands'') was a district of Prussia from 1850 to 1946. It was located in Swabia, the region of southern Germany that was the ancestral home of the House of Hohenzollern, to which the kings of Prussia ...

History

The junior Swabian branch is less well known to history than the senior Franconian line, the latter of which became Burgraves of Nuremberg and later ruled

Brandenburg Brandenburg, officially the State of Brandenburg, is a States of Germany, state in northeastern Germany. Brandenburg borders Poland and the states of Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony. It is the List of Ger ...

and

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

, and the

German Empire The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...

. The County of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was created in 1576, upon the partition of the County of Hohenzollern, a

fief A fief (; ) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of feudal alle ...

of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

. When the last count of Hohenzollern,

Karl I Charles I (, ; 17 August 1887 – 1 April 1922) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary (as Charles IV), and the ruler of the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from November 1916 until the monarchy was abolished in November 1918. He was the ...

(1512–1579) died, the territory was divided among his three sons: * Eitel Friedrich IV of Hohenzollern-Hechingen (1545–1605) * Charles II of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (1547–1606) * Christoph of Hohenzollern-Haigerloch (1552–1592) Sigmaringen Schloss BW 2015-04-28 17-37-14

Sigmaringen Schloss BW 2015-04-28 17-37-14

The princes of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen ruled over a small principality in south-western Germany, with a seat at

Sigmaringen Castle Sigmaringen Castle () 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 skyline of the town of Sigmar ...

. Unlike the Hohenzollerns of Brandenburg-Prussia, the Hohenzollerns of Sigmaringen remained

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

, along with their cousins of

Hohenzollern-Hechingen Hohenzollern-Hechingen () was a small principality in southwestern Germany. Its rulers belonged to the House of Hohenzollern#Swabian branch, Swabian branch of the House of Hohenzollern, Hohenzollern dynasty. History The County of Hohenzollern- ...

(the senior line of the Swabian branch of the House of Hohenzollern) and

Hohenzollern-Haigerloch Hohenzollern-Haigerloch was a small county in southwestern Germany. Its rulers belonged to the Swabian branch of the House of Hohenzollern. It became part of the neighboring Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen in 1767. History The more famous younger Fran ...

. The principality became a sovereign state in 1815 after the abolition of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806 and an independent realm following the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

in 1815. Its ruler, Charles, was deposed in the

. His son, Karl Anton, succeeded him, and turned to Prussia for aid. Prussian troops arrived in August 1849, and in a treaty signed in December Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was annexed by Prussia, effective in March 1850. 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 Karl Anton or Karel Anton (25 October 1898 12 April 1979) was a Bohemian-born German film director, screenwriter, and film producer. Biography He was born in Prague on 25 October 1898. His father, Wilhelm Anton (1861–1918) was a physician. ...

, served as

Minister President of Prussia The Minister-President (), or Prime Minister, of Prussia was the head of government of the Prussian state. The office existed from 1848, when it was formed by Frederick William IV of Prussia, King Frederick William IV during the German revolutio ...

from 1858 to 1861. Karl Anton's second son, Karl Eitel of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen became prince (1866–1881) and then

King of Romania The King of Romania () or King of the Romanians () was the title of the monarch of the Kingdom of Romania from 1881 until 1947, when the Romanian Workers' Party proclaimed the Romanian People's Republic following Michael I's forced abdication. ...

, under the name Carol (reigned 1881–1914). The house remained on the throne until the end of the Romanian monarchy in 1947. The last King of Romania,

Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * he He ..., a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name * Michael (bishop elect)">Michael (surname)">he He ..., a given nam ...

, died on 5 December 2017. Because the eldest Hechingen line of the Hohenzollerns became extinct in 1869 with the death of Constantine, Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen, the head of the Sigmaringen branch, Karl Anton, dropped his line's suffix and took the title of Prince (''Fürst'') of (all) Hohenzollern. French opposition to the candidacy of Carol's elder brother Prince

Leopold Leopold may refer to: People * Leopold (given name), including a list of people named Leopold or Léopold * Leopold (surname) Fictional characters * Leopold (''The Simpsons''), Superintendent Chalmers' assistant on ''The Simpsons'' * Leopold B ...

for the throne of Spain triggered the

Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...

