My family and I would like to thank you for taking an interest in the long history of the House of Hohenzollern, the formerly-ruling royal house of Prussia.
Our family’s ancestral Seat, Hohenzollern Castle near Hechingen, in Baden-Württemberg, sees 350,000 visitors from all over the world each year, making it one of the most popular private museums in Germany. Hohenzollern Castle is still privately owned by the two branches of our house. It was here that my family’s history began over 950 years ago – a history that has significantly shaped Europe over the last millennium. Today, the royal palaces in Potsdam and various royal parks are world cultural heritage sites. Many of my direct ancestors were important historical figures, including the Prussian kings and German Emperors who succeeded them – Wilhelm I, Friedrich III and Wilhelm II – as well as Queen Victoria of Great Britain, the grandmother of Emperor Wilhelm II.
The private art collection I presently manage includes numerous important artifacts from our family’s nearly 1,000-year history. A large portion of the collection has been on public display at Hohenzollern Castle for over 70 years. It includes the Prussian royal crown that was made for Emperor Wilhelm II. Because the exhibition has been so popular, we will be gradually increasing the exhibition space in the coming years, which will enable us to display even more artworks from my private collection at our ancestral seat. Hohenzollern Castle also houses our family’s private archive, which is open to scholars and researchers.
The castle has also been used as a holiday retreat for students from disadvantaged families since 1954. The Princess Kira of Prussia Foundation sponsors a free holiday retreat at Hohenzollern Castle for children and young people, which includes a music education programme. Over 14,000 children and young people have stayed at our castle since the foundation began its work.
My private estate includes another popular destination as well, the Princes’ Island at the Großer Plöner See near Hamburg. The restaurant there was renovated in winter 2020/2021.
Other prominent works of art from my collection are currently on display at the various sites of the Stiftung Preussischer Kulturbesitz (Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation) and the Stiftung Preussische Schlösser (Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation). As early as the 1950s, my grandfather, Dr. Louis Ferdinand, Prince of Prussia (1907 – 1994), was among the most open-handed private lenders in former West Berlin. These loaned items have been on display, free of charge, since 1994 in the castles and museums open to the public in Berlin and Brandenburg.
Since Germany’s reunification, my family has been engaged in an active dialogue to finally resolve the issue surrounding ownership of around 15,000 further works of art, which my great-grandparents Wilhelm and Cecilie, as well as my grandparents Louis Ferdinand and Kira, had to leave behind when they fled to West Germany in 1945.
The fact that the issue concerning which artworks belong to our private collection and which items belong to the state collections remains unresolved after 30 years highlights just how complex the matter is. Settling it in court might take several more decades.
For this reason, I am firmly of the belief that an out-of-court compromise is in the interest of all parties involved and would benefit the state collections in particular. I myself am willing to make considerable concessions in favour of the Federal Republic of Germany and the states of Berlin and Brandenburg, affording planning certainty to all parties involved while upholding my family’s historical responsibilities. In any case, my private collection will remain on public display for art enthusiasts visiting Hohenzollern Castle and other palaces and museums.
I look forward to posting updates on this website to keep the public informed of any relevant developments. Transparency towards the public with regard to the future of our common cultural heritage is important to me and to my family.
Sincerely,
Georg Friedrich
Prince of Prussia
