A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Flack family of Germany.
Reg. 7722 · German, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
Colours
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
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 fasces d'or. C.: un vol aux armes de l'écu, les plumes ext. de chaque aile ornées de six roses d'arg.”
HesseHesse, c. 1765
Where the Flack Arms Were Recorded
Hesse
Map of Germany showing where the Flack arms are recorded
The Flack arms were recorded in Hesse, c. 1765.
Hesse was central German country, divided among a large number of small landowners and prosperous towns. So many separate households held ground there that the region produced an unusual number of 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 Flack 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 Hesse.
Origin & History of the Flack Family in Germany
The surname Flack has deep roots in the German region of Hesse, where records confirm the family was well-established by 1765. The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname, as the Middle High German word "flack" often referred to someone who was flat or perhaps lived on a level piece of land. During the eighteenth century, families in this area were often tied to the land through farming or local trades, and their identity was closely linked to the specific village or parish where they resided. As the family grew, members moved through the Hessian countryside, maintaining their identity through local church registries and tax documents. These early records provide a window into a time when the family was part of the foundational social fabric of central Germany, long before the mass migrations that would later spread the name across the globe.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Flach
A German adjective describing something flat or level.
This name
FlackA topographic name for someone who lived on flat or level ground.
also spelled
Flack
Flahk
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Hessisches Staatsarchiv Marburg, Kirchenbücher der evangelischen Kirchengemeinden in Hessen, 1765
Bahlow, Hans, Deutsches Namenlexikon: Familien- und Vornamen nach Ursprung und Sinn erklärt, 1967
Gottschald, Max, Deutsche Namenkunde: Unsere Familiennamen nach ihrer Entstehung und Bedeutung, 1954
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fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