(1870–1871), which led to the founding of the

in January 1871.

Territories, titles and styles

Southern Germany

Jurisdiction

The head of the Swabian branch of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen ruled over the following territories: * County of Hohenzollern (1061) *

Burgraviate of Nuremberg The Burgraviate of Nuremberg () was a state of the Holy Roman Empire from the early 12th to the late 15th centuries. As a burgraviate, it was a county seated in the town of Nuremberg; almost two centuries passed before the burgraviate lost ...

(1192) * County of Veringen (1535) * Lordship of

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 (Neckar), Eyach river, which forms two loops in a ...

(1634) * Lordship of Wehrstein (1634) * County of Bergh (1781) From 1061 until 1806 five of these fiefs (not including Nuremberg) constituted an immediate territory of the

under the counts of Zollern,

vassal A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain ...

s of the

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (disambiguation), Emperor of the Romans (; ) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period (; ), was the ruler and h ...

. From 1806 until 1813 the Hohenzollern lands were a

realm A realm is a community or territory over which a sovereign rules. The term is commonly used to describe a monarchical or dynastic state. A realm may also be a subdivision within an empire, if it has its own monarch, e.g. the German Empire. Etymo ...

of the

Confederation of the Rhine The Confederated States of the Rhine, simply known as the Confederation of the Rhine or Rhine Confederation, was a confederation of German client states established at the behest of Napoleon some months after he defeated Austrian Empire, Austria ...

, a short-lived state set up by Napoleon I Bonaparte. From 1815 until 1849 the principality was a

sovereign country A sovereign state is a state that has the highest authority over a territory. It is commonly understood that a sovereign state is independent. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may also refer to a constituent country, or a ...

and a member of the

German Confederation The German Confederation ( ) was an association of 39 predominantly German-speaking sovereign states in Central Europe. It was created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 as a replacement of the former Holy Roman Empire, which had been dissolved ...

. In 1849 it lost its independence, and was incorporated into the

as the

. The German Confederation was succeeded in 1866 by the

North German Confederation The North German Confederation () was initially a German military alliance established in August 1866 under the leadership of the Kingdom of Prussia, which was transformed in the subsequent year into a confederated state (a ''de facto'' feder ...

, which itself was succeeded by the

in 1871. In 1918, the Kingdom of Prussia became the

Free State of Prussia The Free State of Prussia (, ) was one of the States of the Weimar Republic, constituent states of Weimar Republic, Germany from 1918 to 1947. The successor to the Kingdom of Prussia after the defeat of the German Empire in World War I, it cont ...

, and the German Empire was replaced by the

Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic, officially known as the German Reich, was the German Reich, German state from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional republic for the first time in history; hence it is also referred to, and unofficially proclai ...

. In 1933 the republic was replaced by the

Third Reich Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictat ...

. After the defeat of the Nazis the province of Hohenzollern was merged with other territories into the state of

Württemberg-Hohenzollern Württemberg-Hohenzollern was a West Germany, West German state created in 1945 as part of the French Allied Occupation Zones in Germany, post-World War II occupation zone. Its capital was Tübingen. In 1952, it was merged into the newly founded ...

. This state was part of the

Allied Occupation Zones in Germany The entirety of Germany was occupied and administered by the Allies of World War II, from the Berlin Declaration on 5 June 1945 to the establishment of West Germany on 23 May 1949. Unlike occupied Japan, Nazi Germany was stripped of its sove ...

until 1952. In that year, the state of Württemberg-Hohenzollern was merged into

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg ( ; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a states of Germany, German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million i ...

, a state of the

Federal Republic of Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen constituent states have a total population of over 84 ...

Karl Friedrich, Prince of Hohenzollern Karl Friedrich, Prince of Hohenzollern (born 20 April 1952, as ''Prince Karl Friedrich Emich Meinrad Benedikt Fidelis Maria Michael Gerold of Hohenzollern'') is the eldest son of the late Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Hohenzollern and Princess M ...

