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Fürstentum Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen Principality of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen State of the Holy Roman Empire, State of the Confederation of the Rhine, State of the German Confederation ← 1576 – 1850 → Flag Motto Latin: Nihil Sine Deo (English: Nothing without God) Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen in 1848 Capital Sigmaringen Language(s) German Religion Roman Catholic Government Principality Historical era Middle Ages  - Partition of County of     Hohenzollern   1576  - Raised to Principality 1623  - Incorporation into     Kingdom of Prussia   1850

The House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen is the cadet branch of the senior Swabian branch of the Hohenzollern dynasty, less known however than the Franconian branch which became Burgraves of Nuremberg and later ruled Brandenburg, Prussia and ultimately Germany in the centuries to 1918.

Contents 1 History 2 Noble jurisdictions, titles and styles 2.1 Southern Germany 2.1.1 Noble jurisdiction 2.1.2 Noble titles 2.1.3 Styles 2.2 Eastern Europe 2.2.1 Noble jurisdictions 2.2.2 Noble titles 2.2.3 Styles 3 Coats of arms 3.1 Southern Germany 3.1.1 Major coat of arms (Gesamtwappen) 3.1.2 Family coat of arms (Gesamt- mit Hauswappen) 3.2 Eastern Europe 4 Rulers 4.1 Southern Germany 4.1.1 Counts (Graf) of Hohenzollern (1576-1623) 4.1.2 Princes (Fürst) of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (1623-1849) 4.1.3 Claimants (1849-present) 4.2 Eastern Europe 4.2.1 Princes of Romania (1866-1881) 4.2.2 King of the Romanians (1881-1947) 4.2.3 Claimants (1947-present) 5 See also 6 External links

The countship of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was created in 1576, upon the partition of the countship of Hohenzollern, a fief 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)

The Princes of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen ruled over a small principality in southwest Germany. Unlike the Hohenzollerns of Brandenburg and Prussia, the Hohenzollern of Sigmaringen, and their cousins of Hohenzollern of Hechingen, the seniormost branch of the Swabian branch of the House of Hohenzollern, and Hohenzollern of Haigerloch, remained Roman Catholic.

The principality became an independent nation in 1815. In 1849, Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was annexed by Prussia. The annexation of their state did not, however, mean the end of the importance of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen.

The last prince, Karl Anton, served as Minister-President of Prussia from 1858 to 1861. Karl Anton's second son, Karl Eitel Friedrich of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen became prince (1866–1881) and then king (1881–1914) of the Romanians, under the name Carol and the house remained on the throne until the end of the monarchy in 1947.

Because the Hohenzollern branch of Hechingen died out in 1869 with the death of Constantin of Hohenzollern-Hechingen, the head of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Karl Anton of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen took the title of prince (Fürst) of Hohenzollern instead of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen.

French opposition to the candidacy of Carol's elder brother Prince Leopold for the throne of Spain triggered the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871), which led to the founding of the German Empire in January 1871.

The head of the Swabian branch, of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, ruled over the following noble jurisdictions held in a personal union:

• countship of Hohenzollern (1061)
• burgraviate of Nuremberg (1192)
• countship of Veringen (1535)
• lordship of Haigerloch (1634)
• lordship of Wehrstein (1634)
• countschip of Berg (1781)

From 1061 until 1806 the six fiefs were an imperial immediacy of the Holy Roman Empire and the count of Zollern, and his successors, was a vassal of the Holy Roman Emperor.

From 1806 until 1813 the fiefs were a province of the Confederation of the Rhine, a short-lived state set up by Napoleon I Bonaparte. From 1815 until 1849 the principality was a sovereign country, who was a member of the German Confederation. In 1849 it lost its independence, and was incorporated into the kingdom of Prussia as the province of Hohenzollern.

The German Confederation was succeeded in 1866 by the North German Confederation, who itself was succeeded by the German Empire in 1871. In 1918, the kingdom of Prussia became the Free State of Prussia, and the German Empire was replaced by the Weimar Republic. In 1933 the republic was replaced by the Third Reich. After the defeat of the national-socialists in 1945 the province of Hohenzollern was merged with other territories into the state of Württemberg-Hohenzollern. This state was part of the Allied Occupation Zones in Germany until 1952. In that year, the state of Württemberg-Hohenzollern was merged into Baden-Württemberg, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany.

