Hohenzollern Castle, Germany

Burg Hohenzollern
855m u.M.

postmarked in 2010 with a Germany 1,00 stamp

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Hohenzollern Castle is a castle, about 50 kilometers (30 mi) south of Stuttgart, Germany, considered home to the Hohenzollern family that came to power during the Middle Ages and ruled Prussia and Brandenburg until the end of World War I.

The castle is located on top of Mount Hohenzollern at an elevation of 855 meters (2,805 ft). It was originally constructed in the first part of the 11th century. It was completely destroyed after a 10-month siege in 1423 by the imperial cities of Swabia.

A second, larger and sturdier castle was constructed from 1454 to 1461 and served as a refuge for the Swabian Hohenzollern family during wartime, including during the Thirty Years' War. By the end of the 18th century, however, the castle was thought to have lost its strategic importance and gradually fell into disrepair, leading to the demolition of several dilapidated buildings. Today, only the chapel remains from the medieval castle.

The third version of the castle, which stands today, was constructed by King Friedrich Wilhelm IV between 1846 and 1867. Because the castle was built to be merely a family memorial, no member of the Hohenzollern family took residence in this third castle until 1945, when it became home to the last Prussian Crown Prince Wilhelm.

The castle is today a popular tourist destination.