A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Bressler family of Germany.
Reg. 3939 · German, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
chequyConstancy, and the counting-board
cross symbolChristian faith and service
shipEnterprise, and a great voyage undertaken
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
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)
“Coupé: au 1 parti: a. échiq. d'or et de sa.; b. d'or à l'aigle de sa., bq., m. et cour. d'or; au 2 d'azur à un vaisseau de trois mâts d'or. pavillonné à sen. de gu. à la croix d'arg., voguant sur une eau d'arg. Cq. cour. C.: deux banderoles adossées de gu. L. d'or et de sa.”
SilesiaSilesia, c. 1703
Where the Bressler Arms Were Recorded
Map of Germany showing where the Bressler arms are recorded
The Bressler arms were recorded in Silesia, c. 1703.
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.
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
1658–1705
Reigning in Germany when the Bressler 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 Bressler Family in Germany
The family name Bressler traces its roots to the historical region of Silesia, where members of the family were firmly established by the year 1703. The name is widely considered a locative surname, meaning it was likely adopted by individuals who migrated from the city of Breslau, which is known today as Wrocław in modern-day Poland. During the early eighteenth century, Silesia was a crossroads of cultural and linguistic exchange under the influence of the Holy Roman Empire. Families living in this area often took names that identified their place of origin to help distinguish them within growing communities. As the Bressler family moved through these central European lands, they integrated into the local social and economic structures of the region. This transition from a regional identifier to a permanent family name reflects the broader patterns of movement and settlement that defined life in Silesia during the early modern period.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Breslau
A city name referring to the historical region of Silesia.
This name
BresslerAn occupational or habitational name for someone originating from the city of Breslau.
also spelled
Bresseler
Bresslar
Bresler
Pressler
Related arms
Breslervariant spelling
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
Heintze, Albert, Die deutschen Familien-Namen: geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich, 1903
State Archive in Wrocław (Archiwum Państwowe we Wrocławiu), Akta miasta Wrocławia (Records of the City of Wrocław), 1703
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
chequyConstancy, and the counting-board
cross symbolChristian faith and service
shipEnterprise, and a great voyage undertaken
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
chequyConstancy, and the counting-board
cross symbolChristian faith and service
shipEnterprise, and a great voyage undertaken
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
