German Nobility - Principles of German Nobility

Principles of German Nobility

In Germany, nobility and titles pertaining to it were bestowed on a person by sovereigns, and then passed down through legitimate children. In a few cases, families which had been noble as far back as historical records document, their ancient nobility (Uradel) was recognised rather than conferred by a sovereign. Noble rank was usually granted by letters patent on men, whereas women could legally become members of the nobility by marrying a nobleman. Nobility was always inherited equally by all legitimate descendants in the male line of the original man who had been ennobled. German noble titles were also usually inherited by all male-line descendants, although occasionally they descended by male primogeniture, especially in Prussia. Noble families were almost always bearing a coat of arms. Blazoning an escutcheon was no privilege of nobility, also non-noble free families could bear coats of arms and non-noble crests are recorded since the 14th c.

All privileges and immunities of the German nobility as a legally defined class were abolished on August 11, 1919 with the promulgation of the Weimar Constitution, recognising all Germans as equal before the laws of their country. However nobility itself, as a class and as a hereditary attribute, was not explicitly abolished. Hereditary titles were abolished but transformed into part of each noble's legal surname. This caused an exceptional practice in surnaming. Whereas the differentiation of German surnames for female or male bearers, widespread until the 18th century – colloquially continued in some German dialects – has been abolished in Germany with the introduction of officially registered invariable surnames at latest in the 19th century, the former noble titles transformed into parts of the surnames in 1919 continue to appear in female and male variations.

Completely abolished were titles such as German emperor/empress, king/queen, and grand duke/grand duchess and other titles, distinct from those held and inherited by ordinary members of the family, but reserved for its respective chief (usual in some, but rather few noble families). Whereas the imperial titles have no modern successors in naming, the former holders of the regnal royal or grand ducal titles received the new not-to-be translated surname elements Prinz/Prinzessin (not Fürst/Fürstin ) for the royals of Bavaria, Prussia, Saxony, and Württemberg (the latter extinct in 1921), like their non-ruling siblings and descendants used to be titled before 1919, or Herzog (as a title translated as duke, for the six grand dukes and their spouses).

Persons, who had not ruled before 1918, but held specific titles adhering to their primogenitural function as heirs to one of the former thrones, or referring to their role as chief of the family (as usual in some non-ruling noble families) – including their spouses – were allowed to use these already held titles as personal surname elements. However, their primogenitural heirs did not inherit these personal surname elements. As an example with the death of all persons once styled crown princes before 1918, today none of their heirs bears the term Kronprinz as surname element. Traditional specific titles exclusively used for unmarried daughters of noble families (such as Baronesse, Freiin, or Freifräulein) were also transformed into parts of the legal surname, to be changed at marriage or on request, since generally addressing women indicating their marital status is growing unpopular (cf. Fräulein).

Thus all other former titles and all nobiliary particles are now inherited as part of the surnames, and remain protected as private names under laws promulgated under the constitution, for that purpose. An example would be Graf Kasimir von der Recke, as styled until 1919, analogously in English Count Kasimir von der Recke, with Graf (count) being a title, thus replacing the addressing Herr (Mr.) for non-noble men, whose title, now being a surname, needs not to be translated and would appear as Herr Kasimir Graf von der Recke, Mr. Kasimir Graf von der Recke. However, the pre-1919 way of styling sometimes continues in colloquial usage. In Austria, in contrast, not only were the privileges of the nobility abolished, but their titles and nobiliary particles as well.

Some states within the Holy Roman Empire had strict laws concerning the conduct, employment or marriage of individual nobles. Failure to comply with these regulations could result in Adelsverlust ("loss of the status of nobility"). Until about the early 19th century, for example, it was commonly forbidden for nobles to marry people "of low birth", i.e. commoners, or the marriage was classified morganatic and eventual children would not enjoy noble rank. With former titles now being just extended parts of the surnames noble surnames can be passed on - like any other surname – by marriage from the noble wife to the non-noble husband, in a same-sex partnership, from the unmarried noble mother to her children, from one noble person to another non-noble by adoption.

Various organisations perpetuate the historical legacy of the former nobility, documenting genealogy, as well as chronicling the history of noble families. Such organisations often cling to old standards not recording in their genealogies and not admitting as members those persons who acquired noble surnames by ways impossible before 1919.