A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Freiberg family of Germany.
Reg. 5761 · German, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
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)
“Ec.; aux 1 et 4 coupé: a. d'arg. plein; b. d'azur à trois étoiles d'or (Freiberg); aux 2 et 3 dans un champ de couleur cendrée, un tertre de trois coupeaux d'or, mouv. de la p. (Aschau). Deux cq. cour. C.: 1º cinq pl. d'aut. d'arg.; 1. d'arg. et d'azur; 2º une aigle de sa., bq., m., ailée et cour. d'or; l. d'or et de sa. - (Rec. du titre de baron, 23 sept. 1675:) Dans un champ de couleur cendrée, un tertre de trois coupeaux d'or, mouv. de la p. (Aschau); le champ chapé-ployé: à dextre coupé d'arg. sur azur, l'azur ch. de trois étoiles d'or (Freiberg, en Bavière); à sen. coupé d'or sur azur, l'a-”
BavariaBavaria, c. 1765
Where the Freiberg Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Freiberg arms are recorded
The Freiberg arms were recorded in Bavaria, c. 1765.
Bavaria was a country of old landed families and walled market towns. Estates passed down the same line for centuries, and both the landowners and the leading townsmen kept arms, which is why so many Bavarian names sit in the registers.
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 Freiberg 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 Bavaria.
Origin & History of the Freiberg Family in Germany
The name Freiberg is a topographical surname, which means it was originally derived from the physical landscape where a family lived. In German, the name combines the words "frei," meaning free, and "berg," meaning mountain or hill. This suggests that the earliest ancestors to carry the name likely resided near a prominent hill or a mountain settlement that held a special legal status. By 1765, records confirm that members of the Freiberg family were firmly established in the region of Bavaria. During this period, families in rural Bavaria were often deeply connected to the land through agriculture and local trade. As the family grew, they became part of the social fabric of the Bavarian countryside, living through a time when the region was transitioning under the influence of the Holy Roman Empire. The name served as a way to identify their origins and their place within the local community as they navigated the challenges of eighteenth-century life.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Frei-Berg
Free or noble combined with mountain or hill.
This name
FreibergA topographic name for someone living on a free or noble mountain.
also spelled
Freiberg
Hohenaschau
Freiberg-Hohenaschau
Fryberg de Hohenashow
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
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
