A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Baehr family of Poland.
Reg. 7129 · Polish, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
bearStrength, cunning and protection of kin
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'arg. à l'ours de sa., pass. sur une terrasse de sin. C.: l'ours, iss., tenant de sa patte dextre trois plumes de paon au nat. L. d'arg. et de sa. [V. de Behr.]”
LivoniaLivonia, c. 1772
Where the Baehr Arms Were Recorded
Map of Poland showing where the Baehr arms are recorded
The Baehr arms were recorded in Livonia, c. 1772.
Livonia was Baltic country held by a small number of landed families who kept their estates for centuries. Land there passed down whole rather than being divided, and long unbroken tenure is what fills a register.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
Region
Livonia
First recorded
1772
Granting Authority for the Baehr Arms
Ennoblement by the Sejm
Author: Olek Remesz · CC BY-SA 3.0
The body that granted and recorded arms in Poland in this period.
Stanisław August Poniatowski
Sovereign of the period
Stanisław August Poniatowski
1764–1795
Reigning in Poland when the Baehr arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Poland
Polish noble families shared a single coat of arms across many different surnames, creating large clans rather than individual designs. These symbols were held collectively by all members of the clan regardless of their specific family name. When a new family joined the nobility, they were adopted into an existing clan and began using that group's established shield.
Granting authority
The Sejm, which was the Polish parliament, held the power to grant noble status and the right to bear arms.
How they got arms
Families typically received their coat of arms through a formal act of ennoblement granted by the Sejm for distinguished service.
Where arms were recorded
These grants were officially recorded in the Crown Metrica, which served as the central archive for state documents starting in the sixteenth century.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Livonia.
Origin & History of the Baehr Family in Poland
The surname Baehr is deeply rooted in the Germanic linguistic tradition, where it is derived from the Middle High German word for bear. This name often served as a descriptive nickname for a person who possessed great physical strength or a particularly brave personality. By the time the family was firmly established in the region of Livonia in 1772, the name had already been in use for several centuries across various German-speaking territories. Families carrying this name in the Baltic provinces were frequently part of the administrative or landowning classes who moved eastward to serve in the Baltic governorates. These early settlers played a significant role in the cultural and economic development of the area while maintaining their distinct linguistic and social heritage. Over generations, the family name became a permanent fixture in the local records of the region, reflecting a long history of migration and integration within the complex social landscape of eighteenth-century Eastern Europe.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Bär
Germanic word meaning bear.
This name
BaehrA nickname for a person with a large or strong build.
also spelled
Vonbaer
Baehr
fon Bar
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Bahlow, Hans, Deutsches Namenlexikon: Familien- und Vornamen nach Ursprung und Sinn erklärt, 1967
Kruse, Friedrich, Necrolivonica, oder Geschichte der in den livländischen Geschichtsquellen enthaltenen, auf die Zeit vor der Zeitrechnung der Letten und Esten bezüglichen Notizen, 1859
National Archives of Estonia (Eesti Rahvusarhiiv), Livonian Land Registry records (Liivimaa Maakonnaarhiiv)
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
bearStrength, cunning and protection of kin
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
bearStrength, cunning and protection of kin
