The Hohenzollerns experienced the peak of their power as Prussian electors and kings in the 18th and 19th centuries. The author outlines the history of the House of Hohenzollern from its Swabian-Franconian roots in the 11th century through the age of absolutism to the German Empire of 1871. He continues to trace the path of the dynasty even after the fall of the monarchy in 1918. The life paths of the individual rulers are discussed, as well as the role of the Hohenzollerns in Germany and in the concert of European powers.