The Architects of Sigmaringen Castle

Documents first mentioning the Sigmaringen castle reveal that the lord of the castle, a friend of Kaiser Heinrich IV, was attacked by the Kaiser’s enemy and rival King Rudolf of Swabia. The Sigmaringen lord managed to withstand the long siege, successfully preserving his castle.
Little is known about the brothers Ulrich, Mangold und Ludwig of Sigmaringen who founded St. George, an 11th century monastery in the Black Forest. The same holds true for “Richinsa of Sigmaringen“ later to be called “vidua de Spitzenberg”. The lives of further Sigmaringen counts Ludwig (1183) and Ulrich II (1258) von Helfenstein-Sigmaringen together with Count Ulrich I. von Montfort (1272) also remain obscure.

In 1290, the Sigmaringen castle and county were sold to Rudolf von Habsburg who in turn granted it to the counts of Württemberg sometime before 1325. The castle’s history didn’t become tangible until Count von Werdenberg entered the scene. In 1399, Count Eberhard von Württemberg pledged the castle and towns of Sigmaringen and Veringen to his trusted friend Count Eberhard von Werdenberg whose family subsequently expanded the castle structure to today’s dimensions. Count Karl II. von Hohenzollern (1547-1606) had a vault built over the castle ramp leading from the round towers of the main gate up to the keep. During Prince Johann’s reign (1578-1638) , the Bohemian tower together with the walls and vaults of today’s aresenal were modernized. The castle was so badly damaged during the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) that Prince Meinrad I (1605-1681) was compelled to repair his crumbling castle.

Prince Josef (1702-1769) commissioned such well-known artists of the time as J.M. Fischer, J.M. Feichtmayr, J.G. Weckenmann and Meinrad of Au who furnished the castle interiors in Baroque style and built a knight’s hall in 1736, today’s Ancestral Hall. In the 19th century, Prince Karl-Anton (1811-1885) renovated the representational King’s Room, French Parlor and Ancestral Hall among others. At the same time, the museum (1867) and arsenal were built, soon to be made open to the public.

The last great fire broke out in the castle during Prince Leopold’s reign (1835-1905), destroying the entire east wing. It was to his merit that the castle was rebuilt in the eclectic style typical of the late 19th century. In 1901 the upper section of the Roman Tower was dismantled and replaced by an octagonal pointed roof.