The following is an article by Michael Waas of the Westphalian Heraldry Society. This article was translated from an article in a German historical publication. The English website address for Westphalian Heraldry Society is: www.westfalen-heraldik.de/page4.html

It is often said that nobility was abolished in Germany after World War I. That is not the true. It is simply a misinterpretation of article 109 of the former German Weimar Constitution. Translated properly this article of the constitution reads as follows, ". . . all advantages and disadvantages by social class and by birth are abolished. Usage of styles and titles are prohibited. Noble titles become part of the name. Ennobling a person is no longer allowed anymore. . . ." This means that the usage of all princely, royal and imperial warranties, grants etc. were not allowed any longer. It was forbidden.

This law impacted the German aristocrats rather than commoners. The noble title became part of their last names, but all styles like “Geheimrat” (privy councilor) were abolished. For a noble, it doesn´t matter if he was addressed “Graf Max von Adlerstein” or “Max Graf von Adlerstein.”

In ancient times, noble titles were unknown in Germany. A free man, who was a land-owner, was

a "Herr" and was addressed in this way. The King and Emperor was likewise a “Herr” like the knight and land-owner. A Graf could be a free man and “Herr” if he had a free estate. If he only worked as a Stewart, he was perhaps a knight, but not a free man by old Germanic law, because he was an "employee."

Of course most Grafen were sons of Kings and Dukes or related to them. In that case, they were a "Herr" as well. This system was working until the crusades. “Herzog” was a title of honour only and so the Leader of Bavaria for instance styled himself as Herr von Bayern. During that period the German hilly-billy´s and red-necks came into touch with the French way of life and culture. Everyone in France was holding a title and seemed to be more distinguished than merely a “Herr.” So some “Herr” requested now to be a "Freiherr" similar to "baro" and a simple steward would address himself as "Graf" similar to "comes." The German King advanced to a Augustus, Caesar, Rex, Imperator and Basileus.

By the way, the term “Adel” for the Nobility was not in common use in Germany until Martin Luther, who wrote a open letter addressed to the "deutschen Adel." Adel derives from germanic "adil" meaning something special or shining. A warrior was entitled "Edelknecht" (ancient German adil-kneght). The word “kneght” which means servant in German became the word knight in English language with a completely different meaning. The German word for a noble is "Edelmann" literally in English "gentleman." The meaning differs again.

Generally it is incorrect to translate German noble titles into foreign languages because the meaning is quite different. For instance the German title “Herzog” is translated as duke. Herzog is deriving from the old Germanic word “herizuogo,” that is, the man who is riding in front of the army or the man who is commander of a tribe. A “Herzog” was elected for a war only, but this designation later became the title of a hereditary chieftain of a German tribe. The English Duke is in most cases is a titular-title only.

The English Marquis has nothing in common with the German Markgraf or Margrave. The German word Graf is the name for a steward in a special function. So a Holzgraf (ancient lower German: Holtgreve) literally Wood-Grave is one who is responsible for forests. In the days of Charlemagne a “Graf” became the name for a tenant-in-chief. The name was connected with a special job. For instance a Burggraf (Bourghgrave) was the commander of a castle which belonged the German King or Roman Emperor. The Markgraf was the tenant and military inspector in chief for a land located near an unsafe boundary of Germany. It was not necessary that a Graf was of noble birth. He merely had to be able to read and write. Later Graf became a noble title---the owner of a Grafschaft (county) or Markgrafschaft (margraviate).

The term "Fürst" (germanic furisto) was no title at all. It was a collective term for all German leaders, no matter whether they were Graf, Herzog or Freiherr. All who had a seat and vote in the Imperial Assembly were entitled Fürst. Later it became a term for Landgrafen, Markgrafen and Herzoege only. All others were named "Herr."

Until 1888 to be ennobled and become a Graf, it was necessary had to buy a large estate free from all other rights which became a titular-graviate. When the rich merchants Fugger became Graf and later Fürst, they bought an enormous area of land - the Grafschaften Glott, Babenhausen, Kirchberg, Weißenhorn, etc. No one could be become a Graf or Freiherr without being the owner of an estate. Later Fürst became a title for a noble in the rank between Graf and Herzog.

Most people believe that only the Emperor of the Holy Empire and German King was allowed to ennoble anyone. But in reality, he delegated this right to many persons and institutions as follows:

e. The Hofpfalzgrafen (Comes Palatinus) not to be confused with the Pfalzgrafen mentioned above. Hofpfalzgrafen were the later Princes of Schwarzburg. The office of Hofpfalzgraf could also be granted to a university or town.

The German King and in most cases the Emperor of the Holy Empire was elected by a special class of high and powerful nobles the Electors. Of course the Electors didn´t want to vote for a potential competitor, so they often voted for a weak Count or Duke who was a small landowner only.