The head of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen holds the titles of:

• Prince (Fürst) of Hohenzollern
• Burgrave (Burggraf) of Nuremberg
• Count (Graf) of Hohenzollern
• Count (Graf) of Sigmaringen
• Count (Graf) of Veringen
• Count (Graf) of Berg
• Lord (Herr) of Haigerloch
• Lord (Herr) of Wehrstein

The first degree descendants of the head of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen born within holy matrimony and in good standing hold the titles of:

• Prince or Princess (Prinz or Prinzessin) of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
• Prince or Princess (Prinz or Prinzessin) of Hohenzollern

The German original is: Seine Durchlaucht (S.D.) N.N. von Gottes Gnaden, Fürst von Hohenzollern, Burggraf von Nürnberg, Graf zu Sigmaringen, Veringen und Berg, Herr zu Haigerloch und Wehrstein

The English translation is: His Serene Highness (H.S.H.) N.N. by the Grace of God, Prince of Hohenzollern, Burgrave of Nuremberg, Count of Sigmaringen, Veringen and Berg, Lord of Haigerloch and Wehrstein.

Prince Charles Eitel of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, and his descendants ruled over the sovereign state of the kingdom of the Romanians. As monarch, the king of the Romanians is a sovereign and head of state.

The modern state of Romania was formed by the merging of the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia in 1859 under the Moldavian domnitor Alexandru Ioan Cuza. He was replaced by Charles Eitel of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen in 1866, who became known as Prince Carol of Romania.

During the Russo-Turkish War, Romania fought on the Russian side. In the 1878 Treaty of Berlin, Romania was subsequently recognized as an independent state by the Great Powers.

In return for ceding to Russian Empire the three southern districts of Bessarabia that had been regained by Moldavia after the Crimean War in 1852, Northern Dobruja was acquired.

In 1881, the principality was raised to a kingdom and Prince Carol became King Carol I. From 1940 the kingdom was occupied by the USSR. In 1947 the king was deposed and a peoples republic proclaimed. In 1989 it regained independence of communist Russia, and became the Republic of Romania.

In 1918 Transylvania and Bessarabia are incorporated. In 1918-1919, confirmed by the Treaty of Versailles of 1919 and the Treaty of Trianon of 1920, most of the Banat became part of Romania. Also Bukovina was incorporated in 1918.

The head of the royal house of Romania holds the title of:

• King of the Romanians

The first degree descendants of the head of the royal house of Romania born within holy matrimony and in good standing hold the title of:

• Prince or Princess of Romania

The Romanian original is: S.M. N.N., Regele Românilor

The English translation is: His Majesty (H.M.) N.N., King of the Romanians

The combined coat of arms of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen is:

• Escutcheon: quartering of the shield, parted per pale, twice parted per fess, with an inescutcheon
  • first sixth: Burgraviate of Nuremberg (1214), on or (gold) a lion rampant sable (black) and a bordure of argent (silver) and gules (red)
  • second sixth: Hereditary Officer of the Chancellery (1504), on gules (red, two crossed scepters in or (gold) (*)
  • third sixth: Lordship of Haigerloch and Wehrstein (1634), parted per fess gules (red) and argent (silver)
  • fourth sixth: Countship of Sigmaringen (1535), on or (gold) a deer gules (red)
  • fifth sixth: Countship of Veringen (1535), on or (gold) three deerhorns horizontally with twice four, and once three antlerpoints gules (red)
  • sixth sixth: Countship of Berg (1781), on argent (white) a lion rampant gules (red) and a bordure of sable (black) with roundels or (gold)
  • inescutcheon: Countship of Zollern (1061), quarterly sable (black) and argent (silver)
• helm: or (gold) a helmet barred and affronté (sovereign), crowned with a coronet of a German prince (Fürstenkrone)
• crest: sable (black) and argent (white) a head and shoulders of a German hound (Deutsche Bracke) (1317)
• wreath: sable (black) and argent (white)
• mantling: manteld sable (black), doubled argent (white) upon a crowned (Fürstenkrone) baldeqin gules (red), doubled ermine
• motto:
  • until the 19th century: Hie guet Zollere allwege (We were always good Zollern)
  • from the 19th century onwards: NIHIL SINE DEO (Nothing without God)

