20:
1033:
families were given a barony (with some rights of taxation and jurisprudence), but such fiefs were only granted in the 16th and 17th centuries. Thereafter the "barony" was titular, usually in chief of some already-owned property, and sometimes that property was established as a
1225:
808:
Similar titles have been seen in parts of Europe that have historically been dominated by
Germany (in the cultural sense): the Baltic States, Austria–Hungary, Sweden, Finland and to some extent in Denmark–Norway.
778:, and might or might not be used by those bearing them. Female forms of titles have been legally accepted as a variation in the surname after 1919 by a still valid decision of the former German High Court (
698:) ruled that an Austrian woman having been adopted by a German carrying an aristocratic title as part of his name is not allowed to carry this title in her name. The Federal Administrative Court (
788:). The distinguishing main surname is the name, following the Freiherr, Freifrau or Freiin and, where applicable, the nobiliary particle – in the preceding example, the main surname is
447:
in formal contexts to distinguish themselves from the new classes of barons created by monarchs of lesser stature than the Holy Roman
Emperors, and this usage is far from obsolete.
1300:: that family was ennobled much earlier than 1809, so all its (agnatic) members belong to the untitled nobility, with the exception of a single baron; the great-grandfather of
882:, the possibility to create nobility is eliminated; and since the beginning of the twenty-first century, noble dignities have passed from the official sphere to the private.
233:) title to his land, as opposed "unmittelbar" ("unintermediated"), or held without any intermediate feudal tenure; or unlike the ordinary baron, who was originally a knight (
501:
as is the baronial title in
Britain. Hence, the titles applied equally to all male-line descendants of the original grantee in perpetuity: All legitimate sons of a
636:
of 3 April 1919 and the corresponding decree of the state government. The public use of such titles was and still is prohibited, and violations could be fined.
878:
However, after the change of constitution in 1809, newly created baronships in principle conferred the dignity only in primogeniture. In the now valid
Swedish
1013:. In the beginning, they were all without honorific titulature, and known just as "lords". In subsequent centuries, while Finland remained an autonomous
981:("baron") on some persons, not all of them nobles. This prerogative was confirmed in the constitutional arrangements of 1625. All family members of
1284:, implying that only the head of the family possesses the dignity of baron". The formulation is found, for example, with reference to the family
663:
In practice, however, former noble titles are still used socially in
Austria; some people consider it a matter of courtesy to use them. The late
415:
in 1815, their titles were nonetheless officially recognised. From 1806 the then independent German monarchies, such as
Bavaria, Württemberg and
957:
of 1849 came a complete abolition of the privileges of the nobility. Today titles are only of ceremonial interest in the circles around the
1330:
1275:
upphöjdes i friherrlig värdighet jämlikt 37 § 1809 års regeringsform, innebärande att endast huvudmannen innehar friherrlig värdighet
1044:. Their property tax exemption continued into the 20th century, being, however, diminished substantially by reforms of the 19th century.
307:
is often styled as and addressed by the more elegant, Latin equivalent "Baron" in social circumstances, although not the official title.
1423:
1185:
1211:
1197:
358:
to emphasize their Baltic-German heritage. This is why members of the same family can have different official last names.
257:
sometimes exercised hereditary administrative and judicial prerogatives over those resident in his barony instead of the
869:
were entitled to the same title, which in time became Baron or
Baronessa colloquially: thus a person who formally is a
464:
in the German-speaking areas of Europe, the rank was normally hereditary and would generally be used together with the
564:
and some other countries in northern Europe, the title of
Freiherr was, as long as the monarchy existed, usually used
1158:
299:
is rendered in
English as "Baron", although the title was derived separately in the two languages. Even in German, a
1384:
989:(baronial) families were entitled to that same title, which in practice, came to mean that they were addressed as
1281:
879:
342:
and hence titles became part of the last name some members of the affected families chose to be officially named
1403:
1366:
1246:
338:. When in 1919 privileges to members of dynastic and noble families were abolished by the constitution of the
1413:
1344:
921:
and most of those are based in Sweden, where that version of the title is still more commonly used; a Danish
1408:
901:
was of equal rank to that of Baron, which has gradually replaced it. It was instituted on 25 May 1671 with
1172:
1173:
Karl-Theodor Maria
Nikolaus Johann Jacob Philipp Franz Joseph Sylvester Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg
707:
1418:
93:
73:
53:
954:
875:
now might use the title of "Baron" before his name, and he might also be spoken of as "a baron".
