The authoritative source on coats of arms of German families (aka "German family crests" or Deutsches familienwappen, is called Siebmachers Wappenbuch, a roll of arms first published in 1605 as two multivolume book series of armorial bearings or coats of arms of the nobility of the Holy Roman Empire, as well as coats of arms some burgher families. It was compiled by Johann Ambrosius Siebmacher (1561-1611), a German heraldic artist, copperplate engraver, etcher, and publisher from Nuremberg. The series ran until 1806. In 1854, the Neuer Siebmacher collection began to be published. In Germany, like other countries, coats of arms belonged to the noble class, but unlike many other countries, coats of arms were also granted to the burgher class or bourgeois since the Middle Ages. By definition, however, the term is alien to British heraldry, which follows other rules. Another unique fact about German heraldry is that the nobility (and hence coats of arms) was inherited equally by all legitimate descendants in the male line. In most other countries, such as England, primogeniture, or inheritance through the first born male, was practices. As in other European heraldic traditions, the most prominent among the birds and beasts are the eagle and lion. These two charges in particular had a special significance in Germany, where the eagle became symbolic of the Holy Roman Empire, and the lion came to represent certain feudal lords. German heraldry is also known for its use of multiple crests. Although assumption of arms always remained free, the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire since Charles IV began to grant arms without raising people to nobiliary status. the fall of the Holy Roman Empire, arms were no longer granted to burghers except in the Kingdom of Saxony, where such grants continued from 1911 until 1918. 1) FICK Joachim Josef von Fick (1723-1790), descend from Paul Fick, a 17th century merchant in Nuremberg, obtained the baronial rank for the family as a reward for the 55 years of government service he rendered to the crown. The rank and coat of arms was granted on July 12th, 1769 by granted by Elector Karl Theodor of Palatinate and Bavaria. Many of the family’s coat of arms featured a silberner Schwan or silver Swan. Ficksche Castle, built in 1617 and renovated in 1768, served as the family residence of the barons von Fick, until 1879. 2) LEHMANN Georg von Lehmann (1856-1936) was General in the cavalry in the Austrian-Hungarian Empire during the First World War. His ancestor, Josef Marian Lehmann, was raised to the nobility by Empress Maria Theresa on July 10th, 1780 and given a coat of arms that depicted a owl standing on a green mount. According to an existing family tree and family chronicle dating back to 1540, the family came from Saxony and was a Protestant until Johann Adam Lehmann, who was the first from this family to come to Austria, converted to Roman Catholicism. 3) LEHMANN Christian Lehmann (born 1611) in Königswalde near as the second child of pastor Theodosius Lehmann (1581–1642). Lehmann comes from a respected family in the Saxon Ore Mountains. Christian Lehmann's great-grandfather Peter Lehmann (1504–1574) was raised to hereditary nobility on September 20, 1562 by Emperor Ferdinand while grandfather Peter Lehmann the Younger (1545–1618) was mayor of the mining town of Annaberg thirteen times. Epitaph for Christian Lehmann and his wife Euphrosyna in the St. John's Church in Scheibenberg. The family’s coat of arms is depicted at the top. 4) GERHARDT Dr. Hieronymus Gerhardt was born in Hildesheim, Saxony in 1518. He was a prominent council figure in Wurttemberg and also earned a Doctor of Canon and Civil Law at the University of Tubingen. He also advised Duke Georg von Wurttemberg-Momplegard, and helped negotiate the Council of Trent. He died in 1574. His son, Dr. Hieronymus Gerhardt Jr., was also a councillor, and he married Anna Maria, daughter of Dr. Nicolaus Varnbuhler. He received his diplom (grant of arms) on July 12th, 1591 in Prague, from Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, and Archduke of Austria. The grant was extended to his siblings and brothers as well. He was appointed Count Palatinate in 1593 by the same Emperor. For ancestral research & heraldic merchandise, please visit: https://www.coadb.com Email: info@coadb.com Phone: 785-324-2529 11AM - 9PM (ET)

• published: 19 Apr 2021
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