Photo: castles, fortresses and palaces, Hohenzollern Castle, Baden-Wuerttemberg

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Hohenzollern Castle and Prussian Kings’ Crown

Castles, Fortresses and Palaces

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Hohenzollern Castle in the outskirts of Hechingenis one of the most popular attractions throughout Germany. The castle stands onthe Zollernberg hill. Thousands of travelers come here every year to enjoy themind-blowing views opening from the mountain. The castle is one of the mostvisited in Germany. It is second only to Neuschwanstein.

Thefirst fortifications on the site of Hohenzollern Castle appeared in around theXI-XII centuries. There was already a castle here in the XIV century, which wasknocked to smash during the civil war in Swabia in 1423. In the early 1460-ies,a new castle was built, which became the residence of the rulers of the Houseof Hohenzollern. During numerous collisions the castle, fortunately, was not damagedas badly as the first time, but had dilapidated by the XIX century. And thePrussian king Friedrich Wilhelm IV ordered to build a new castle, which wouldbecome a monument to the great dynasty, its family nest and the crypt. It took20 years! In 1867, the author of the design, the best German architect of theera, Friedrich August Stuler gave the already built castle to another king -the first emperor of the unified Germany, William I.

Noneof the Prussian kings and German Kaisers, except for the last pretender to thethrone, Crown Prince Wilhelm, lived in Hohenzollern Castle permanently. CrownPrince Wilhelm lived here with his wife, Crown Princess Cecilie Auguste, for afew months in 1945. Both were buried in the castle after death in 1951 and1954. The remains of Kaiser Frederick the Great were also there before the1990s, which were transported to Potsdam after the reunification of Germany.But his military uniform remained in the castle, at the Hohenzollern Museum, openedin the second half of the XX century. The crown of the Prussian kings is alsoat the museum. By the way, the castle is still in the possession of theHohenzollern family. But the chapel belongs to the Catholic Church of Swabia.

Hohenzollern Castle and Prussian Kings’ Crown

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