, is the head of the princely Swabian line.

Titles

The head of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen is the historical heir to the titles of: *

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. The ...

(''

Fürst ' (, female form ', plural '; from Old High German ', "the first", a translation of the Latin ') is a German language, German word for a ruler as well as a princely title. ' were, starting in the Middle Ages, members of the highest nobility who ...

'') of Hohenzollern *

Burgrave Burgrave, also rendered as burggrave (from , ), was since the medieval period in Europe (mainly Germany) the official title for the ruler of a castle, especially a royal or episcopal castle, and its territory called a ''Burgraviate'' or ''Burgr ...

(''Burggraf'') of Nuremberg *

Imperial Count Imperial Count (, ) was a title in the Holy Roman Empire. During the medieval era, it was used exclusively to designate the holder of an imperial county, that is, a fief held directly ( immediately) from the emperor, rather than from a prince wh ...

(''Reichsgraf'') of Hohenzollern * Count (''Graf'') of Sigmaringen * Count (''Graf'') of Veringen * Count (''Graf'') of

Bergh Bergh is a former municipality in the Dutch province of Gelderland. The municipality included the villages of 's-Heerenberg, Zeddam, and Stokkum. In 2005, it merged with Didam to form the new municipality of Montferland Montferland () i ...

Lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power (social and political), power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the Peerage o ...

(''Herr'') of Haigerloch * Lord (''Herr'') of Wehrstein

Styles

The historical titulature of rulers of the House of Hohenzollern was, in the German original: . The English translation is: ''His Serene Highness (HSH) ''

ame #REDIRECT AME {{redirect category shell, {{R from other capitalisation{{R from ambiguous page ...

by the Grace of God By the Grace of God (, abbreviated D.G.) is a formulaic phrase used especially in Christian monarchies as an introductory part of the full styles of a monarch. In England and later the United Kingdom, the phrase was formally added to the royal sty ...

, Prince of Hohenzollern, Burgrave of Nuremberg, Count of Sigmaringen, Veringen and Berg, Lord of Haigerloch and Wehrstein''.

Romanian branch

The modern state of

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

was formed by union of the principalities of

Moldavia Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ) is a historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester River. An initially in ...

and

Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ; : , : ) is a historical and geographical region of modern-day Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians. Wallachia was traditionally divided into two sections, Munteni ...

in 1859, under the prince domnitor

Alexandru Ioan Cuza Alexandru Ioan Cuza (, or Alexandru Ioan I, also Anglicised as Alexander John Cuza; 20 March 1820 – 15 May 1873) was the first ''domnitor'' (prince) of the Romanian Principalities through his double election as List of monarchs of Moldavia ...

. He was replaced by Karl Eitel of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen in 1866, who ascended the throne as Carol I, Prince of Romania. During the

Russo-Turkish War (1877–78) The Russo-Turkish wars ( ), or the Russo-Ottoman wars (), began in 1568 and continued intermittently until 1918. They consisted of twelve conflicts in total, making them one of the longest series of wars in the history of Europe. All but four of ...

, Romania, which was a functionally independent vassal of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

, proclaimed its full independence. After the commander of the Russian armies had requested Romania's help, Carol accepted to enter the war with the condition of being appointed as commander of the armies that were besieging Plevna. After the end of the

Romanian War of Independence The Romanian War of Independence () is the name used in Romanian historiography to refer to the phase of the Russo-Turkish War (1877–78), in which Romania, fighting on the Russian side of the war, gained independence from the Ottoman Empire. On ...

in the 1878, at the Treaty of Berlin, Romania was subsequently recognized as an independent state by the

Great Powers A great power is a sovereign state that is recognized as having the ability and expertise to exert its influence on a global scale. Great powers characteristically possess military and economic strength, as well as diplomatic and soft power ...