738:. The former title thus became a part of the family name, and moved in front of the family name.
431:(although the Elector of Brandenburg had, as king of the originally exclusively extraterritorial
714:; the European Court of Justice did not object to the Austrian decision not to accept the words
1428:
902:
311:
1084:
126:
497:
The inheritance of titles of nobility in most German-speaking areas was not restricted by
8:
1280:; literal translation: "was raised to the dignity of baron in accordance with §37 in the
958:
731:
395:), in order to distinguish them from other barons, although the title as such was simply
765:
465:
412:
384:
1154:
734:
of 1919, legally transformed all hereditary noble titles into dependent parts of the
666:
323:
102:
98:
198:(which also means "free lord"), as corresponding to the German "Freiherr"; and that
1010:
1006:
818:
628:
The Republic of Austria abolished hereditary noble titles for its citizens by the
1388:
1095:
A number of English-language historians specializing in Germany do not translate
1053:
687:
in his German passport (he was a Member of the European Parliament for Germany).
608:, the monarchies were abolished in most German-speaking areas of Europe, and the
605:
588:, however, it would be inserted between the given name and the family name (e.g.
581:
461:
339:
258:
711:
373:
230:
1397:
1136:
842:
782:
498:
411:
did not belong to the noble hierarchy of any realm, but by a decision of the
246:
118:
1361:
821:
was entitled to vote in any provincial council when held, as in the Realm's
1038:
188:
orthography of the German language references the French nobility title of
35:
1014:
835:
436:
1381:
1303:
735:
569:
122:
764:) they are ignored in alphabetical sorting of names, as is a possible
929:
generally is addressed as "Baron". The wife of a Danish or Norwegian
97:, his unmarried daughters and maiden aunts) are designations used as
19:
1250:
913:
privileges. Today only a few Danish noble families use the title of
612:
lost recognition as a legal class in the newly created republics of
970:
825:
609:
420:
229:
derives from the historical situation in which an owner held free (
16:
Title of nobility in the Holy Roman Empire and its successor states
249:, who were bound to provide administrative services for a lord. A
886:
617:
613:
585:
561:
432:
114:
110:
106:
31:
710:
whether this Austrian regulation would violate the right of the
1308:
was created a baron in 1864, but, because this was after 1809,
890:
671:, in his childhood Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary, was styled
435:
even before that date, arrogated to himself the prerogative of
242:
140:
133:
1128:
1058:
416:
327:
190:
185:
164:
147:
403:. After the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806,
377:
157:
387:
are sometimes known as "Barons of the Holy Roman Empire" (
772:
472:
557:). Both titles are translated in English as "Baroness".
