A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Erenberg family of Germany.
Reg. 3923 · German, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
wingSwiftness, and protection under a raised wing
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
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 un demi-vol de gu., ch. d'un croiss. d'or et terminé en tête d'aigle. Cq. cour. C.: une queue de paon au nat., ch. de deux bottes éperonnées et adossées d'or. L.: d'arg. et de gu. [Le major Albert Ehrenberg, au service de Prusse, a été anobli le 25 mai 1820 au port des mêmes armes. V. Arnold Ehrenberg.]”
FranconiaFranconia, c. 1765
Where the Erenberg Arms Were Recorded
Franconia
Map of Germany showing where the Erenberg arms are recorded
The Erenberg arms were recorded in Franconia, c. 1765.
Franconia was a patchwork of small territories in central Germany, full of minor landowners and prosperous market towns. So many separate households held land there that the region produced a great many coats of 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 Erenberg 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 Franconia.
Origin & History of the Erenberg Family in Germany
The family name Erenberg finds its roots in the historical region of Franconia, a territory in central Germany known for its deep cultural traditions and complex administrative history. By 1765, records confirm that members of the Erenberg family were established residents within this area. The name itself is descriptive, likely derived from the Middle High German words for honor or respect combined with a term for a mountain or fortified hill. During the eighteenth century, families in this region were often tied to the land through agriculture or local trade guilds. As the family grew, they became part of the social fabric of Franconian village life, contributing to the local economy and community governance. Their presence in the mid-eighteenth century suggests a stable lineage that was well-integrated into the regional bureaucracy of the time.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Ehrenberg
Derived from the German words for honor and mountain.
This name
ErenbergRefers to a person who lived on or near a mountain associated with honor or prestige.
also spelled
Ehrenburg
Erenberg
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Bader, Karl Siegfried, Der deutsche Südwesten in seiner territorialgeschichtlichen Entwicklung, 1950
Staatsarchiv Bamberg, Standesamtliche Unterlagen und Kirchenbücher der Region Franken, 1765
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wingSwiftness, and protection under a raised wing
wingSwiftness, and protection under a raised wing
