Museum

Whereas the function of the earlier mediaeval buildings had been primarily that of fortified rulers’ seats, the castle as it stands today was erected between 1850 and 1867 and was oriented from the very beginning to be more of a family monument, expressing the origin and ascent of the House of Hohenzollern.

This is seen most clearly inside the buildings, in the stately rooms arranged in a formal manner by Friedrich August Stüler and in the furnishings and fittings, whose substance was designed by Rudolf von Stillfried. Starting in the Ancestral Hall (or entrance hall), the painted family tree, covering whole walls, emphasises the dynasty’s impressive past. The adjacent Banqueting Hall, which is known as the Ballroom or the Count’s Hall, gives the impression of being a place of worship. The various portraits, statues and coats-of-arms of civil and ecclesiastical dignitaries on display there show clearly how far-reaching the Hohenzollerns' contacts have been. The paintings on the walls of the next room along, the Library, depict scenes from legends and actual historical events concerning the history of the first two citadels, while the former private quarters of the king and queen now contain a large number of noteworthy paintings, including portraits of members of the ruling family created by eminent artists, such as Antoine Pesne, Elisabeth Vigée-Le Brun and Franz von Lenbach, along with historical pictures of Berlin.

The Treasure Chamber, which has occupied the premises of the former castle kitchens since the 1950s, is the home of numerous extremely valuable items, including the crown created for the Prussian king in 1889, valuable articles produced by gold and silver smiths and products from the Royal Porcelain Manufacture (“KPM”) in Berlin as well as weapons and armour. One of the most famous exhibits is a snuff box, which used to belong to Friedrich the Great and which saved his life at the battle of Kunersdorf by deflecting a bullet that had been fired at him. The bullet hole in the tunic he was wearing at the time is clear to see. Other highlights on display include an extensive collection of medals and decorations, personal keepsakes and items of apparel of individual rulers and their spouses, including a dress with silver embroidery that used to be worn by Queen Luise of Prussia.

The Catholic Chapel of St. Michael contains late-romanesque sandstone reliefs, which were found during the reconstruction work in the 19th century, as well as various items of stained glass from the 13th century, which had formerly been part of the convent in the nearby settlement of Stetten and include the oldest known representation of the Hohenzollern coat-of-arms. The Protestant Christ’s Chapel was built in the 19th century to cater for the fact that the two branches of the family had different religious allegiances. It has been sumptuously decorated in the neo-gothic style. Underneath the chapel is the Russian Orthodox Chapel of the Resurrection, which is closed to the public. It was arranged as the place of burial for Princess Kira of Prussia (1909-1967), who, on her mother’s side, was from the House of Romanov.

In 2004, a new attraction was opened for visitors, namely, the casemates, which had been part of the older citadels and which had been rediscovered only a few years before. These vaulted underground rooms were strong enough to withstand artillery attacks. There is a legend associated with them, namely that of a secret passageway through which the “white lady”, who is shrouded in mystery, is said to have entered the citadel during the 1423 siege to take food and medicine to the garrison. Above the casemates are the former provisions cellars, which are used today, inter alia, to store silver, porcelain and glassware, which the Hohenzollern family still uses on its special occasions.

The Gate Tower, which was renovated in 2007, has been used since then to stage special exhibitions, which began with an exhibition dedicated to the life and work of Count Rudolf of Stillfried-Alcántara, who played a decisive role in the rebuilding of Hohenzollern Castle, which was replaced in spring 2008 with a exhibition on the theme of the giving of gifts at the imperial court. It is planned to change this special exhibition regularly in future and to cover other themes too. These special exhibitions also represent opportunities of giving a broader public the chance to view other parts of the art collections. In this way, Hohenzollern Castle is not merely a place in which history is presented as the past dressed up to suit a museum, but as a location where history can be experienced directly, highlighting its bearing on the present.