A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Gerle family of Germany.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'or à une mandoline d'azur, cordée d'arg., posée en pal”
The Gerle arms were recorded in Nuremberg, c. 1765.
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.
Reigning in Germany when the Gerle arms are first recorded.
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.
The family name Gerle has deep roots in the historical landscape of southern Germany, with documented evidence placing the family in the city of Nuremberg by 1765. During the eighteenth century, Nuremberg served as a major hub for trade and skilled craftsmanship, which likely influenced the family's early social and economic standing. The name itself is thought to be a diminutive form of names starting with "Ger," a common Germanic root that relates to a spear. In the context of the Holy Roman Empire, families living in urban centers like Nuremberg often participated in the guild system, where they contributed to the city's reputation for metalwork and clockmaking. As the family established their presence in the region, they became part of the local civic life that defined this era of German history. By settling in such a prominent city, the early members of the Gerle family were positioned at the center of the cultural and industrial shifts that transformed Europe during the late Enlightenment period.
An Old High German term referring to a spear or lance.
