Excursus III

Coat of arms

Overview; House of Siegharding / Meinhardin - Von Graben - De Graeff and relatives

A) Coat of arms Von Graben

Ancient coat of arms

Coat of arms Carniola, Styria (Grabenhofen, Graz, ancient Orsini-Rosenberg) and Lower Austria

Coat of arms with the shovel

Coat of arms Von Graben, Lords Kornberg

 

Cadet branches of the Grabenhofen line. Coat of arms used atthe branches Kornberg, dutch family Graeff, in Tyrol and Switzerland

 

note:

The Graben of Kornberg bought Kornberg in 1328 with a new Coat of arms

Coat of arms of the Lords von Graben, branches in Styria, Lower Austria,Carinthia and Tyrol

Cadet branches of the Kornberg line

Lord of Graben

 

 

Graben, fief of several branches of the Graben family (Carniolan branch, Grabenhofen, Kornberg, Sommeregg in Carynthia)

Coat of arms Von Graben, both variantes

Coat of arms Von Graben, both variantes; originally from an italian archiv, collection Matthias Laurenz Gräff (Austria)

Coat of arms Von Graben, both variantes

Coat of arms von Graben

B) Coat of arms (De) Graeff

Overview 1578-1885

Nederlands Adelsboek (1914). Family De Graeff

Ancient Coat of arms Jan Pietersz Graeff in 1543

Coat of arms Graeff, ancient; oldest known usage of Jan Pietersz Graeff in 1543 as Schepen of Amsterdam (its not clear if his father Pieter Graeff used the same coat of arms as well)

Coat of arms Dirk Jansz Graeff

Coat of arms Dirk Jansz Graeff (1532-1589), son of Jan Pietersz Graeff

 

Coat of arms Dirk Jansz Graeff, Lord Valkenburg

Oldest known painted image of Graeff coat of arms  (Dirck Jansz Graeff, 1532-1589)

Matthias Laurenz Gräff and Karl von Habsburg (photo Georgia Kazantzidu)

In front of a variant of the Graeff coat of arms: Matthias Laurenz Gräff and Karl von Habsburg - His Imperial Highness Archduke Karl of Austria, chief of the former imperial and royal house of Austria, the historical legacy of Roman majesty and the Austrian Empire

Coat of arms Cornelis de Graeff

Coat of arms of the lords of  Zuid-Polsbroek (1610 - 1870)

Coat of arms as Lords of Zuid-Polsbroek, Purmerland and Ilpendam (17, 18, 19th century)

Coat of arms De Graeff, 1677

De Graeff coat of arms as free imperial knights of th Holy roman Empire (Andries de Graeff, 1677)

Coat of arms, jonkheer De Graeff

De Graeff coat of arms as members of the new dutch nobility; Jonkheer Dirk de Graeff (van Polsbroek), 1885

C) Coat of arms Op den Graeff

Coat of arms Op den Graeff

Coat of arms of Hermann op den Graeff (1585-1642), 'the mennonite Lord bishop' of Krefeld (Germany) from 1630. Herman was an alleged son of Anna op den Graeff van de Aldekerk from an unproven morganatic marriage with an unknown man of unknown social rank. It's possible that Herman took over the swan coat of arms from his biological father. 

 

For the full Op den Graeff windows click here

 

Descripton (in german):

(Source: Deutsche Wappenrolle, Band XIII, Seite 15, registriert in Hüffelsheim, Kreis Kreuznach, 1690)

 

- Helmzier: ein über dem Helm nach rechts sich bewegender, wachsender Schwan mit nach vorne oben gekrümmten Hals, auf dem Kopf eine kleine Krone, mit geöffnetem Schnabel und herausgestreckter Zunge (der Kopf sieht wie der einer züngelnden Schlange aus).
- Helmdecken: nachlinks und rechts über den Schild ausgreifendes, geschwungenes Blattwerk, das wie geöffnete Flügel aus dem Schwan (Helmzier) herausragt.
- Helm: nach vorn geneigter Stechhhelm
- Schild: Halbrundschild
- Gemeine Figur: auf dem Wasse nach rechts schwimmender Schwan mit geöffneten Flügeln, Kopf weist über gekrümmten Hals nach unten (keine Krone)
 
There may be another trustable source: 
Another reference about the glass paintings with a description of the Coat of Arms was found in the estate of W. Niepoth (Op den Graeff folder) in the archives of the city of Krefeld, who noted a letter dated November 17, 1935 from Richard Wolfferts to Dr. Risler: "Saw the Coat of Arms glass pane in the old museum: 'Herman Op den Graeff und Grietgen syn housfrau' or the like. Coat of Arms - In the sign a silver swan in blue. Helmet decoration (I think): Swan growing."

D) Coat of arms family Graff (US-family Grove)

Coat of arms Grove (Graff), claimed, unproven

 

 

 

 

 

note:

claimed, unproven

The coat of arms of Pieter de Graeff (1638-1707) is quartered with a heart shield and since 1678 it shows the following symbols:

  • heart shield shows the three silver rhombuses on red (originally from the family Van Eierdetn van Vliet
  • ) of the High Lordship of Zuid-Polsbroek
  • field 1 (left above) shows the silver shovel on red of their paternal ancestors, the Herren von Graben
  • field 2 (right above) shows the silver swan on blue of the Fief Vredenhof [or that one (Waterland) of their maternal ancestors, the De Grebber]
  • field 3 (left below) shows the silver goose in blue of Purmerland as part of the (High Lordship Purmerland and Ilpendam)
  • field 4 (right below) shows the red and black lions on gold (the arms of the County of Holland) for Ilpendam as part of the High Lordship Purmerland and Ilpendam above a blue area
  • shield holders are two silver swans
  • helmet covers in red and silver
  • helm adornment shows an upright silver spade with ostrich feathers (Herren von Graben)
  • motto: MORS SCEPTRA LIGONIBUS AEQUAT (DEATH MAKES SEPTRES AND HOES EQUAL)