An aristocratic title? Not without your very own coat of arms!
Whenever you think about the nobility, you’re certainly picturing a family coat of arms too. When you purchase an aristocratic title with us, you also receive your own coat of arms with it. Your noble family’s unique coat of arms has been designed for the respective title by us in-house. Soon you’ll not only be a noble for the first time in your life, but probably have your own family coat of arms for the first time in your life too.
In general usage, a family coat of arms describes an emblem borne by people and families. In German customary law, only babies born into the family receive the family coat of arms, which designates that a person belongs to that family. After being born, both baby boys and girls are presented with the coat of arms. For as long as the children bear the family name, the family coat of arms also belongs to them.. Their time using the family coat of arms comes to an end if they choose a new name when they get married. The laws of heraldry in general and those governing family coats of arms in particular are protected under customary law – this is especially relevant because of its closeness to the law related to the use of names, protected under the German Constitution.
That said, not every coat of arms is protected by law. Only family coats of arms that fulfil certain conditions are protected by this law. For one thing, it has to be individual and distinctive, making it suitable as a form of identification. It has to be possible to relate a family coat of arms to one specific family. Comprehensive protection under civil law only covers legal entities and the family coats of arms of natural persons. While private individuals are covered by the customary laws of heraldry, it is trademark law that is relevant for companies.
Free artistic design of one’s coat of arms is covered by copyright law. A coat of arms takes the form of a shield, based on the same shield that was used for protection in the Middle Ages. This is the source of the meaning of a family coat of arms as symbolically protecting the family from any harm. Some family coats of arms prove membership of the nobility. For this reason it is customary for every noble person to have their own family coat of arms as part of their ennoblement. While coats of arms in the past were often opulently and extensively decorated, the designs of modern-day family coats of arms tend to be less strict as well as less elaborate, so get ready to be excited by the family coat of arms that awaits you when you choose an aristocratic title
The history of family coats of arms
Coats of arms originate from the Middle Ages, when they were originally the insignia on a shield. When knights and nobles went to battle, everyone could see which family they belonged to. In this way, classic coats of arms came into being during the Crusades in the twelfth century. Heavy, closed-up suits of armour made it almost impossible to distinguish between friend and foe in the huge armies. As long as the noble had his sword bearing his crest in his hand, it was easily possible to ascertain his allegiance. The crests of houses, families and entire nations did not only appear on the shield either – the helmet also bore the symbol.
Over the centuries, coats of arms developed and their meaning constantly evolved. The development of tournaments made heraldic symbols even more significant. Lovers of heraldry made it their mission to identify the colourful and symbolic crests as well as creating new coats of arms.