Re: HRR information repertory
Just to start bringing my 2 cents in here. Below the titles used in Germany (note than some of them may not fit for the period covered by SSHIP):
- Imperial title: Kaiser, Kaiserin
- King and Queen: König, Königin
The German system often makes use of the prefix "Erb" for the heir to a title as with "Erbgraf" whereas the British system prefers using a lesser "courtesy title". William Addams Reitwiesner writes:
"Erb" in German (in this sense) means "hereditary"[. . . .]
The oldest son and heir of a Mediatized Count would be an "Erbgraf". The oldest son and heir of a Grand Duke would be an "Erbgroßherzog". And so on. Another way of spelling the title would be "Erb-Prinz" or "Erb-Graf", etc. The wives of these men have equivalent feminine titles, such as"Erbprinzessin", "Erbgräfin", "Erbgroßherzogin", etc...
- Grand Duke: Großherzog, Großherzogin
- Duke: Herzog, Herzogin
- Markess: Markgraf, Markgräfin
- Earl, Count, and Graf: Graf, Gräfin; Landgraf, Landgräfin (In English, Landgrave, Landgravine); Pfalzgraf, Pfalzgräfin (In English, Count-Palatine, Countess-Palatine)
- Baron: Baron, Baronin; Freiherr, Freifrau
The terms "Baron, Baronin", can be found in use in German lands, but apparently not that commonly. Freiherr and Freifrau are preferred, and there seems to be a perception that "Baron" is bit under a "Freiherr". "Freiherrin" seems to be an obsolete form for a baron's wife. D.A. Willis comments
:
Freifrau is a wife of Freiherr, Freiin is his daughter. I used to think that Freiin was an abbreviation of Freiherrin, but I was quickly corrected by several Freiherren and Freiinen (plural of Freiin). This is the only case in German that I am aware of where the wife and daughter have different words for their titles.
The status of barons varies. It can be a very high title or something of little consequence. It is definitely a noble title, however, and needs to be clearly distinguished from "baronet".
Now, I need to look which title for which region
Last edited by Lifthrasir; March 27, 2017 at 07:08 AM.
Under the patronage of Flinn, proud patron of Jadli, from the Heresy Vault of the Imperial House of Hader