. In return for reverting to the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

three southern

Bessarabia Bessarabia () is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Bessarabia lies within modern-day Moldova, with the Budjak region covering the southern coa ...

n districts that had been regained by Moldavia after the

Crimean War The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...

in 1852,

Dobruja Dobruja or Dobrudja (; or ''Dobrudža''; , or ; ; Dobrujan Tatar: ''Tomrîğa''; Ukrainian language, Ukrainian and ) is a Geography, geographical and historical region in Southeastern Europe that has been divided since the 19th century betw ...

was acquired. In 1881, the

was raised to a

king King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

dom and Prince Carol became King

Carol I Carol I or Charles I of Romania (born Karl Eitel Friedrich Zephyrinus Ludwig von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen; 20 April 1839 – ), was the monarch of Romania from 1866 to his death in 1914, ruling as Prince (''Domnitor'') from 1866 to 1881, and as ...

. He reigned until his death in 1914, and was succeeded by his nephew,

Ferdinand Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "courage" or "ready, prepared" related to Old High German "to risk, ventu ...

. Shortly after taking the throne, Ferdinand, a Roman Catholic like his predecessor, agreed to have his children reared in the

Romanian Orthodox Church The Romanian Orthodox Church (ROC; , ), or Romanian Patriarchate, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches, and one of the nine patriarchates in the East ...

. In 1918

Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...

and

were incorporated. In 1918–19, confirmed by the

Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty signed on 28 June 1919. As the most important treaty of World War I, it ended the state of war between Germany and most of the Allies of World War I, Allied Powers. It was signed in the Palace ...

of 1919 and the

Treaty of Trianon The Treaty of Trianon (; ; ; ), often referred to in Hungary as the Peace Dictate of Trianon or Dictate of Trianon, was prepared at the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920), Paris Peace Conference. It was signed on the one side by Hungary ...

of 1920, most of the

Banat Banat ( , ; ; ; ) is a geographical and Historical regions of Central Europe, historical region located in the Pannonian Basin that straddles Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. It is divided among three countries: the eastern part lie ...

became part of Romania. Also,

Bukovina Bukovina or ; ; ; ; , ; see also other languages. is a historical region at the crossroads of Central and Eastern Europe. It is located on the northern slopes of the central Eastern Carpathians and the adjoining plains, today divided betwe ...

was incorporated in 1918. Ferdinand died in 1927. His eldest son, Crown Prince Carol, having renounced his rights, Carol's only son

ascended the throne. In 1930, however, Carol reclaimed the throne and was crowned

Carol II Carol II (4 April 1953) was King of Romania from 8 June 1930, until his forced abdication on 6 September 1940. As the eldest son of Ferdinand I of Romania, King Ferdinand I, he became crown prince upon the death of his grand-uncle, King Carol I, ...

. Carol was forced to abdicate in 1940, and Michael re-mounted the throne. His reign, and that of the dynasty, ended when he was forced to abdicate by a communist regime in 1947. On 10 May 2011, following lawsuits brought in Germany against his family by his German relatives regarding attribution of the title ''Prince of Hohenzollern-Veringen'' to his son-in-law,

Radu Duda Prince Radu of Romania (born Radu Duda on 7 June 1960, formerly known as Prince Radu of Hohenzollern-Veringen from 1999 to 2007) is the husband of Margareta of Romania, who is the head of the House of Romania and a disputed pretender to the f ...

, Michael severed dynastic ties with the princely house of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, changed the name of his family to "of Romania", and ceased the use of all princely titles borne by him and his family that derived from the German Hohenzollerns.The history of the conflicts between the Royal House of Romania and the Princely House of Hohenzollern
, Adevarul, 11 May 2011

Titles

The head of the Romanian branch continued, since abolition of the monarchy, to use the hereditary title he bore while reigning: * Michael I,

During the reign of

Carol II of Romania Carol II (4 April 1953) was King of Romania from 8 June 1930, until his forced abdication on 6 September 1940. As the eldest son of King Ferdinand I, he became crown prince upon the death of his grand-uncle, King Carol I, in 1914. He was the f ...

his son,

, was styled or, in English translation, "His Highness The Grand

Voivode Voivode ( ), also spelled voivod, voievod or voevod and also known as vaivode ( ), voivoda, vojvoda, vaivada or wojewoda, is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe in use since the Early Mid ...

of Alba Julia".

