Haigerloch Castle

Haigerloch Castle is located in Haigerloch in the Zollernalb district in Baden-Württemberg. The original castle complex was first mentioned in 1095 and was probably located at the site of today's so-called Roman Tower. The castle belonged to the Counts of Wiesneck and came into the possession of the Counts of Hohenberg in the second half of the 12th century. They built a new additional castle complex at the site of the present castle. In 1381, the entire county, including Haigerloch, passed to the Habsburgs. In 1497, it came into the possession of Count Eitel Friedrich II of Zollern through an exchange for the Lordship of Rhäzüns in Switzerland.

After the Zollern partition of inheritance in 1576, Haigerloch became the independent seat of a newly founded line of the Counts of Hohenzollern-Haigerloch. The new Count Christoph of Hohenzollern-Haigerloch had the castle expanded into the extensive Renaissance castle it is today. Its current appearance dates back to the master builder Michael Beer. The castle church was also designated as the burial place for his family branch, which, however, died out as early as 1634. In 1700, the New Building of the castle was added. In 1745, Prince Joseph Friedrich of Hohenzollern temporarily moved his residence from Vienna to the castle and initiated further construction activities. He had the castle church baroqueized with great effort in 1784. The high altar, consecrated in 1609, is considered the most important work of Renaissance sculpture in Hohenzollern and features over 60 wooden sculptures.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, Haigerloch Castle lost its importance, so it was largely spared from war damage. In 1975, Haigerloch Castle last housed an agricultural and administrative school, after which the entrepreneur Paul Eberhard Schwenk bought it. Since then, it has been operated as a hotel with a restaurant and a cultural and congress center. The former castle church is now the parish church of St. Trinitatis in Haigerloch.