Czechia Heraldry

In the former Austro-Hungarian Empire only those of the noble class were entitled to have coats of arms. Kings rewarded people who performed heroic deeds, made notable achievements, or held prominent positions in government by granting them a noble title and the right to use a coat of arms. These grants were documented.

Various Czech authors have prepared heraldry books that describe coats of arms and the families that used them. They also briefly describe the family's entitlement to that coat of arms, and they may note early bearers of that coat of arms, sometimes with relationships, birth dates, and other genealogical information.

The FamilySearch Library has collected many heraldry books. They are listed in the catalog under:

CZECH REPUBLIC - HERALDRY

Some helpful books on the subject are:


 * Almanach českých šlechtických a rytířských rodů. (Almanac of noble Czech families, with their genealogies, arranged alphabetically by surname.) Praha:Martin, c2005-. (FamilySearch Library International Book 943.71 D5ab). 10 volumes have been published.


 * Atlasy erbů a pečetí české a moravské středověké šlechty, (Atlas of coats of arms and seals of Czech and Moravian nobility in the Middle Ages.) Academia, c2001-2003.(FamilySearch Library International Book 943.71 D6sa). 5 volumes have been published.