Description
As a prominent vantage point of the Swabian Jura, Burg Hohenzollern shapes the region's skyline and points to the historical significance of the House of Hohenzollern. The complex in Bisingen (Ortsteil Zimmern) in the Zollernalbkreis stands on the isolated Hohenzollern cone at an elevation of 855 meters and occupies a conspicuous, widely visible position in the landscape.
The site goes back to a medieval castle first mentioned in 1267 and probably founded as early as the 11th century. After its capture and destruction in 1423, a second castle was built from 1454 onward; during the Thirty Years' War it was fought over and intermittently occupied, and in the 18th century it was at times under the control of foreign troops. After the end of the Austrian occupation the complex fell into decay until the late 18th century; only the St. Michael's Chapel survived. From the mid-19th century a large-scale rebuilding in the neo-Gothic style was carried out at the instigation of the Prussian king; the present three-wing complex was completed in 1867. During the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 it was briefly occupied; severe tremors from an earthquake in 1978 led to protracted restorations that continued into the 1990s.
The castle comprises fortifications, the palace building forming a U open to the southeast, several chapels and a castle garden; Malmstone is the predominant building material. Outstanding rooms include the ancestral hall (Stammbaumhalle), the lavishly appointed Counts' Hall and the treasury. There are representative mementos of Prussian history on display, such as Frederick the Great's uniform coat and personal effects, silver tableware and porcelain, and Wilhelm II's diamond-set crown. The Christ Chapel and the medieval St. Michael's Chapel are significant sacred elements; beneath the Christ Chapel is a Russian Orthodox Resurrection Chapel containing family urns.
The castle never served as a permanently inhabited ancestral seat, but primarily fulfilled a representational function. It remains private property; shares were transferred within the family lines so that the Brandenburg-Prussian line is to become the sole owner in the future. Since the mid-20th century the complex has been presented as a museum, furnished with family possessions and memorabilia, and receives around 350,000 visitors annually; Burg Hohenzollern is internationally regarded as one of Germany's best-known attractions.