509:
shared his title and rank, and could be referred to as
644:, as an Austrian citizen, therefore lost his title of
361:
The original distinction from other barons was that a
330:
additionally awarding the equivalent Russian title of
1025:
s, or as untitled nobles. Theoretically, all created
812:
310:
Separately, in the 19th century some families of the
439:). Some of the older baronial families began to use
245:to a higher lord or sovereign, and unlike medieval
167:). The title superseded the earlier medieval form,
845:began to grant some noblemen the titles of count (
1212:"Decree of 18 April 1919 in the original version"
455:
1395:
460:As with most titles and designations within the
209:
1017:, many families were raised in rank as counts,
533:(literally "free lady"), and the daughter of a
194:, deriving from the Latin-Germanic combination
105:and in its various successor states, including
1314:is just an untitled nobleman while his cousin
1153:C.A.Starke Verlag, Limburg an der Lahn, 1999,
1145:
1143:
945:, and the daughters are formally addressed as
730:The German republic, under Article 109 of the
599:
153:(nobility without a specific title) and below
1315:
1309:
1301:
1294:
1286:
1273:
1079:"Freiherr – Britannica Online Encyclopedia",
1027:
1019:
999:
991:
983:
975:
973:conferred the hereditary titles of count and
870:
863:
855:
847:
833:
823:
1170:
1109:
1097:
947:
939:
931:
923:
915:
907:
895:
817:From the Middle Ages onward, each head of a
790:
780:
770:
757:
748:
740:
716:
700:
692:
681:
673:
664:
654:
646:
638:
630:
590:
574:
551:
543:
535:
527:
519:
511:
503:
488:
480:
470:
441:
425:
405:
397:
389:
363:
352:
344:
332:
316:
301:
293:
271:
263:
251:
235:
223:
211:
180:It corresponds approximately to the English
170:
155:
145:
131:
125:, etc. Traditionally, it denotes the titled
85:
83:, literally "free lord" or "free lady") and
78:
65:
58:
42:
25:
1241:
1239:
1186:Nobiliary particles used by German nobility
1140:
1119:carries a different association in English.
1036:
314:who had historically carried the title of
383:Barons who received their title from the
1345:"Vor tids grever og baroner (in Danish)"
1236:
746:, as a German citizen, therefore became
679:in his post-1919 Austrian passport, and
18:
1296:Sveriges ridderskaps och adels kalender
1075:
1073:
1396:
796:and so alphabetically is listed under
754:. As dependent parts of the surnames (
1198:"Law in the original version of 1919"
1179:
1163:
1107:(1967) states that she is preserving
722:as part of an Austrian woman's name.
280:
92:
72:
52:
1070:
759:nichtselbständige Namensbestandteile
202:is a corresponding salutation for a
101:in the German-speaking areas of the
1122:
690:In 2003, the Constitutional Court (
13:
1270:The formula used is that a person
813:Swedish and Danish–Norwegian title
803:
14:
1440:
1375:
1009:shares most of its origins with
964:
34:with seven pearls, as used on a
1424:Barons of the Holy Roman Empire
1337:
1323:
1282:Instrument of Government (1809)
1264:
880:Instrument of Government (1974)
1367:Britannica Online Encyclopedia
1218:
1204:
1190:
1089:
1081:Britannica Online Encyclopedia
706:) in a similar case asked the
456:Prior to abolition of nobility
1:
1354:
1333:. Gyldendal. 20 January 2011.
725:
652:and would simply be named as
623:
291:The German-language title of
1249:. ARTbase.dk. Archived from
1149:Johannes Baron von Mirbach:
861:). The family members of a
7:
1292:in the 2013 edition of the
1047:
600:Since abolition of nobility
450:
77:; his wife, abbreviated as
10:
1445:
969:In 1561, the Swedish king
660:in his Austrian passport.
750:Hans Freiherr von Schwarz
742:Freiherr Hans von Schwarz
708:European Court of Justice
640:Hans Freiherr von Schwarz
592:Hans Freiherr von Schwarz
576:Freiherr Hans von Schwarz
261:, who might be the duke (
1064:
675:Otto Habsburg-Lothringen
494:) before a family name.
326:as noble in the form of
127:rank within the nobility
1151:Adelsnamen, Adelstitel.
