The word Stauf means "drinking vessel" (beaker or cup) and refers to the conical shape of the mountain.

Hohenstaufen castle was built about 1070[1] by Frederick I of Hohenstaufen—even before he became Duke of Swabia—as a fortress to protect family interests in the vicinity.

The strategically and symbolically important location was a constant bone of contention between the Counts of Württemberg and the Holy Roman Emperor.

After the expulsion of Duke Ulrich of Württemberg by the members of the Swabian League in 1519, one Georg Staufer of Bloßenstaufen successfully claimed the castle, as a descendant of the old Hohenstaufen dynasty.

[citation needed] The Staufer Museum, located at the intersection of Pfarrgasse and Kaiserbergsteige in Hohenstaufen, contains artifacts from and historical information about the site.