Karl I, Count of Hohenzollern

Karl I of Hohenzollern (1516 in Brussels – 18 March 1576 at Sigmaringen Castle) was Count of Hohenzollern from 1525 to 1575. He was Imperial Archchamberlain and chairman of the Aulic Council.

Karl I, Count of Hohenzollern
Born	1516 Brussels, Spanish Netherlands
Died	(1576-03-18)18 March 1576 Sigmaringen Castle
Noble family	House of Hohenzollern-Swabia
Spouse(s)	Anna of Baden-Durlach
Father	Eitel Friedrich III, Count of Hohenzollern
Mother	Johanna van Witthem

Life

Karl was the eldest son of the Count Eitel Friedrich III of Hohenzollern (1494–1525) from his marriage to Johanna van Witthem (d. 1544), daughter of Philip, Lord of Beersel and Boutersem. Karl was Imperial Archchamberlain and later chairman of the Aulic Council. In 1534, he received the Counties of Sigmaringen and Veringen as imperial fiefs from Emperor Karl V.

Karl married in 1537 with Anna (1512–1579), a daughter of Margrave Ernst of Baden-Durlach, with whom he had several children, among them:

• Ferfried (1538–1556),
• Marie (1544–1611),
• Eitel Friedrich IV (1545–1605), later the first Count of Hohenzollern-Hechingen
• Karl II (1547–1606), later the first Count of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
• Johanna (1548–1604),
• Jacobea Marie (1549–1578) wife of Leonard V of Harrach (1542–1597),
• Eleanor (1551–1598),
• Christoph (1552–1592), later the first Count of Hohenzollern-Haigerloch
• Magdalena (1553–1571), a nun in Holz,
• Joachim (1554–1587), titular Count of Hohenzollern
• Kunigunde (1558–1595), a nun at Inzigkofen Abbey

He had held the family possessions in a single hand since the Counts of Haigerloch had died out with the death of his cousin Jobst Nicholas II in 1558. After his death in 1576, however, they were divided. His eldest son, Eitel Friedrich IV became the founder of the Hohenzollern-Hechingen line. His second son, Karl II, founded the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. The third son, Christoph, founded the Hohenzollern-Haigerloch line, which died out in 1634, with Christoph's share falling to Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. The youngest son, Joachim, received the county of Zollern. This line was the first to die out, when Joachim's son Joachim Georg died in 1602.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Karl I, Count of Hohenzollern

16. Eitel Friedrich I, Count of Hohenzollern 8. Jobst Nikolaus I, Count of Hohenzollern 17. Ursula of Rhäzüns 4. Eitel Friedrich II, Count of Hohenzollern 18. John IV, Count of Werdenberg-Sargans 9. Countess Agnes of Werdenberg-Heiligenberg 19. Elisabeth of Württemberg 2. Eitel Friedrich III, Count of Hohenzollern 20. Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg 10. Frederick III of Brandenburg 21. Elisabeth of Bavaria 5. Magdalene of Brandenburg 22. Barnim VIII, Duke of Pomerania 11. Princess Agnes of Pomerania-Wolgast 23. Anna of Wunstorf 1. Karl I, Count of Hohenzollern 24. Hendrik II van Wittem 12. Hendrik III Corsselaar van Wittem, Baron van Boutersem 25. Jacoba van Glymes 6. Filips Corsselaar van Wittem, Baron van Boutersem 26. Bernard van der Spout 13. Elisabeth van der Spout 27. Elisabeth d'Enghien 3. Johanna van Wittem 28. Wouter IV van Halewijn 14. Johan II van Halewijn, Vicomte de Roulers 29. Jacqueline de Wisch 7. Countess Johanna van Halewijn 30. Jean II de la Clite 15. Countess Jeanne de la Clite, Vicomtesse de Nieuwpoort 31. Jeanne d'Estouteville

External links

• Hohenzollern family tree on the site of the Hohenzollern family business