A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Platner family of Germany.
Reg. 1409 · German, P–S
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
grapesPlenty, and the labour of the vine
Colours
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)
“D'arg. à un cep de vigne fruité, accolé à son échalas. C.: un cygne.”
SaxonySaxony, c. 1765
Where the Platner Arms Were Recorded
Saxony
Map of Germany showing where the Platner arms are recorded
The Platner arms were recorded in Saxony, c. 1765.
Saxony had mines, trade and old landed families all at once. Silver made some fortunes and land held others, and both sorts of family kept arms, which is why Saxon names appear so often 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 Platner 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 Saxony.
Origin & History of the Platner Family in Germany
The surname Platner is rooted in the occupational traditions of medieval Germany, specifically originating from the Middle High German word "platner." This term referred to a skilled craftsman who forged plate armor, a vital profession during an era when knights relied on metal protection for survival. By the time the family was firmly established in the region of Saxony in 1765, the name had transitioned from a description of a specific trade to a hereditary family identifier. Families with this name often lived in urban centers where metalworking guilds held significant influence over local commerce and politics. As the demand for heavy plate armor declined with the rise of gunpowder, many individuals bearing the name shifted their expertise toward general blacksmithing or other metal-based industries. This transition allowed the family to maintain its connection to skilled labor while adapting to the changing economic landscape of the eighteenth century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Platte
A flat surface or a metal plate.
This name
PlatnerAn occupational surname for a maker of metal plates or armor.
also spelled
Platner
Plathn
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
Sächsisches Staatsarchiv, Kirchenbücher der evangelisch-lutherischen Landeskirche Sachsens, 1765
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grapesPlenty, and the labour of the vine
grapesPlenty, and the labour of the vine
