A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Borek family of Germany.
Reg. 9840 · German, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
arrowReadiness for battle, and affliction endured
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
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 une flèche d'arg., posée en pal. C.: une ramure de cerf, au nat. - (Barons). Parti: au 1 de gu. à une flèche d'arg., posée en pal; au 2 coupé: a. d'arg. à un bras arm., tenant une épée, le tout au nat.; b. de gu. à six cotices en barres de sa. Deux cq cour. C.: 1° une ramure de cerf, au nat.; l. d'arg. et de sa.; 2° le bras du 1 a: l. d'arg. et de gu.”
SilesiaSilesia, c. 1765
Where the Borek Arms Were Recorded
Map of Germany showing where the Borek arms are recorded
The Borek arms were recorded in Silesia, c. 1765.
Silesia was farming country in the east of the German lands, held in large estates by families who stayed put for generations. Owning land was what entitled a family to arms, so the region fills a good deal of the 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.
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 Borek 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 Silesia.
Origin & History of the Borek Family in Germany
The surname Borek has deep roots in the historical region of Silesia, where records confirm the family was established by at least 1765. The name itself is derived from a Slavic word meaning a small pine forest or a grove, which suggests that the earliest ancestors likely lived near or worked within these wooded areas. During the eighteenth century, Silesia was a crossroads of different cultures and languages, and the Borek family was part of the local agricultural and village communities that defined the landscape. As the family grew, they became integrated into the social fabric of the region, often identified by their connection to the land and the specific geography of their home. This name served as a way to distinguish families based on their environment, marking them as people of the forest who played a steady role in the development of their local Silesian towns.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Bor
A Slavic term referring to a pine forest or woodland.
This name
BorekA topographic name for someone who lived near or worked in a pine forest.
also spelled
Borek
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Kutrzeba, Stanisław. Historia Śląska. 1933
Rospond, Stanisław. Słownik etymologiczny nazwisk i imion śląskich. 1967
State Archive in Wrocław (Archiwum Państwowe we Wrocławiu), Akta stanu cywilnego parafii rzymskokatolickiej w Śląsku
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arrowReadiness for battle, and affliction endured
arrowReadiness for battle, and affliction endured
