Hohenzollerns

Hohenzollerns 

a dynasty of Brandenburg electors (1415-1701), Prussian kings (1701-1918), and German emperors (1871-1918). The Hohenzollerns primarily expressed the interests of the reactionary junkers, and in the era of imperialism, they also expressed the interests of monopoly capital. They traced their descent from the Franconian branch of the Swabian count’s family. In 1415 a representative of that family, the burgrave of Nuremberg, Frederick VI, received Brandenburg as a fief. Under the name of Frederick I, he became the forefather of the Hohenzollern dynasty in Brandenburg-Prussia.

Among the main Hohenzollerns were Frederick William (elector from 1640 to 1688) and Frederick III, who ruled from 1688 to 1713 and became King Frederick I of Prussia in 1701. Other Hohenzollerns were Frederick II (king from 1740 to 1786), Frederick William III (king from 1797 to 1840), Frederick William IV (king from 1840 to 1861), William I (king of Prussia from 1861 to 1888 and German emperor from 1871 to 1888), and William II (emperor from 1888 to 1918; deposed by the November Revolution of 1918).

The representatives of the Swabian line of the Hohenzollerns were the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen dynasty, who occupied the Rumanian throne from 1866 to 1947.

REFERENCES

Marx, K. “Podvigi Gogentsollernov.” In K. Marx and F. Engels, Soch., 2nd ed., vol. 6.
Marx, K. “Bozhestvennoe pravo Gogentsollernov.” Ibid., vol. 12.
Genealogie des Gesamthauses Hohenzollern. Berlin, 1905.