A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Gottschee family of Austria.
Reg. 8624 · Austrian, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
lionCourage, strength and royalty
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'arg. au lion de gu., cour. d'or. Cq. cour. C.: le lion, iss.”
Austriac. 1772
Where the Gottschee Arms Were Recorded
Tyrol
Map of Austria showing where the Gottschee arms are recorded
The Gottschee arms were recorded in Austria, c. 1772.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Tyrol.
Tyrol was mountain country in western Austria, where the valleys were held by families who had been there a very long time. Old tenure counted for more than money, and old families carried 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.
Region
Tyrol
First recorded
1772
Granting Authority for the Gottschee Arms
Imperial and Royal chancery
Sodacan · CC BY-SA 3.0
The body that granted and recorded arms in Austria in this period.
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
1765–1790
Reigning in Austria when the Gottschee arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Austria
Austrian coats of arms were often linked directly to noble titles granted by the Emperor. These symbols belonged to the entire family line rather than just one individual. When a family grew, new branches kept the original design without needing to change it. This system allowed all members of a noble house to share the same identity across many generations.
Granting authority
The Imperial and Royal chancery managed all heraldic matters and controlled the official granting of arms throughout the Austrian lands.
How they got arms
Families typically received their arms through a formal imperial decree that often accompanied the elevation of a person to noble status.
Where arms were recorded
Official records of these grants were kept in the Imperial Register of Nobility which began its formal documentation process in 1453.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Austria.
Origin & History of the Gottschee Family in Austria
The name Gottschee originates from a historical linguistic region located in present-day Slovenia, which was settled by German-speaking colonists starting in the fourteenth century. These settlers were invited by the Counts of Ortenburg to cultivate the rugged, forested landscape of the Kočevje region. By the late eighteenth century, members of families associated with this name had migrated westward into the Tyrol region of the Austrian Empire. Records confirm their presence in Tyrol by 1772, likely as part of the broader movement of craftsmen and laborers seeking new opportunities within the Habsburg territories. This migration pattern reflects the mobility of families who moved between the alpine provinces to support the growing administrative and agricultural needs of the era. Over time, the name became a marker of this unique cultural heritage, linking the ancestral roots of the Gottschee region to the later development of the family in the Tyrol mountains.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Kočevje
A place name derived from the Slavic word for a clearing.
This name
GottscheeRefers to a person originating from the Gottschee region in modern-day Slovenia.
also spelled
Gotschee
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Petschauer, Erich. Das Jahrhundertbuch der Gottscheer. 1980
Schumi, Florian. Die Gottscheer: Eine Geschichte der deutschen Sprachinsel in Slowenien. 2007
lionCourage, strength and royalty
lionCourage, strength and royalty