Styles

The Romanian original is: (or ; both forms are accepted by the

Romanian Academy The Romanian Academy ( ) is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 active members who are elected for life. According to its bylaws, the academy's ma ...

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

Coats of arms

Southern Germany

Major coat of arms

The combined

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen is: * Escutcheon: quartering of the

shield A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry like spears or long ranged projectiles suc ...

, parted per pale, twice parted per fess, with an inescutcheon ** first sixth:

(1214), on or (gold) a lion rampant sable (black) and a

bordure In heraldry, a bordure is a band of contrasting tincture forming a border around the edge of a shield, traditionally one-sixth as wide as the shield itself. It is sometimes reckoned as an ordinary and sometimes as a subordinary. A bordure encl ...

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. In engravings and line drawings, regions to b ...

(

silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...

) and

gules In heraldry, gules () is the tincture with the colour red. It is one of the class of five dark tinctures called "colours", the others being azure (blue), sable (black), vert (green) and purpure (purple). Gules is portrayed in heraldic hatch ...

(

red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–750 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a seconda ...

) ** second sixth: Hereditary Chamberlain of the Holy Roman Empire (1504), on gules (red, two crossed

scepter A sceptre (or scepter in American English) is a staff or wand held in the hand by a ruling monarch as an item of royal or imperial insignia, signifying sovereign authority. Antiquity Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia The '' Was'' and other ...

s in or (

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

)

** third sixth: Lordship of Haigerloch and Wehrstein (1634), parted per fess gules (red) and argent (silver) Wappen Haigerloch

** fourth sixth: Countship of Sigmaringen (1535), on gules (red) a

deer A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) ...

or (gold)

** fifth sixth: Countship of Veringen (1535), on or (gold) three deerhorns horizontally with twice four, and once three

antler Antlers are extensions of an animal's skull found in members of the Cervidae (deer) Family (biology), family. Antlers are a single structure composed of bone, cartilage, fibrous tissue, skin, nerves, and blood vessels. They are generally fo ...

points gules (red) Veringen Arms

** sixth sixth:

County of Berg Berg () was a state—originally a county, later a duchy—in the Rhineland of Germany. Its capital was Düsseldorf. It existed as a distinct political entity from the early 12th to the 19th centuries. It was a member state of the Holy Roman Empi ...

(1781), on argent (white) a

lion rampant The lion is a common charge in heraldry. It traditionally symbolises courage, nobility, royalty, strength, stateliness and valour, because historically the lion has been regarded as the "king of beasts". The lion also carries Judeo-Christi ...

gules (red) and a bordure of sable (black) with

roundel A roundel is a circular disc used as a symbol. The term is used in heraldry, but also commonly used to refer to a type of national insignia used on military aircraft, generally circular in shape and usually comprising concentric rings of differ ...

s or (gold) ** inescutcheon: Countship of Zollern (1061), quarterly sable (black) and argent (silver) * helm: or (gold) a helmet barred and affronté (sovereign), crowned with a

coronet In British heraldry, a coronet is a type of crown that is a mark of rank of non-reigning members of the royal family and peers. In other languages, this distinction is not made, and usually the same word for ''crown'' is used irrespective of ra ...

of a German prince (Fürstenkrone) * crest: sable (black) and argent (white) a head and shoulders of a

German hound The German Hound (''Deutsche Bracke'') is a Dog breed, breed of dog originating in Westphalia, a region of Germany. The German Hound is of the scenthound dog type, type, used for hunting both large and small game. Appearance The German Hound ...

(Deutsche Bracke) (1317) *

wreath A wreath () is an assortment of flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs, or various materials that is constructed to form a ring shape. In English-speaking countries, wreaths are used typically as household ornaments, most commonly as an Advent and C ...