The combined coat of arms with inclusion of the House coat of arms of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen is:

• Escutcheon: quartering of the shield, parted per pale, twice parted per fess, with an inescutcheon
  • first sixth: Burgraviate of Nuremberg (1214), on or (gold) a lion rampant sable (black) and a bordure of argent (silver) and gules (red)
  • second sixth: Hereditary Officer of the Chancellery, on gules (red, two crossed scepters in or (gold) (*)
  • third sixth: Lordship of Haigerloch and Wehrstein (1634), parted per fess gules (red) and argent (silver)
  • fourth sixth: Countship of Sigmaringen (1535), on gules (red) a deer or (gold)
  • fifth sixth: Countship of Veringen (1535), on or (gold) three dearhorns horizontally with twice four, and once three antlerpoints gules (red)
  • sixth sixth: Countship of Berg (1781), on argent (white) a lion rampant gules (red) and a bordure of sable (black) with roundels or (gold)
  • inescutcheon: Countship of Zollern (1061), quarterly sable (black) and argent (silver)
• helm: seven particular helmets, equivalent to the seven particular coat of arms (Hohenzollern, Nuremberg, Sigmaringen, Veringen, Berg, Haigerloch and Wehrstein)
• crest: seven particular crests, equivalent to the seven particular coat of arms (Hohenzollern, Nuremberg, Sigmaringen, Veringen, Berg, Haigerloch and Wehrstein)
• wreath: sable (black) and argent (white)
• mantling: manteld sable (black), doubled argent (white)
• supporter: two German hounds
• compartment: grassy

(*) Eitel Frederick II, count of Hohenzollern and Burgrave of Nuremberg became Heridatary Officer of the Chancellery of the Holy Roman Empire by appointment of Joachim I, elector and margrave of Brandenburg and confirmed by Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor.

The major coat of arms of the kingdom of the Romanians consisted, from 1922 onwards, in its:

• an escutcheon of the combination of the territories of  :
  • Walachia
  • Moldavia
  • Northern Dobruja
  • Transylvania or Siebenbürgen
  • Bessarabia
  • Banat
  • Bukovina
  • an inescutcheon of the House of Hohenzollern (quarterly sable (black) and argent (silver)
• helm: coronet of a Slavic king
• mantling: a crowned baldeqin gules (red), doubled ermine
• motto: NIHIL SINE DEO (Nothing without God)
• supporter: two rampant lions
• compartment: ground

Members of the House of Hohezollern reigned as monarchs in Europe.

• Karl II 1576–1606
• Johann 1606–1623

• Johann 1623–1638
• Meinrad I 1638–1681
• Maximilian 1681–1689
• Meinrad II 1689–1715
• Joseph Franz Ernst 1715–1769
• Karl Friedrich 1769–1785
• Anton Aloys 1785–1831
• Karl 1831–1848
• Karl Anton 1848–1849

• Karl Anton 1849–1885 (became Prince (Fürst) of Hohenzollern on the death of the last Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen in 1869)
• Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen 1885–1905
• Prince Wilhelm of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen 1905–1927
• Prince Friedrich of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen 1927–1965
• Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen 1965–present
• Hereditary Prince Karl Friedrich of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (heir apparent)
• Prince Alexander of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (Second in line)

• Carol I 1866–1881

• Carol I 1881–1914
• Ferdinand 1914–1927
• Michael 1927–1930
• Carol II 1930–1940
• Michael 1940–1947

• Michael 1947-present
• Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Hohenzollern (heir presumptive)

