Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels Guide

Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels - R 943.1 G326

What is it?

  • Compiled genealogies of German nobility. Information is submitted by the family but vetted by the Deutsche Adelsrechtsausschuß (Committee for German Noble Privilege)
  • A brief overview is of the source is in The German Research Companion, call no. R 929.1 R 556G, p. 583. The section also has a good overview of German nobility.
  • At this writing (Jan. 2015), the library has Bände (volumes) 10-155 (with gaps). Additional volumes will be added as they come available.
     

Series and sub-series

The work is published in numbered volumes. Band means “volume” (plural is Bände). Volume numbers appear on the spine labels below the call numbers.

Volumes appear in five subseries. Numbers in each sub-series are stamped on the spine in Roman numerals

  • Sub-series name English translation Binding color
  • Fürstliche Häuser Princes Crimson
  • Gräfliche Häuser Counts Green
  • Freiherrliche Häuser Barons Maroon
  • Adelige Häuser Untitled nobility Gray

The Adelslexikon (blue binding), is an alphabetical dictionary of noble family names.

The volumes within a subseries are not published sequentially, but appear at intervals within the whole range of volumes.

Each sub-series can also appear as Reihe (Series) A for Uradel (ancient nobility established before 1400) and Reihe B (titles established later).

 

Format and content

Content and format of all volumes except Adelslexikon are almost identical to those in Deutsches Geschlechterbuch, which is published by the same company. See the DGB guide for more information.

In the Adelslexikon, noble names appear in alphabetical order, followed by brief information about the surname line. A description of the family crest is sometimes included.
 

Indexes

Each volume includes an index for that volume. An index of surnames for volumes issued

  • up to the one in hand appears in the front of the volume.
  • A cumulative surname index for volumes 1-150 is titled Stammfolgen-Verzeichnisse (lineage indexes) and is shelved with the GDA after Vol. 150 at R 943.1 G 326.
     

Reading the cumulative index for volumes 1–150

  • The index lists surnames only. A surname can appear in multiple volumes.
  • Each surname entry is preceded by the abbreviation for the noble title of that family, as follows:
     
    Abbreviation Noble title in German English translation
    • Fü Fürstliches Haus Prince
    • G Gräfliches Haus Count
    • F Freiherrliches Haus Baron
    • A Adeliges Haus Untitle nobility
       
  • A list of the volumes with the subseries volume and year of publication follows.
    Example:
    G Abrensperg u. Traun
    2: GA I 1952
    40: GA V 1967
    77: G X 1981
    112: G XV 1997 WT St

    The surname Abresperg u. Traun has the title of Count as is found in:
    Vol. 2, Gräfliches Haus subseries A (ancient nobility), Vol. I, published 1953
    Vol. 40, Gräfliches Haus subseries A (ancient nobility), Vol. V, published 1967
    Vol. 77: Gräfliches Haus, Vol. X, published 1981
    Vol. 112: Gräfliches Haus, Vol. CV, published 1997

 

  • Other abbreviations can appear after the volume citation, as follows:
     
    St = Stammreihe (Linage chart)
    ÄG = Ältere Genealogie (older genealogy)
    Erg = Erganzungen dazu (additions)
    AR = Ahnenreihe (ancestral chart)
    W = Wappenzeichnung im Text (illustration of coat-of-arms)
    WT = Wappentafel (table of coats-of-arms)