: sable (black) and argent (white) *

mantling In heraldry, mantling or "lambrequin" (its name in French) is drapery tied to the helmet above the shield. In paper heraldry it is a depiction of the protective cloth covering (often of linen) worn by knights from their helmets to stave off the ...

: manteld sable (black), doubled argent (white) upon a crowned (Fürstenkrone) baldeqin gules (red), doubled ermine *

motto A motto (derived from the Latin language, Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian language, Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a Sentence (linguistics), sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of a ...

: ** until the 19th century: (We were always good Zollern) ** from the 19th century onwards: Nihil Sine Deo (Nothing without God)

Family coat of arms

The combined

with inclusion of the House coat of arms of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen is: * Escutcheon: quartering of the

, parted per pale, twice parted per fess, with an inescutcheon ** first sixth:

(1214), on or (gold) a lion rampant sable (black) and a

(

) and

(

) ** second sixth: Hereditary Chamberlain of the Holy Roman Empire, on gules (red, two crossed

s in or (

)

Eitel Frederick II, Count of Hohenzollern and Burgrave of Nuremberg became Hereditary Chamberlain of the Holy Roman Empire by appointment of Joachim I, elector and margrave of Brandenburg, Arch-Chamberlain of the Holy Roman Empire, and confirmed by Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor. ** third sixth: Lordship of Haigerloch and Wehrstein (1634), parted per fess gules (red) and argent (silver) Wappen Haigerloch

** fourth sixth: Countship of Sigmaringen (1535), on gules (red) a

or (gold)

** fifth sixth: Countship of Veringen (1535), on or (gold) three dearhorns horizontally with twice four, and once three

points gules (red) Veringen Arms

** sixth sixth:

(1781), on argent (white) a

gules (red) and a bordure of sable (black) with

s or (gold) ** inescutcheon: Countship of Zollern (1061), quarterly sable (black) and argent (silver) * helm: seven particular helmets, equivalent to the seven particular coat of arms (Hohenzollern, Nuremberg, Sigmaringen, Veringen, Berg, Haigerloch and Wehrstein) * crest: seven particular crests, equivalent to the seven particular coat of arms (Hohenzollern, Nuremberg, Sigmaringen, Veringen, Berg, Haigerloch and Wehrstein) *

: sable (black) and argent (white) *

: manteld sable (black), doubled argent (white) *

supporter In heraldry, supporters, sometimes referred to as ''attendants'', are figures or objects usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up. Historically, supporters were left to an individual's free choice and were assu ...

: two German hounds * compartment: grassy

Romania

The major

of the Kingdom of Romania consisted, from 1922 onwards, of: * an escutcheon of the combination of the territories of: **

Oltenia Oltenia (), also called Lesser Wallachia in antiquated versions – with the alternative Latin names , , and between 1718 and 1739 – is a historical province and geographical region of Romania in western Wallachia. It is situated between the Da ...

** an inescutcheon of the

: quarterly sable (black) and argent (silver) * crest: The Steel Crown of Romania *

: a crowned baldeqin gules (red), doubled ermine *

: Nihil Sine Deo (Nothing without God) *

: two rampant lions * compartment: ground

Rulers

Members of the House of Hohenzollern reigned as

monarch A monarch () is a head of stateWebster's II New College Dictionary. "Monarch". Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest ...

s in Europe.

Southern Germany

Counts (Grafen) of Hohenzollern (1576–1623)

* Karl II, Count 1576–1606 (1547–1606), ''second surviving son of Karl I of Hohenzollern'' **

Johann Johann, typically a male given name, is the German form of ''Iohannes'', which is the Latin form of the Greek name ''Iōánnēs'' (), itself derived from Hebrew name '' Yochanan'' () in turn from its extended form (), meaning "Yahweh is Graciou ...

