Meinrad I, Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen


Meinrad I of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen from 1638 until his death.

Life

Meinrad I was the son of Johann, Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and Countess Johanna of Hohenzollern-Hechingen. The Prince was born in Munich, where his father as president acted of the Privy Council for Duke Maximilian I of Bavaria.
The Thirty Years' War had a major influence on his life. When he was 17, he served in the Bavarian army. He served under Tilly in the Battle of Lutter. He later fought under Pappenheim against Protestant rebels in Austria. He later became an influential advisor of the Duke of Bavaria.
When he inherited Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen in 1638, the principality had been ravaged and depleted by the war. He commissioned the renowned architect Michael Beer from Vorarlberg to rebuild and modernize the castles at Sigmaringen and Haigerloch. The Swedes had occupied Sigmaringen Castle in 1633. In 1633, a Catholic army Under general Gustav Horn had retake the castle, however, during the battle the eastern wing had been destroyed by fire. In 1658 and 1659, Meinrad had the east wing rebuilt and combined the two buildings on the east side, which had been built by the Counts of Werdenberg. He paid this construction work out of his own pocket, using funds he had inherited from his father, and his wife's fortune.
He died on 30 January 1681. After his death, the county was divided, inaccordance with the provisions of Meinrad's will: his eldest son Maximilian I inherited Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen; his youngest son Franz Anton inherited Hohenzollern-Haigerloch.

Marriage and descendants

Meinrad married on 7 May 1635 to Anna Marie, the daughter of Baron Ferdinand of Törring at Seefeld, with whom he had nineteen children: