Fleckenstein Coat of Arms Record & History

A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Fleckenstein family of Switzerland.

Reg. 0432 · Swiss, D–F

Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details

Symbols on this shield

fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve

saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross

Colours

Green (Vert)Means: Hope

Gold (Or)Means: Generosity

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)

“Ec.: aux 1 et 4 fascé de sin. et d'arg.; aux 2 et 3 d'or au saut. de sa. Deux cq., le 2 cour. C.: 1º un buste d'homme, posé de profil et cont., cour. d'or, hab. aux armes du 1, les bras remplacés par deux prob. aux armes du 1; l. d'arg. et de sin.; 2º deux panaches de pl. d'aut., l'un sur l'autre, partis d'or et de sa.; l. d'or et de sa.”

Switzerlandc. 1644

Where the Fleckenstein Arms Were Recorded

Bern

Map of Switzerland showing where the Fleckenstein arms are recorded

The Fleckenstein arms were recorded in Switzerland, c. 1644.

Arms such as these were typically recorded in Bern.

Bern was the largest of the Swiss cantons and ran itself, with its own council and its own courts. Its governing families held office for generations, and office of that kind carried a shield with it.

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: Bern
First recorded: 1644

Granting Authority for the Fleckenstein Arms

Authority

Cantonal and civic registers

14th century onwards

The body that granted and recorded arms in Switzerland in this period.

How Arms Worked in Switzerland

In Switzerland, coats of arms were not restricted to the nobility and were often adopted by common citizens and families. These symbols were passed down through generations to show family identity. When branches of a family grew, they often changed small details of the design to distinguish their own line from the original group.

Granting authority: Cantonal and civic authorities managed the use of coats of arms within their specific regions and local jurisdictions.
How they got arms: Families typically assumed their own coats of arms based on local custom rather than receiving them from a central monarch.
Where arms were recorded: Arms were recorded in various cantonal and civic registers starting from the fourteenth century throughout the Swiss region.
The family's standing: Recorded among the armigerous families of Switzerland.

Origin & History of the Fleckenstein Family in Switzerland

The name Fleckenstein originates from the German language and is a topographic surname. It is composed of the words "Flecken," meaning a spot or a small town, and "Stein," meaning stone or rock. This suggests that the earliest ancestors likely lived near a prominent rock formation or a specific landmark that local people identified by that name. By the mid-17th century, members of the family were firmly established in the city of Bern, Switzerland. Records from 1644 confirm their presence in this region during a time of significant social and political change in Europe. As the family settled into life in Bern, they integrated into the local community and contributed to the development of the area. Their history reflects the common pattern of families moving through German-speaking lands before finding a permanent home in the Swiss cantons.