, Count 1606–1623 (1578–1638), created

Reichsfürst Prince of the Holy Roman Empire (, , cf. ''Fürst'') was a title attributed to a hereditary ruler, nobleman or prelate recognised by the Holy Roman Emperor. Definition Originally, possessors of the princely title bore it as immediate vassal ...

von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen 1623

Princes (Fürsten) of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (1623–1849)

, 1st Prince 1623–1638 (1578–1638) ** Meinrad I, 2nd Prince 1638–1681 (1605–1681) ***

Maximilian Maximilian or Maximillian (Maximiliaan in Dutch and Maximilien in French) is a male name. The name "Max" is considered a shortening of "Maximilian" as well as of several other names. List of people Monarchs *Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (1 ...

, 3rd Prince 1681–1689 (1636–1689) **** Meinrad II, 4th Prince 1689–1715 (1673–1715) ***** Josef Friedrich Ernst, 5th Prince 1715–1769 (1702–1769) ****** Karl Friedrich, 6th Prince 1769–1785 (1724–1785) ******* Anton Aloys, 7th Prince 1785–1831 (1762–1831) ********

Karl Karl may refer to: People * Karl (given name), including a list of people and characters with the name * Karl der Große, commonly known in English as Charlemagne * Karl of Austria, last Austrian Emperor * Karl (footballer) (born 1993), Karl Cac ...

, 8th Prince 1831–1848 (1785–1853), abdicated 1848 *********

, 9th Prince 1848–1849 (1811–1885), ceded sovereignty to Prussia 1849

(1849–present)

Following cession of their sovereignty over the principality to their kinsmen the kings of Prussia in 1849, the heirs of Karl Anton continued to bear the same title, "Prince (''Fürst'') of Hohenzollern": *

, Prince 1849–1885 (1811–1885), became Prince of Hohenzollern on the death of the last Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen in 1869 **

, Prince 1885–1905 (1835–1905) *** Wilhelm, Prince 1905–1927 (1864–1927) **** Friedrich, Prince 1927–1965 (1891–1965) ***** Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince 1965–2010 (1924–2010) ****** Karl Friedrich, Prince 2010–present (born 1952) ******* Alexander,

Hereditary Prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''Crown prince ...

(born 1987) ****** Prince Albrecht of Hohenzollern (born 1954) ****** Prince Ferdinand of Hohenzollern (born 1960) ******* Prince Aloys of Hohenzollern (1999) ******* Prince Fidelis of Hohenzollern (born 2001) ***** ''

Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern (''Johann Georg Carl Leopold Eitel-Friedrich Meinrad Maria Hubertus Michael''; 31 July 1932 – 2 March 2016) was a German prince, and through his marriage to Princess Birgitta of Sweden, was brother-in-law of ...

(1932–2016)'' ****** Prince Carl Christian of Hohenzollern (born 1962) ******* Prince Nickolas of Hohenzollern (born 1999) ****** Prince Hubertus of Hohenzollern (born 1966) **** '' Franz Joseph, Prince of Hohenzollern-Emden (1891–1964)'' ***** ''Prince Emanuel of Hohenzollern-Emden (1929–1999)'' ****** Prince Carl Alexander of Hohenzollern-Emden (born 1970)

Romania

Princes of Romania (1866–1881)

1866–1881

King of Romania (1881–1947)

1881–1914 *

1914–1927 *

1927–1930 *

1930–1940 *

1940–1947

References

External links

Official website of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen – heraldic background information

The official website of The Romanian Royal Family

(in German) {{Wikidatacoord, Q157013, type:country, display=title 1576 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire 1850 disestablishments in Europe States and territories established in 1576 Former states and territories of Baden-Württemberg States of the German Confederation States of the Confederation of the Rhine Counties of the Holy Roman Empire Early modern history of Germany States and territories disestablished in 1850

History

Territories, titles and styles

Southern Germany

Jurisdiction

Titles

Styles

Romanian branch

Titles

Styles

Coats of arms

Southern Germany

Major coat of arms

Family coat of arms

Romania

Rulers

Southern Germany

Counts (Grafen) of Hohenzollern (1576–1623)

Princes (Fürsten) of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (1623–1849)

(1849–present)

Romania

Princes of Romania (1866–1881)

King of Romania (1881–1947)

See also

References

External links