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Hochwohlgeboren
Encyclopedia
Hochwohlgeboren is a form of address for members of the lower German nobility
or landed gentry
. The English translation is High Well Born.
(Baron
) to bequeath a family coat of arms
and to hold landed property as allodial instead of a fief. The actual address is Euer Hochwohlgeboren ("Your High Well Born") and is the correct form of address not only German Freiherr
en but also Ritter
and Edle
.
The title should not be confused with (Euer) Hochgeboren. This title ranks higher than Hochwohlgeboren and is the style of mediate Graf
en (Counts; immediate Reichsgrafen are entitled to the address Erlaucht
) and those Freiherren descending from the mediæval Uradel
. Another similar honorific title was (Euer) Wohlgeboren which ranked lower than Hochwohlgeboren and was claimed by Bourgeois notables.
In the 19th century it became customary to address academic and other civil honoraries by this title, eg.g a number of letters to Sigmund Freud
are addressed to "Hochwohlgeboren Prof. Dr. Sigmund Freud".
s, Välboren (Well Born) is used to address untitled nobles.
, a Knight
or a Jonkheer
. Hooggeboren (High Born) is used to address Duke
s, Margrave
s, Count
s or Viscount
s.
German nobility
The German nobility was the elite hereditary ruling class or aristocratic class from ca. 500 B.C. to the Holy Roman Empire and what is now Germany.-Principles of German nobility:...
or landed gentry
Landed gentry
Landed gentry is a traditional British social class, consisting of land owners who could live entirely off rental income. Often they worked only in an administrative capacity looking after the management of their own lands....
. The English translation is High Well Born.
German usage
This form of address originally had connections with the ability of a FreiherrFreiherr
The German titles Freiherr and Freifrau and Freiin are titles of nobility, used preceding a person's given name or, after 1919, before the surname...
(Baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
) to bequeath a family coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
and to hold landed property as allodial instead of a fief. The actual address is Euer Hochwohlgeboren ("Your High Well Born") and is the correct form of address not only German Freiherr
Freiherr
The German titles Freiherr and Freifrau and Freiin are titles of nobility, used preceding a person's given name or, after 1919, before the surname...
en but also Ritter
Ritter
Ritter is a designation used as a title of nobility in German-speaking areas. Traditionally it denotes the second lowest rank within the nobility, standing above "Edler" and below "Freiherr"...
and Edle
Edler
Edler was until 1919 the lowest title of nobility in Austria-Hungary and Germany, just beneath a Ritter, but above nobles without title who used only the preposition von before their surname. It was mostly given to civil servants and military officers, as well as those upon whom the second rank of...
.
The title should not be confused with (Euer) Hochgeboren. This title ranks higher than Hochwohlgeboren and is the style of mediate Graf
Graf
Graf is a historical German noble title equal in rank to a count or a British earl...
en (Counts; immediate Reichsgrafen are entitled to the address Erlaucht
Illustrious Highness
His/Her Illustrious Highness is the English-language form for a style used by various members of the European aristocracy....
) and those Freiherren descending from the mediæval Uradel
Uradel
The German and Scandinavian term Uradel refers to nobility who can trace back their noble ancestry at least to the year 1400 and probably originates from leadership positions during the Migration Period.-Divisions of German nobility:Uradel : Nobility that originates from leadership positions held...
. Another similar honorific title was (Euer) Wohlgeboren which ranked lower than Hochwohlgeboren and was claimed by Bourgeois notables.
In the 19th century it became customary to address academic and other civil honoraries by this title, eg.g a number of letters to Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
are addressed to "Hochwohlgeboren Prof. Dr. Sigmund Freud".
Swedish usage
In Sweden Högvälboren (High Well Born) is used to address free lords and countCount
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
s, Välboren (Well Born) is used to address untitled nobles.
Dutch usage
In The Netherlands Hoogwelgeboren (High Well Born) is used to address a BaronBaron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
, a Knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
or a Jonkheer
Jonkheer
Jonkheer is a Dutch honorific of nobility.-Honorific of nobility:"Jonkheer" or "Jonkvrouw" is literally translated as "young lord" or "young lady". In medieval times such a person was a young and unmarried son or daughter of a high ranking knight or nobleman...
. Hooggeboren (High Born) is used to address Duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
s, Margrave
Margrave
A margrave or margravine was a medieval hereditary nobleman with military responsibilities in a border province of a kingdom. Border provinces usually had more exposure to military incursions from the outside, compared to interior provinces, and thus a margrave usually had larger and more active...
s, Count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
s or Viscount
Viscount
A viscount or viscountess is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl or a count .-Etymology:...
s.