A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Kiesewetter family of Germany.
Reg. 9988 · German, J–L
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
knightChivalry and service in arms
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'azur à un enfant de carn., ceint d'un tablier d'arg., tenant de sa main dextre un sceptre d'or et de sa sen. une boule du même, et posé sur une terrasse de sin. sur laquelle est couché un serpent au nat., la queue nouée. Cq. cour. C.: un ange iss., hab. d'arg., au baudrier en saut. de gu. et d'azur, ailé de gu., tenant de sa main dextre un sceptre d'or et de sa sen. une boule du même. L. d'or et d'azur.”
MecklenburgMecklenburg, c. 1765
Where the Kiesewetter Arms Were Recorded
Mecklenburg
Map of Germany showing where the Kiesewetter arms are recorded
The Kiesewetter arms were recorded in Mecklenburg, c. 1765.
Mecklenburg was farming country in the north of Germany, held by a small number of families who kept their estates for generations. Owning land was what entitled a family to arms, so a great many Mecklenburg names ended up 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 Kiesewetter 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 Mecklenburg.
Origin & History of the Kiesewetter Family in Germany
The surname Kiesewetter is a German occupational name that carries a unique linguistic history. It is composed of the words "kiese," meaning gravel or pebbles, and "wetter," which refers to weather or a person who prepares something. Historically, this suggests that the earliest members of the family may have been involved in road construction, stone masonry, or working with gravel pits. By 1765, records confirm that the family was well-established in the Mecklenburg region of northern Germany. During this era, families in Mecklenburg were often tied to the land through agricultural labor or skilled trades in growing rural villages. As the family moved through the eighteenth century, they became part of the social fabric of the region, contributing to the local economy and community life long before the name spread to other parts of Europe.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Kiese and Wetter
Kiese refers to gravel or pebbles; Wetter refers to weather.
This name
KiesewetterA topographic or descriptive name for someone living on gravelly soil or experiencing harsh weather conditions.
also spelled
Kieswetter
Kieseweter
Keesevetter
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
Heintze, Albert. Die deutschen Familien-Namen: geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich. 1903
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
knightChivalry and service in arms
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
knightChivalry and service in arms
