A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Kassel family of Germany.
Reg. 8691 · German, J–L
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
towerGrandeur and solidity, and a stronghold defended
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“Parti: au 1 d'azur à une tour sommée de trois tourelles d'arg., posée sur une terrasse de sin.; au 2 d'or à trois bandes de gu. C.: une femme iss., hab. de gu., les manches d'or, tenant de sa main sen. trois roses de gu., tigées de sin.”
BavariaBavaria, c. 1765
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Map of Germany showing where the Kassel arms are recorded
The Kassel 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 Kassel 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 Kassel Family in Germany
The family name Kassel is a locative surname, which means it originally identified a person by the place where they lived or originated. The name is most famously associated with the city of Kassel in the Hesse region of Germany, which derives from the ancient Roman settlement known as Castellum Cattorum. While the name is tied to this northern city, families carrying the Kassel name migrated across various German-speaking territories over the centuries. By 1765, records confirm that members of the family were well-established in the region of Bavaria. During this period, families in Bavaria were often tied to specific trades or agricultural land, and the movement of people across German states was common due to shifts in regional politics and the search for better economic opportunities. The presence of the Kassel name in southern Germany by the mid-eighteenth century reflects the broader historical pattern of families spreading from their ancestral hubs to settle in new provinces.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Castellum
Latin term for a fort, castle, or fortified place.
This name
KasselDerived from the city of Kassel, originally denoting someone living near a fortified settlement.
also spelled
Kassel
Cassell
Kassell
Kasel
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
towerGrandeur and solidity, and a stronghold defended
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
towerGrandeur and solidity, and a stronghold defended
