Life
Prince Josef Friedrich Wilhelm, Officer in Imperial Service, was the son of Imperial field Marshal Herman Friedrich of Hohenzollern-Hechingen and Josepha von Oettingen zu Spielberg. He succeeded his unmarried cousin, Frederick Louis, in 1750. On 25 June 1750 in Vienna, Josef married Princess Maria Theresia Folch de Cardona y Silva, the 18-year-old daughter of Fürst von Cardona. Maria Theresia died only three months into the marriage and left behind her family's fortune in its entirety. Marriages in the House of Hohenzollern-Hechingen were often chosen based on dowry and inheritance.
In 1751, Josef married Countess Maria Theresia of Waldburg-Zeil who bore him six children, of which only the youngest daughter grew past childhood.
Josef was an enthusiastic hunter and traveler. In 1764, during a stay in Bad Wildbad, he became acquainted with a Prussian Stabskapitän who had been released from the Prussian army after the end of the Seven Years' War. This man was Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben (1730–1794), who would spend the next 12 years as Hofmarschall in Josef's service before his role assisting George Washington in the Revolutionary War as General Inspector and Organizer of the United States Army.
Steuben was also involved when the prince began to implement money-saving or money-creating policies. These include his attempt in 1772 to dissolve the court and to travel incognito with only his wife and Steuben accompanying him. He stayed for extended periods of time in Strasbourg, Montpellier, and Lyon. Josef spent much of his money and time with company, fine dining, gambling, theater, carnival, and hunting. This continued for three full years, until the princess succeeded in convincing the prince to end his masquerade.
In the following years, Josef became comfortable in the position of an enlightened leader; he promoted agriculture and established compulsory education. In 1775, he founded a Gymnasium (roughly equivalent to the American high school) as well as a Latin school in the "Old Castle", and contributed to the reduction of churchly holidays despite resistance from the population. He was considered to be tolerant towards Protestants and Jews.
His need for representation led to the establishment of the Collegiate church in Hechingen. In 1764, the well-renowned French architect Pierre Michel d'Ixnard was hired as the director of this construction project. The architect was also involved in renovating the Friedrichsburg castle in Hechingen.
Although the prince intended to always appear as a friendly father-figure for his people, he was relentless in conflicts with his subjects and was always distrustful of his potential successors. On 9 April 1798, Josef died after 48 years of reigning.
Because he had no male successors, the crown passed to his nephew Hermann.
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