Hohenzollern-Hechingen

Infobox Former Country
native_name =
conventional_long_name = Hohenzollern-Hechingen
common_name = Hohenzollern-Hechingen
continent = Europe
region = Swabia
country = Germany
era = Middle Ages
status = Vassal
empire = Holy Roman Empire
government_type = Principality
year_start = 1576
year_end = 1850
event_start = Partition of County of
spaces|4Hohenzollern
date_start =
1576
event1 = Raised to Principality
date_event1 = 1623
event_end = Incorporation into
spaces|4Kingdom of Prussia
date_end =
1850
p1 = Zollern
image_p1 =
s1 = Province of Hohenzollern
flag_s1 = Flagge Preußen - Provinz Hohenzollern.svg




flag_type =


image_map_caption = Hohenzollern-Hechingen in 1848
capital = Hechingen
latd=48 |latm=21 |latNS=N |longd=8 |longm=58 |longEW=E
national_motto = _la. Nihil Sine Deo
( _en. Nothing without God)
national_anthem =
common_languages = German
religion = Roman Catholic
currency =

Hohenzollern-Hechingen was a county and principality in southwestern Germany. Its rulers belonged to a branch of the senior Swabian branch of the Hohenzollern dynasty.

History

The County of Hohenzollern-Hechingen was created in 1576, upon the partition of the County 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)

Unlike the Hohenzollerns of Brandenburg and Prussia, the Hohenzollerns of southwest Germany remained Roman Catholic. The County was raised to a principality in 1623.

The principality joined the Confederation of the Rhine in 1806 and was a member state of the German Confederation between 1815 and 1850. The democratic Revolution of 1848 was relatively successful in Hohenzollern, and on 16 May 1848, the Prince was forced to accept the establishment of a constitution. However, the conflict between monarch and democrats continued, and on August 6, Hohenzollern was occupied by Prussian forces. On December 7 1849, Prince Friedrich Wilhelm Konstantin sold the country to his relative, King Frederick William IV of Prussia. On 12 March 1850, Hohenzollern-Hechingen officially became part of Prussia, and formed together with Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen the Hohenzollernsche Lande.

Rulers

Counts of Hohenzollern-Hechingen (1576-1623)

* Eitel Friedrich IV (1576-1605)
* Johann Georg (1605-1623) became Prince in 1623

Princes of Hohenzollern-Hechingen (1623-1850)

* Eitel Friedrich V (1623-1661)
* Philipp Christoph Friedrich (1661-1671)
* Friedrich Wilhelm (1671-1735)
* Friedrich Ludwig (1735-1750)
* Josef Friedrich Wilhelm (1750-1798)
* Hermann (1798-1810)
* Friedrich (1810-1838)
* Konstantin (1838-1850) died 1869 last male member in dynastic line