Hohenzollern-Hechingen
Hohenzollern-Hechingen was a county and principality in southwestern Germany, part of what is now Baden-Württemberg. Its rulers were members of a branch of the senior Swabian branch of the Hohenzollern family.
Hohenzollern-Hechingen | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1576–1850 | |||||||||
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| Motto: | |||||||||
 Hohenzollern-Hechingen in 1848 | |||||||||
| Status | Principality | ||||||||
| Capital | Hechingen | ||||||||
| Common languages | Swabian German | ||||||||
| Religion | Roman Catholic | ||||||||
| Government | Principality | ||||||||
| Historical era | Middle Ages | ||||||||
• | 1576 | ||||||||
• Raised to Principality | 1623 | ||||||||
• House extinction | 1869 | ||||||||
• | 1850 | ||||||||
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History
The County of Hohenzollern-Hechingen was created in 1576, when the County of Hohenzollern was divided. The county was ruled as a part of the Holy Roman Empire. When the last count of Hohenzollern, Charles I of Hohenzollern (1512–1579) died, the territory was to be divided up between his three sons:
- Eitel Frederick IV of Hohenzollern-Hechingen (1545–1605)
- Charles II of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (1547–1606)
- Christoph of Hohenzollern-Haigerloch (1552–1592)
Unlike the Hohenzollerns of Brandenburg and Prussia, the Hohenzollerns of southwest Germany remained Roman Catholic. The County was raised to a principality in 1623.
The principality joined the Confederation of the Rhine in 1806 and was a member state of the German Confederation between 1815 and 1850. The democratic Revolution of 1848 was relatively successful in Hohenzollern, and on 16 May 1848, the Prince was forced to accept the constitution limiting his power. However, the conflict between monarch and democrats continued, and on 6 August, Hohenzollern was occupied by Prussian forces. On 7 December, 1849, Prince Friedrich Wilhelm Konstantin sold the country to his relative, King Frederick William IV of Prussia. On 12 March 1850, Hohenzollern-Hechingen officially became part of Prussia. Hohenzollern-Hechingen and Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, which also became part of Prussia in 1850, were called the Hohenzollernsche Lande English: Hohenzollern Lands.
Rulers
Counts of Hohenzollern-Hechingen (1576-1623)
- Eitel Friedrich IV (1576–1605)
- Johann Georg (1605–1623) became Prince in 1623
Princes of Hohenzollern-Hechingen (1623-1850)
- Eitel Friedrich V. (1623–1661)
- Philipp Christoph Friedrich (1661–1671)
- Friedrich Wilhelm (1671–1735)
- Friedrich Ludwig (1735–1750)
- Josef Friedrich Wilhelm (1750–1798)
- Hermann (1798–1810)
- Friedrich (1810–1838)
- Konstantin (1838–1850) died 1869 last male member in dynastic line
Hohenzollern-Hechingen Media
Hechingen and Hohenzollern Castle, c. 1830