Station: [2] Eagle Gate

You are standing in front of the Eagle Gate, the imposing entrance to today’s castle complex.

The name “Eagel Gate” refers to the Prussian heraldic animal, the imperial eagle. High above the gate, you can see the coat of arms on a shield. It is accompanied by the Hohenzollern motto, “From the Rock to the Sea.” This motto describes the dynastic rise of the Hohenzollerns from the 11th to the 19th century.

Below it, in the pediment, Frederick I is depicted on horseback. He was the first Brandenburg Elector, beginning in 1415. Beneath him, a Zollern hound and a Nuremberg lion hold a ribbon bearing a longer inscription. It reads: “Zollern, Nuremberg, and Brandenburg, united, build the castle on ancient grounds. I was erected by Prussia’s strong hand. I am called the Eagle Gate. 1851.”

These words refer to two things. They commemorate the rise of the House of Hohenzollern. And they recount the construction history of today’s third castle complex.

The first castle fell victim to a military conflict in the 15th century. Shortly thereafter, a new castle was built on the same site. But it, too, did not last. In the 18th century, it fell into ruin.

It was not until King Frederick William IV of Prussia had the castle rebuilt. The current, third complex was constructed between 1850 and 1867. It was intended to be larger and more beautiful than the two that came before it.

Even here, at the Eagle Gate, it is clear how closely history, claims to power, and architecture are intertwined at this site.