• Sigmaringen
• Line of succession to the Romanian throne

• Official website of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen - heraldic backgroundinformation
• The official website of The Romanian Royal Family

v • d • e Holy Roman Empire — Swabian Circle (1500–1806)
Ecclesiastical princes	Augsburg | Kempten | Konstanz | Lindau
Bench of Secular princes	Baden: Baden, Durlach, Hochberg | Buchau | Heiligenberg | Hohenzollern-Hechingen | Klettgau | Liechtenstein | Thengen | Waldburg: Scheer, Trachburg, Waldsee, Wolfegg, Wurzach, Zeil | Württemberg
Bench of Prelates	Baindt | Buchau | Elchingen | Ellwangen | Gengenbach | Gutenzell | Heggbach | Irsee | Kaisheim | Mainau | Marchtal | Neresheim | Ochsenhausen | Petershausen | Roggenburg | Rot | Rottenmünster | Salmanweiler | St. George's in Isny | Schussenried | Söflingen | Ursberg | Weingarten | Weißenau | Wettenhausen | Zwiefalten
Bench of Counts and Lords	Altshausen | Baar | Bondorf | Eberstein | Eglingen | Eglofs | Fugger: Jakob, Johann, Markus | Gundelfingen | Gutenstein | Hausen | Heiligenberg | Hohenems | Hohengeroldseck | Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen | Justingen | Kinzigerthal | Königsegg and Aulendorf | Lustenau | Meßkirch | Mindelheim and Schwabegg | Oberdischingen | Öttingen: Baldern, Öttingen, Wallerstein | Rechberg | Rothenfels and Stauffen | Stühlingen and Hohenhöwen | Tettnang and Langenargen | Thannhausen | Wiesensteig
Bench of Cities	Aalen | Augsburg | Biberach | Bopfingen | Buchau | Buchhorn | Dinkelsbühl | Eßlingen | Gengenbach | Giengen | Heilbronn | Isny | Kaufbeuren | Kempten | Leutkirch | Lindau | Memmingen | Nördlingen | Offenburg | Pfullendorf | Ravensburg | Reutlingen | Rottweil | Schwäbisch Gmünd | Schwäbisch Hall | Überlingen | Ulm | Wangen | Weil | Wimpfen | Zell

v • d • e States of the Confederation of the Rhine (1806–13)
Rank elevated by Napoleon	Kingdoms: Bavaria | Saxony | Württemberg Grand Duchies: Baden | Hesse
States created	Kingdoms: Westphalia Grand Duchies: Berg | Frankfurt‡ | Würzburg Principalities: Aschaffenburg† | Leyen | Regensburg†
Pre-existing states	Duchies: Anhalt: Bernburg, Dessau, Köthen | Arenberg | Mecklenburg: Schwerin, Strelitz | Nassau | Oldenburg | Saxony: Coburg-Saalfeld, Gotha-Altenburg, Hildburghausen, Meiningen, Weimar*, Eisenach*, Weimar-Eisenach** Principalities: Hohenzollern: Hechingen, Sigmaringen | Isenburg-Birstein | Liechtenstein | Lippe-Detmold | Reuß: Ebersdorf, Greiz, Lobenstein, Schleiz | Salm: Kyrburg, Salm | Schaumburg-Lippe | Schwarzburg: Rudolstadt, Sondershausen | Waldeck
* until 1809     ** from 1809       † until 1810     ‡ from 1810

v • d • e States of the German Confederation (1815–66)
Empires	Austria
Kingdoms	Prussia | Bavaria | Saxony | Hanover | Württemberg
Electorates	Hesse
Grand Duchies	Baden | Hesse | Luxembourg | Mecklenburg-Schwerin | Mecklenburg-Strelitz | Oldenburg | Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Duchies	Anhalt: Bernburg¹, Dessau¹, Köthen² | Brunswick | Holstein | Limburg | Nassau | Saxony: Altenburg³, Coburg-Saalfeld4, Coburg-Gotha³, Gotha-Altenburg4, Hildburghausen4, Lauenburg, Meiningen
Principalities	Hesse-Homburg | Hohenzollern: Hechingen5, Sigmaringen5 | Liechtenstein | Lippe | Reuß: Elder, Junior | Schaumburg-Lippe | Schwarzburg: Rudolstadt, Sondershausen | Waldeck and Pyrmont
City-states	Bremen | Frankfurt | Hamburg | Lübeck
1: Merged to Anhalt from 1863;     2: until 1847;     3: from 1826;     4: until 1826;     5: until 1850