Hohenzollern Castle

Hohenzollern Castle

Hohenzollern Castle Castle is located about 50 kilometers (31 miles) to the south of Stuttgart, Germany. Is the seat of the ancestral family Hohenzollern, which appeared in the Middle Ages, and eventually became emperors Germans, and the castle is located on top of Berg (Mount) Hohenzollern, at an altitude of 855 meters (2,805 feet) above sea level; built the castle in the early atheist century ten.



When the Hohenzollern family split, the castle remained the property of the Swabian branch of the family, who were older than the Franconian branch / Brandenburg, which later got the imperial throne, the castle has been completely destroyed after a siege that lasted 10 months in 1423 by the historic towns of Swabia. Has been set up and a second unit, Castle largest and most powerful 1454-1461, and served as a refuge for the Catholic Swabian in time of war; including during the Thirty Years' War



By the end of the 18th century, however, it was thought that the castle had lost its strategic importance and gradually fell into disrepair, which led to the demolition of many of the crumbling buildings. Today, only the chapel remains of a medieval castle



The third version of the castle, which stands today was built for King Frederick William IV of Prussia between 1846 and 1867, the castle was built under the supervision of the architect Friedrich August, which is based on his determination to revive the English Gothic architecture and chateaux of the Loire Valley.



The castle was built as a memorial to the family, and therefore, was not a member of the Hohenzollern family in permanent or habitual residence when it was completed. In 1945 became home to the former Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany, the son of King Hohenzollern, Kaiser Wilhelm II, who was buried there with his wife, Crown Princess Cecilie.



Among the historical artifacts of Prussian history contained in the castle is the crown of Wilhelm II, and some of the personal belongings of King Frederick the Great, and a letter from US President George Washington thanked Baron von Steuben, for his Revolutionary War in America, the castle is today a popular tourist destination.