Hohenzollern (Germany)

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Hohenzollern former province of Germany. After 1945 it became part of the temporary state of Württemberg-Hohenzollern, which was included in the state of Baden-Württemberg in 1952. Its chief city was Sigmaringen, located in a mountainous region of the Swabian Jura. The impressive castle of Zollern or Hohenzollern (first mentioned 1267) in the north gave its name to the ruling house of Prussia. In 1575, Count Charles I divided the territory among his three sons, founding three lines— Hohenzollern-Hechingen,Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, and Hohenzollern-Haigerloch. In 1634 the Hohenzollern-Haigerloch line died out and the territory was absorbed by Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. Hohenzollern-Hechingen and Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, both principalities, in 1850 renounced their rights in favor of Prussia. Charles of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was chosen (1866) prince of Romania and later (1881) assumed the royal title as Carol I; his successors in Romania were Ferdinand, Carol II, and Michael. The candidature (1870) of Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen to the Spanish throne helped to precipitate the Franco-Prussian War.

Hohenzollern A powerful German princely family whose roots can be traced back to the 11th century. They took their name from a former Prussian province (now part of the state of Baden-Württemberg in Germany). From 1415 they ruled the electrorate of BRANDENBURG and the following century saw great expansion, Margrave Albert becoming grand master of the TEUTONIC KNIGHTS in 1511. In 1614 the duchy of Cleves was acquired and in 1701 the Elector Frederick III of Brandenburg took the title of Frederick I of PRUSSIA. In 1871 William I of Prussia took the title Emperor William I of the German Empire. His grandson WILLIAM II abdicated in 1918. A member of a second branch, Prince Charles Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, was elected Prince of ROMANIA in 1866, becoming King Carol in 1881. His brother Leopold was offered the throne of Spain in 1870 and turned it down, an incident that Bismarck used to provoke war with France by altering the Ems telegram.