A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Basedow family of Germany.
Reg. 7763 · German, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
paleMilitary strength, and a fortified defence
sickleThe harvest, and the reaping of what was sown
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“De gu. à la fasce de sin., ch. de deux faucilles d'arg., emm. d'or, posées en pals, le tranchant à dextre, et acc. en chef d'une aigle naiss. d'or, mouv. de la fasce. Cq. cour. C.: deux faucilles affr. d'arg., emm. d'or. L.: à dextre de gu. et de sin., à sen. d'or et de gu.”
MecklenburgAnhalt-Dessau · Mecklenburg, c. 1833
Where the Basedow Arms Were Recorded
Mecklenburg
Map of Germany showing where the Basedow arms are recorded
The Basedow arms were recorded in Mecklenburg, c. 1833.
Mecklenburg was farming country in the north of Germany, held by a small number of families who kept their estates for generations. Owning land was what entitled a family to arms, so a great many Mecklenburg names ended up in the registers.
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.
The body that granted and recorded arms in Germany in this period.
Frederick William III of Prussia
Sovereign of the period
Frederick William III of Prussia
1797–1840
Reigning in Germany when the Basedow arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Germany
Prussian heraldry was strictly tied to social rank and noble status rather than being a free choice for every citizen. These symbols were treated as permanent family property that moved through the generations to all legitimate heirs. If a family branch wanted to change their design to stand out, they had to apply for official permission to alter their specific version of the shield.
Granting authority
The Prussian Heroldsamt acted as the central state office that managed and strictly controlled all noble titles and coats of arms.
How they got arms
Families usually obtained their arms through formal royal grants or by proving their long-standing noble status to the state authorities.
Where arms were recorded
All official coats of arms were kept in the rolls of the Prussian Heroldsamt, which functioned from 1706 until 1918.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Mecklenburg.
Origin & History of the Basedow Family in Germany
The family name Basedow originates from a place name in the Mecklenburg region of northern Germany. During the Middle Ages, families often took their surnames from the villages where they lived or held land. The town of Basedow, located near the Malchiner See, served as the ancestral home for those who eventually carried the name into the nineteenth century. By 1833, records confirm that members of the Basedow family were well-established residents within Mecklenburg. These early ancestors were likely part of the local agrarian society, as the region was defined by its vast estates and farming communities. Over generations, the name became a permanent marker of their geographic roots in this historic German territory.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Base
A low-lying area or a settlement situated in a valley.
This name
BasedowRefers to a person who originated from the village of Basedow in Mecklenburg, Germany.
also spelled
Basedo
Related arms
Heideckrecorded with Basedow, same area
Reinarecorded with Basedow, same area
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
paleMilitary strength, and a fortified defence
sickleThe harvest, and the reaping of what was sown
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
paleMilitary strength, and a fortified defence
sickleThe harvest, and the reaping of what was sown
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
