Awards Germany - German States - Hohenzollern - Principality

The name comes from the family castle Zollern (later Hohenzollern) near Hechingen. The progenitor is Friedrich von Zollern, elevated to the count estate in 1111 by the Swabian Duke Friedrich I von Staufen.
In 1227, the possessions were divided and 2 lines of Hohenzollern were formed.
Frederick IV. received Swabian patrimonial possessions, and Conrad I burggrafstvo Nuremberg and established the Frankish line of Hohenzollern.
From the Frankish line came the late kings of Prussia and the German emperors.
The Swabian line consisted mainly of the counties of Hohenzollern-Hechingen and Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. In 1623, the line was elevated to the imperial princely estate.
In 1849, Karl Anton von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen abdicated and the Swabian possessions became the administrative district of Sigmaringen of the Kingdom of Prussia.
The eldest son of Karl Anton ran for the post of Spanish king in 1870, the 2nd son became Prince Charles I in 1866 and King of Romania in 1881. Until 1947, the Hohenzollerns were Romanian kings. The Hohenzollern-Hechingen line died out already in 1869.