The Owl's Nest: Hohenzollern Castle

"Castles Made of Sand" (Jimi Hendrix, 1967)

Yesterday I visited another castle, one I have been looking forward to visit for quite a while. In a way it is a counterpoint to the Neuschwanstein Castle I visited earlier this year.(Or the other way round, as Hohenzollern was there much earlier.)

It is a wide-spread stereotype that Germans enjoy wearing their Lederhosen (which is often, in a poor attempt to mimic the pronunciation orthographically, rendered leider hosen - which translates to the nonsense expression, "pity pants"). However, the Lederhosen are highly abundant in southern Germany, and almost not present in the north. This reflects the cultural diversity of Germany, where regional identities are strong; so strong in fact that modern-day Germany is a federal republic that consists of (currently) 16 states with each a constitution, a government and a parliament; let alone the dialects and regional cuisines.

Historically, the greatest rivalry between German state entities was between Prussia and Bavaria. (Prussia has ceased to exist as a result of World War II.) Similar situations can be found perhaps in Italy (between Rome and Naples), and in the United States (beween the - former - Unionists and Confederates). Neuschwanstein Castle was the most obvious expression of Bavarian self-confidence, while the Hohenzollern castle is the seat of the family of which the last three monarchs (emperors) of Germany descended. Those three ruled over the German Empire (1871-1918), which was formed as a (late) reaction to Napoleon Bonaparte's conquest of Europe, and ended with the abdication of Wilhem II. subsequent to the German defeat in World War I. Simultaneously all nobility was turned into equal citizens (while their names continue to reflect the once noble heritage). Germany has been a republic ever since; unfortunately not consistently a democracy, but that is another story ...

The Hohenzollern family originates from southern Germany, where their castle was first built on a mountain in the Svabian Alb (not to be confused with the Alps, of which the Svabian Alb is actually an apophysis). Over the course of history the castle was destroyed and rebuilt twice, so what can be visited today is only the third castle at this site. The first records of Hohenzollern activity are as old as from the 11th century. The family then held the noble rank of a count. A count ranks below a duke (originally a military leader, from Latin ducere - to guide, to lead), and thus would receive some land as a fiefdom from his duke, who in turn would have received a bigger piece of land immediately through the monarch himself. In order to earn interestes and taxes he would pass it on to his subjects he outranked in nobility. - However, the Hohenzollern family later inherited parts of Franconia, and in 1192 AD their line biforked into a Svabian and a Franconian branch.

It was the latter who was destined to rise to power eventually. The Franconian branch would later become the Brandenburgian branch, by being awarded the title of margrave of Brandenburg. A margrave, as implied by the German translation (Markgraf), actually a Graf or count, but no longer a subject of a superior nobleman, other than the monarch himself. This is due to the nature of his fiefdom: a mark is a border territory, hence one that requires particular and most loyal protection; thus a margrave was regarded as a peer to the dukes. In further historic developments the realm ruled by the Brandenburgian Hohenzollern branch was exanded to include all of Prussia, and as a result one offspring of the family, namely Friedrich I., proclaimed himself king of Prussia in 1701. This marked the onset of Prussia's rise to the most influencial and powerful state in Germany. Ultimately, in 1871, the Prussian king became the German emperor, and only two more members of the Hohenzollern family were to be bestowed this title before monarchy was abolished in Germany in 1918.

At the same time Berlin, the capital of Prussia, experienced a similar boost, and this is how it became the predominant city of all of Germany. - Berlin is also the grave site of most later Hohenzollern offsprings - their tombs can be visited in the crypta of the Berlin Cathedral. While residing in Berlin I visited this place twice, which may add to the explanation why I should be interested in this part of history. Another reason, however, is my somewhat mixed heritage. The border between Bavaria and Prussia is passing by my "hometown" (where my parents live), St. Ingbert. Actually, it passes between St. Ingbert (Bavarian) and one of its incorporated villages, Rentrisch (Prussian). Now, my place of birth, Saarbrücken is located behind Rentrisch (as seen from St. Ingbert), and thus Prussian as well. Hence, I was born in Prussia, but raised on Bavarian soil. (Ironically, it is the other border, the one between France and Germany, that is also nearby, that has shaped my political views much more substantially, and although off-topic I would like to seize this opportunity and celebrate the Peace Nobel Prize for the EU for a moment.)

However, at the very basic level my visit of Hohenzollern was about getting nice photos, and I think that worked out well, as the castle is very beautiful. See below for my favorites!


Speaking about political powers - this is a view over Stuttgart, the state capital of Baden-Württemberg

many stairs to climb uphill before one can enter Hohenzollern Castle

finally, the main entrance (The top incsription reads, From Rock to Sea, a reference of the Hohenzollern realm stretching from the mountains of the Svabian Alb to the shores of the Baltic Sea)