When the Stauffer Friedrich (Barbarossa) , Duke of Suabia became German King he was lacking necessary military power. He had the idea to install a stewart or servant (named Imperial Knight) who was responsible to the King and Emperor only. Those knights were free from Imperial taxes and dues. They got a large fief to pay the costs for their service and last, but not least, they were independent rulers on their estates and dominions. On their dominions they had sovereign rights so the right to raise taxes, tolls, to mint, to ennoble or to knight someone, etc. Ennobling was usually restricted to the rank of untitled nobility or to the rank of a baron. The Imperial

Knightship formed the backbone of the Imperial army. Until the 17th century the Imperial Chivalry was the most powerful military organization in Germany.

In the 16th century the regalian rights were entered in the registry of deeds. Some of the rights are today totally useless like the right to knight somebody but some rights are most valuable today. For instance the right to brew or to distil brandy or the rights of hunting or fishing.

The Chivalric names do not become part of the name like a true noble identity. But it is allowed to use the names by courtesy. Sometimes these names are valuable too. For instance “Mueller von Bogenbach Real Estates” is sounding much better as “Mueller Real Estates”. With the exception of the Chivalric names all regalians are inextricably linked with the estate and couldn´t be sold separately .

The Imperial Knights were tightly organized in “Schilden” (shields=lances), “Kantonen” (cantons) and “Ritterkreise” (districts). The shield was the lowest form of organization. Some Imperial knights from a region joined together under the general command of a

“Hauptmann” (captain). The Hauptmann was elected and most of the time he was the wealthiest and most powerful knight. To indicate a corporate identity they were sharing a similar symbolic in their arms. For instance all members of the “Loewenschild” (lion´s shield) from Hesse were using symbols taken from the arms of the later Graves of Nassau. The knights Loew von Steinfurth for instance were using the billets of the Nassau arms. The Fauerbachs were using the Lion Or, but in an Azure field and so forth. Another famous shield was the “Georgenschild” (St . George´s shield).

Chivalric shields joined together in “Kantons” commanded by an elected “Kantons-Hauptmann” and at last “Kantons” were incorporated into “Reichskreisen” (imperial districts) commanded by “Bannerherrn” (Lord Bannerett). The imperial districts had seat and vote in the Imperial Diet.

Napoleon I dissolved the Chivalry and their dominions were incorporated into the territories of Napoleon´s allies. After 1848 the Imperial Chivalry were sometimes incorporated into the nobility or they could apply to become ennobled. Most didn´t because the fees were much to high. But nevertheless families who were former members of the Imperial Chivalry are allowed to use the former styles and titles even though they were only titles of courtesy. The former Imperial Chivalry is recorded and the records are kept either by the German Association of Nobles or by Regional Associations of Knightship.

Since the 17th century the title of a “Reichsritter” was bestowed upon some people. The keepers of Imperial Insignias automatically received the honour to style themselves “Reichsritter. These knights should not to be confused with the genuine “Reichsritter” because it was a style only.

To the feudal chivalry belonged all the those who are commonly named knights. Most of them were stewart in service of a Landlord. Comparable with the British lord of the manor. The feudum they got wasn´t hereditary and fell back to the landlord when the knight passed away. Knights who didn´t own a feudum were called “Burgmannen.” The latter were the majority.

These Burgmannen usually did not receive the accolade because they were lacking the money for the ceremony.

The oldest German feudal titles comes from Saxonian times. The Saxonian Dukes appointed warriors to “Meier” (Germanized from Latin Maior Domus). Those Meier were governors of a ducal tenure perhaps comparable with an English lord of the manor. All these families could be identified by their names. The beginning always is Meier followed by the preposition “zu” (at) than followed by the name of a location. For instance “Meier zu Verl.” In most cases those families never applied for an imperial recognition because their family tree is longer than any other family

tree in Germany. Most such families were owners of the tenure since the 700's.

Comparable with the Meier´s is the feudal title “Schulte” (latinized scultetus). A Schulte was appointed by a landlord as a stewart for his tenures. He was stewart and sheriff in personal union. He also got a personal fief as a reward for his service. The fief was usually located in the center of the area of his responsibility. The title Schulte comes from later times

---13th century. Likewise the Meier´s a Schulte can be identified by his name. A typical name is “Schulte zu Buecke” for instance or “Schulte zum Loh.” Sometimes it was an hyphenated name like "Schulte-Lendringsen."

In Westphalia, Northern Germany and the Lower Rhine the feudal title for stewart was Drost or Droste. Sometimes these titles became part of a noble name like “Freiherr von Droste-Huelshoff.”

Burggraf (Bourgh-Grave) was also a feudal title. A bourgh-grave was commander of a fortified place or castle and a stewart and sheriff in personal union. A bourgh-grave also could be the commander of an Imperial Bourgh-Graviate. In that case he was elected by the other Imperial Knights.

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