955:Constitution of Denmark
419:could create their own
350:while others preferred
322:were recognized by the
57:; male, abbreviated as
1316:
1310:
1302:
1295:
1287:
1274:
1226:"CURIA – Suchformular"
1171:
1110:
1098:
1037:
1028:
1020:
1000:
992:
984:
976:
953:. With the first free
948:
940:
932:
924:
916:
908:
896:
871:
864:
856:
848:
834:
824:
791:
781:
771:
758:
749:
741:
717:
702:Verwaltungsgerichtshof
701:
694:Verfassungsgerichtshof
693:
682:
674:
665:
655:
647:
639:
631:
591:
575:
552:
544:
536:
528:
520:
512:
504:
489:
481:
471:
442:
426:
406:
398:
390:
372:s landed property was
364:
353:
345:
333:
317:
312:Baltic German nobility
302:
294:
272:
264:
252:
236:
224:
212:
171:
156:
146:
132:
86:
79:
66:
59:
43:
38:
26:
1404:Austrian noble titles
632:Adelsaufhebungsgesetz
22:
1414:Swedish noble titles
217:in the feudal system
74:[ˈfʁaɪˌfʁaʊ]
54:[ˈfʁaɪˌhɛɐ̯]
1409:German noble titles
959:monarchy of Denmark
819:Swedish noble house
732:Weimar Constitution
247:German ministerials
1387:2008-10-22 at the
766:nobiliary particle
466:nobiliary particle
413:Congress of Vienna
385:Holy Roman Emperor
99:titles of nobility
94:[ˈfʁaɪ.ɪn]
39:
1105:Germany 1798–1919
1103:. Agatha Ramm in
1083:, 2008, webpage:
683:Otto von Habsburg
667:Otto von Habsburg
486:(sometimes both:
324:Tsardom of Russia
103:Holy Roman Empire
1436:
1371:
1349:
1348:
1347:. 15 April 2010.
1341:
1335:
1334:
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1177:
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1161:
1147:
1138:
1131:; Definition of
1126:
1120:
1113:
1101:
1093:
1087:
1077:
1042:
1031:
1023:
1011:Swedish nobility
1007:Finnish nobility
1003:
995:
987:
979:
951:
943:
935:
927:
919:
911:
899:
874:
867:
859:
851:
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696:
685:
677:
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642:
634:
594:
578:
555:
547:
539:
531:
523:
517:. The wife of a
515:
507:
492:
484:
476:
445:
429:
409:
407:Reichsfreiherren
401:
393:
391:Reichsfreiherren
371:
367:
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305:
297:
275:
267:
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96:
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82:
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62:
56:
51:
46:
29:
1444:
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1434:
1433:
1419:Austrian barons
1394:
1393:
1389:Wayback Machine
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1054:Imperial Knight
1050:
967:
893:, the title of
815:
806:
804:Parallel titles
728:
626:
606:First World War
602:
582:Austria-Hungary
458:
453:
369:
340:Weimar Republic
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49:
17:
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5:
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1376:External links
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712:European Union
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443:Reichsfreiherr
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15:
9:
6:
4:
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1429:German barons
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1318:
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1253:on 2020-04-15
1252:
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1231:
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1213:
1207:
1199:
1193:
1187:
1182:
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1169:For example:
1166:
1160:
1159:3-7980-0540-0
1156:
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1137:
1135:(in German).
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1002:
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965:Finnish title
962:
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956:
952:
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843:King Eric XIV
840:
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830:
828:
827:
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799:
795:
793:
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785:
784:
783:Reichsgericht
777:
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767:
763:
760:
753:
751:
745:
743:
737:
736:legal surname
733:
723:
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709:
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703:
697:
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688:
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676:
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548:
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530:
524:
522:
516:
514:
508:
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500:
499:primogeniture
495:
493:
491:
485:
483:
477:
475:
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467:
463:
448:
446:
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438:
434:
430:
428:
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414:
410:
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402:
400:
394:
392:
386:
381:
379:
376:instead of a
375:
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359:
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341:
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329:
325:
321:
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184:in rank. The
183:
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165:count or earl
162:
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119:Liechtenstein
116:
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88:
81:
75:
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68:
61:
55:
47:
45:
37:
33:
30:
28:
21:
1382:Nobility FAQ
1365:
1339:
1325:
1293:
1285:
1271:
1266:
1255:. Retrieved
1251:the original
1229:
1220:
1206:
1192:
1181:
1165:
1150:
1132:
1124:
1116:
1108:
1104:
1096:
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1080:
1039:fideicommiss
1035:
1026:
1018:
998:
990:
982:
974:
968:
946:
941:Friherreinde
938:
930:
922:
914:
906:
894:
884:
877:
862:
854:
853:) or baron (
846:
841:. In 1561,
832:
822:
816:
807:
797:
789:
779:
769:
755:
747:
739:
729:
715:
699:
691:
689:
680:
672:
662:
656:Hans Schwarz
653:
648:Freiherr von
645:
637:
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627:
603:
589:
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565:
559:
550:
542:
534:
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502:
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487:
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424:
423:, including
404:
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388:
382:
362:
360:
351:
343:
331:
315:
309:
300:
292:
290:
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269:) or count (
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179:
169:
168:
154:
144:
130:
84:
64:
41:
40:
36:coat of arms
24:
1320:is a baron.
