Charles, Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
Karl Anton Friedrich Meinrad Fidelis of Hohenzollern- Sigmaringen (* February 20, 1785 in Sigmaringen, † March 11, 1853 in Bologna) was from 1831 to 1848 Prince of Hohenzollern - Sigmaringen.
Life
Charles was the son of Prince Anton Aloys of Hohenzollern- Sigmaringen (1762-1831) from his marriage to Amalie Zephyrine (1760-1841), daughter of Prince Philipp Joseph von Salm- Kyrburg. His mother left behind its ten -week-old son in Sigmaringen, and brought a large part of their lives in Paris. It prevented there mediatization of Hohenzollern Fürstentumer. They also paved the way for the marriage of Charles with a niece of Napoleon's youngest sister, Caroline Bonaparte.
Charles, who was considered a " rather shy," married on February 4, 1808 in Paris eight years younger Antoinette ( 1793-1847 ), daughter of Pierre Murat, a brother of the Neapolitan king and Grand Duke of Berg Joachim Murat. The wedding was not befitting contract signed by the Prussian House to legitimize the children and their noble claims. In the subsequent campaigns of the Napoleonic Wars Karl took part in the French army and was often in personal services of Napoleon, but switched in 1813 to the side of the Allies.
He succeeded his father in 1831 as Prince of Hohenzollern -Sigmaringen, but had already significant share in the government. 1833 Charles summoned a one constituent parliament and proclaimed it a constitution as the fundamental law of the Principality. In 1838 appointed Prince Karl Ludwig Hassenpflug to the top of the internal administration of the principality. He founded the state hospital and let the House of the Estates, a government and chamber of commerce building, build on Leopold Place in Sigmaringen ( now seat of the Hohenzollern Landesbank ). Charles merit was also the abolition of serfdom and various basic loads, the investment of Anton and Charles Street in Sigmaringen and of the local prince construction. He was considered well-read and was in correspondence with Alexander von Humboldt.
In the wake of the revolution of 1848 in Sigmaringen, Karl abdicated in favor of his son Karl Anton liberal set on 27 August 1848.
On March 14, 1848 married Charles, after the death of his first wife, in copper cell Katharina ( 1817-1893 ), daughter of Prince Karl Albrecht of Hohenlohe- Waldenburg - Schillingsfuerst and widow of Count Franz Erwin von Ingelheim.
Karl died during a trip to Rome in Bologna.
Progeny
From his first marriage Charles had the following children:
- Karoline (1810-1885)
- Karl Anton (1811-1885), Prince of Hohenzollern, Prime Minister of Prussia
- Antoinette Amalie (1815-1841)
- Friederike (1820-1906)