A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Fischbach family of Poland.
Reg. 2007 · Polish, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
fishA true and generous mind, and Christian faith
Colours
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
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 sa. à deux poissons adossés d'arg. C.: un poisson nageant d'arg., supp. une boule d'or, sommée d'un panache de plumes de coq de sa.”
Polandc. 1772
Where the Fischbach Arms Were Recorded
Mazovia
Map of Poland showing where the Fischbach arms are recorded
The Fischbach arms were recorded in Poland, c. 1772.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Mazovia.
Mazovia held Warsaw, the Polish court and the assemblies where the szlachta met. Poland's nobles were unusually numerous and every one of them bore arms, and Warsaw is where those arms were argued over and recorded.
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.
Region
Mazovia
First recorded
1772
Granting Authority for the Fischbach Arms
Ennoblement by the Sejm
Author: Olek Remesz · CC BY-SA 3.0
The body that granted and recorded arms in Poland in this period.
Stanisław August Poniatowski
Sovereign of the period
Stanisław August Poniatowski
1764–1795
Reigning in Poland when the Fischbach arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Poland
Polish noble families shared a single coat of arms across many different surnames, creating large clans rather than individual designs. These symbols were held collectively by all members of the clan regardless of their specific family name. When a new family joined the nobility, they were adopted into an existing clan and began using that group's established shield.
Granting authority
The Sejm, which was the Polish parliament, held the power to grant noble status and the right to bear arms.
How they got arms
Families typically received their coat of arms through a formal act of ennoblement granted by the Sejm for distinguished service.
Where arms were recorded
These grants were officially recorded in the Crown Metrica, which served as the central archive for state documents starting in the sixteenth century.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Poland.
Origin & History of the Fischbach Family in Poland
The name Fischbach is of German origin and literally translates to "fish brook," which suggests that the family’s earliest ancestors likely lived near a small stream teeming with fish. This type of surname is known as a topographic name because it identifies a family by the natural features of the land where they resided. By 1772, records confirm that members of the Fischbach family were established in the region of Mazovia. During this period, the area was undergoing significant political and social shifts, and many families of German descent moved into these territories to participate in agricultural development and trade. These early settlers often maintained their linguistic and cultural traditions while integrating into the local communities of the Polish heartland. The presence of the family in Mazovia during the late 18th century highlights their role as part of the broader migration patterns that shaped the demographic landscape of Central Europe at the time.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Fisch and Bach
Fish and brook or stream
This name
FischbachA topographic name for someone living near a stream where fish were caught.
also spelled
Fyschbach
Fischback
Fishbah
Fishback
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Breyer, Richard, Das deutsche Element in Polen, 1955
Kneifel, Eduard, Die evangelisch-augsburgischen Gemeinden in Polen 1555–1939, 1971
Archiwum Główne Akt Dawnych (Central Archives of Historical Records), Księgi metrykalne parafii ewangelicko-augsburskich w Warszawie i okolicach (Parish registers of the Evangelical-Augsburg parishes in Warsaw and surrounding areas)
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fishA true and generous mind, and Christian faith
fishA true and generous mind, and Christian faith
