The National Military History Museum in Sofia, Bulgaria, has existed under various names and subordinate to various institutions since 1914. It consists of 5,000 m2 of indoor and 40,000 m2 outdoor (of which 500 m2 covered) exhibition area. Its current structure and name date from 1968.
The museum exhibitions are organized based on topics, chronology, and collections. Of the one million valuables in our collections, 28 000 exhibits are on display. In the thematic chronological galleries, recounting the development of the Bulgarian Army, the emphasis is on the participation of the armed forces in the wars for national unification. The collection halls present weapons, decorations, and uniforms – the museum’s oldest and richest collections.
Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.
The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.
These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.