Franconian Cadet Branch and Brandenburg-Prussian Branch
The cadet Franconian branch of the House of Hohenzollern was founded by Conrad III, Burgrave of Nuremberg.
Beginning in the 16th century, this branch of the family became Protestant and decided on expansion through marriage and the purchase of surrounding lands.
The family supported the Hohenstaufen and Habsburg rulers of the Holy Roman Empire during the 12th to 15th centuries, and they were rewarded with several territorial grants.
In the first phase, the family gradually added to their lands, at first with many small acquisitions in the Franconian and Bavarian regions of Germany:
- Ansbach in 1331
- Kulmbach in 1340
In the second phase, the family expanded their lands further with large acquisitions in the Brandenburg and Prussian regions of Germany and Poland:
- Margraviate of Brandenburg in 1417
- Duchy of Prussia in 1618
These acquisitions eventually transformed the Hohenzollerns from a minor German princely family into one of the most important in Europe.
Read more about this topic: Pretenders To The German Throne
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