1085:EB-Freiherr
1015:grand duchy
903:Christian V
836:Riddarhuset
718:Fürstin von
568:a person's
549:(short for
437:ennoblement
1398:Categories
1362:"Freiherr"
1355:References
1331:"Friherre"
1317:Lars Bildt
1311:Carl Bildt
1304:Carl Bildt
1257:2010-01-03
1247:"Friherre"
1133:Baron, der
1029:vapaaherra
1021:vapaaherra
985:vapaaherra
977:vapaaherra
937:is titled
768:, such as
726:In Germany
624:In Austria
604:After the
570:given name
553:Freiherrin
541:is called
525:is titled
490:von und zu
427:Freiherren
259:liege lord
221:The title
196:liber baro
123:Luxembourg
1001:Paronitar
949:Baronesse
566:preceding
243:vassalage
1385:Archived
1115:because
1111:Freiherr
1099:Freiherr
1048:See also
971:Eric XIV
933:Friherre
925:Friherre
917:Friherre
909:Friherre
897:Friherre
872:friherre
865:friherre
857:friherre
831:, later
826:Herredag
610:nobility
537:Freiherr
529:Freifrau
521:Freiherr
513:Freiherr
505:Freiherr
462:nobility
451:Function
421:nobility
399:Freiherr
374:allodial
365:Freiherr
346:Freiherr
318:Freiherr
303:Freiherr
295:Freiherr
282:Freiherr
253:Freiherr
231:allodial
225:Freiherr
213:Freiherr
204:Freiherr
172:Edelherr
67:Freifrau
44:Freiherr
27:Freiherr
23:Typical
1370:. 2008.
887:Denmark
792:Schwarz
618:Austria
614:Germany
586:Bavaria
562:Prussia
433:Prussia
115:Bavaria
111:Prussia
107:Austria
50:German:
32:coronet
1157:
1005:. The
993:Paroni
891:Norway
580:). In
572:(e.g.
545:Freiin
328:ukases
265:Herzog
237:Ritter
143:) and
141:knight
134:Ritter
129:above
87:Freiin
1288:Bildt
1129:Duden
1117:Baron
1065:Notes
1059:Boyar
849:greve
417:Lippe
370:'
354:Baron
334:Baron
286:Baron
284:vs.
241:) in
200:Baron
191:Baron
186:Duden
182:baron
148:Edler
80:Frfr.
60:Frhr.
1155:ISBN
889:and
616:and
584:and
378:fief
273:Graf
158:Graf
997:or
905:'s
885:In
798:"S"
773:von
596:).
560:In
478:or
473:von
468:of
277:).
63:),
1400::
1364:.
1238:^
1228:.
1142:^
1072:^
961:.
800:.
620:.
482:zu
380:.
206:.
177:.
121:,
117:,
113:,
109:,
1278:"
1272:"
1260:.
1232:.
1214:.
1200:.
762:"
756:"
163:(
139:(
91:(
71:(
48:(
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