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Genealogy and heraldry are two separate areas of study, but sooner or later most Americans, who descend from western European ancestors, will inquire about heraldic arms commonly referred to as “coats-of-arms.” The term “coat-of-arms” refers to an armorial device, generally a shield bearing a heraldic design, which is superimposed upon a fur lined cape or royal robe. Family heraldic designs, which are not depicted as such are correctly referred to as “arms.” In the interest to answer inquiries posted regarding Schroeder family arms I will post this in two parts. Part I will provide information on heraldry and unique features of German heraldry. Part II will provide descriptions of several Schroeder/Schroder/Schrotter arms.
Heraldry is the study of the various designs, and symbols used in Europe since the early Middle Ages to represent and identify many families, communities, regions and organizations. These designs and symbols are known as heraldic arms or armorial devices. Many times these devices are incorrectly, but commonly referred to as coats-of-arms.
There is some debate among heraldic experts and historians about the origins of the European heraldic system. Many experts believe European knights and nobles of the First (A.D. 1096 - 1099) and Second (A.D. 1147 – 1149) Crusades observed how their Islamic enemies in the Holy Lands used various designs and symbols paint-ed on their shields and banners to identify themselves on the battle-field. Following the crusades, these European warriors returned home bringing with them this concept of battlefield identification, which eventually grew into a regulated system of heraldry. However, while this might have encouraged the growth of heraldic sys-tems in Europe, it is more likely that the use of animal and plant totems by many ancient Europeans families and clans gave rise to the basis of Medieval heraldry.
Heraldry takes its name from the medieval official at the court of kings and other power nobles called a herald. Heralds initially served as court messengers and were identified by the white staffs they carried and the short sleeved coats called a tabard bearing the armorial devices of their masters worn as the symbols of their office. A senior herald came to be called the King-of-Arms and his assistants are called Pursuivants.
During times of war, heralds often negotiated truces and the exchange of prisoners and hostages. They were also responsible for identifying the bodies for fallen knights and nobles following battles. Heralds later evolved into being responsible for organizing and managing jousting tournaments and pageants. With all of these du-ties it became important for heralds to be able recognize one warrior from another by the designs used on their shields and banners to identify themselves. The identification of the bearer of a given armorial devices was required, because during battles and tournaments, the faces of knights were often covered by their protective helmets making it difficult to identify individual warriors from one another. To assist in the identification of armorial devices heralds began to compile and catalogue written records of the various armorial devices used by knights and nobles. These ancient parchment records of heraldic arms are called codexes or armour rolls and many contain hundreds of small hand-painted armorial devices with their description and the names of their owners.
Later, as heralds became the recognized experts on heraldic arms and the rules governing their creation and use, this led to heralds being empowered to design heraldic arms for newly created knights and nobles or for communities and organizations awarded arms. Still later, heralds began to issue grants for heraldic arms in the name of their noble masters documented in certificates known as letters of patent. A letter of patent is similar to a license allowing the legal use of heraldic arms.
Not everyone has personal or family arms. Heraldry as discussed here is primarily a component of European cultural. Many families of European ethnic background do not possess heraldic arms. This is especially true of families that come from southern and eastern Europe unless they are descended from the old aristocracy. However, this does not necessarily mean that you cannot obtain heraldic arms. Nevertheless, beware, there are many companies in the United States that claim that they can trace your family name and locate your family arms. Generally, what these companies do is locate the arms granted to a family with the same last name as your’s – you and your family may or may not have the legal right to the use of these arms as there may not be any family relationship.
Who is eligible to bear and use heraldic arms? Most nations have their own set of rules about who can and cannot use heraldic arms. These rules can be extremely lenient or very strict according to each nation. In the Netherlands, anyone wishing to adopt and use arms may do so without any form of registration. In Spain, the use of heraldic devices is tightly controlled and all arms must be registered with the appropriate government department.
Can Americans use heraldic arms? There is much disagreement over this issue. However, many of the founding fathers proudly displayed heraldic arms. According to some experts, anyone who can trace any ancestor back to a European nation is eligible to bear arms. American citizens of British heritage wishing to use heraldic arms can for a fee petition the British College-of-Arms for heraldic arms. The College-of-Arms will design and grant any American citizen honorary heraldic arms, who is a good citizen and who has earned a university degree, professional title, or military com-mission, and can: 1.) Clearly trace any ancestor back to the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales); 2.) Prove descent from an ancestor, who lived in the 13 British American colonies prior to their independence in 1783; or 3.) Prove direct descent from any British subject, who legally borne heraldic arms. The United States government does not regulate the use of heraldry. Thus, in most cases, Americans, as do Dutch citizens, tend to design and assume arms of their own without the benefit of any legal authority.
German & Austrian Heraldry: Because these two countries once comprised much of what was the Holy Roman Empire, they as well as much of central Europe share a common heraldic system. In the earliest times, heraldic arms were self-assumed by knights and nobles. In the early Middle Ages, officials at imperial palaces known as Hofpfalzgrafen (palace counts) began to grant heraldic arms. Later, the region’s many sovereign princes held the authority over heraldic arms in their individual territories. Heralds in the sense of those officials responsible for heraldry as in England and France did not come about until much later. In 1702, Prussia established a government department, Koeniglich Preussisches Heroldsamt (Royal Prussian Herald), to deal with disputes over heraldry and aristocracy. Bavaria created a heraldic office, the Reichsherold (Imperial Herald), in 1818, and Saxony did similarly with a government commissioner in 1902. With the fall of Germany’s many royal and princely houses in 1918, the control of these records of various German heralds were transferred to the states that made up the new German republic. Nevertheless, today there is no governing body in the German government, which specifically oversees heraldic issues. However, family arms and hereditary noble titles are protected by law. The case is different in Austria, which also became a republic in 1918, at the end of World War I (1914-1918). The records of the imperial herald are now housed in the Austria state archives. Use of personal heraldic arms is not officially encouraged and the use of the “von” in front of surnames or hereditary noble titles in Austria has been outlawed since the fall of the Austrian monarchy.
Unlike British heraldic arms, which identify individuals, in central Europe a family and its many branches many times share the same arms. In fact, heraldry in central Europe is called “familiewappen” (family arms). Different branches of a family can sometimes be identified by the use of different crests or supporters in a heraldic design or by the quartering in the arms. Sometimes, the arms of different branches of the same family may differ slightly as one branch has inherited arms through marriage or gained additions to their arm as rewards for service to their noble lord. Modern aristocratic arms are displayed in two fashions. Sometimes they appear with a large coronet on top of the shield with a helmet and crest or helmets and crests above the coronet. This is how they would have been illustrated in letters of patent. The other way modern aristocratic arms are depicted is with the helmet and crest or helmets and crests sitting on top of the arms and each bearing an appropriate crown or coronet. Today, in Germany it is considered fashionable for families of ancient lineages to use the original simple and planner variation of their arms. This less complex version without its numerous quarterings, multiple helmets (a helmet for each arms depicted in the quartered arms), and supporters, used at later dates, is considered by many more attractive. Mottoes and supporters are not all that common except among the high nobility and even then are not always used. The first non-aristocratic arms in central Europe were granted to Medieval guild members and merchants in the 13th century. Modern arms of families of non-aristocratic backgrounds in Germany and Austria tend to use the tournament helmet with a simple mantle and bear a crest. A torse (crest wreath) on top of the helmet is not always used. Previously, the arms of commoners consisted of a shield and helmet without any mantling or crest.
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