A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Bernholtz family of Germany.
Reg. 5351 · German, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
bearStrength, cunning and protection of kin
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
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., ramp. contre un chicot courbé de gu. C.: les meubles de l'écu.”
SwabiaSwabia, c. 1765
Where the Bernholtz Arms Were Recorded
Swabia
Map of Germany showing where the Bernholtz arms are recorded
The Bernholtz arms were recorded in Swabia, c. 1765.
Swabia was broken into a great many small territories in southern Germany, and each had its own landowners and its own leading townsmen. That fragmentation produced an unusual number of families with arms.
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.
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
1745–1765
Reigning in Germany when the Bernholtz arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Germany
In the Holy Roman Empire, coats of arms were often granted to individuals by the Emperor or his representatives. These arms were then passed down through the generations to all legitimate descendants of the original holder. Younger branches of a family usually kept the same shield design without needing to change it, as the arms belonged to the entire lineage.
Granting authority
The Holy Roman Emperor held the sole power to grant new coats of arms throughout his vast imperial territories.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through a formal imperial grant or by proving their noble status to the authorities.
Where arms were recorded
These grants were officially recorded in the Imperial Chancery registers, which began keeping formal records of such honors during the Middle Ages.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Swabia.
Origin & History of the Bernholtz Family in Germany
The family name Bernholtz originates from the historical region of Swabia, a territory in southwestern Germany known for its distinct cultural identity and deep roots in the Holy Roman Empire. The name is composed of two German words, with "Bern" likely referring to a bear and "Holtz" meaning wood or forest. This suggests that the earliest ancestors may have lived near a wooded area associated with bears or perhaps worked as foresters in the dense woodlands of the Swabian Jura. By 1765, records confirm that members of the family were well-established within this region, living through a time of significant agricultural and social transition in central Europe. As the family grew, they likely participated in the local traditions and trades that defined the Swabian landscape, contributing to the small village communities that characterized the area during the eighteenth century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Bern-Holz
Derived from the Germanic words for bear and wood or timber.
This name
BernholtzRefers to a person who lived near a wooded area inhabited by bears.
also spelled
Bernholts
Bernholz
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Bader, Karl S., Der deutsche Südwesten in seiner territorialgeschichtlichen Entwicklung, 1978
State Archive of Baden-Württemberg, Kirchenbücher der evangelischen Kirchengemeinden in Württemberg
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bearStrength, cunning and protection of kin
bearStrength, cunning and protection of kin
