Uradel
The German and Scandinavian term Uradel (literally: original or ancient feudal nobility) 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 (ancient Nobility)
- Nobility that originates from leadership positions held before 1400; many Uradel titles date back to the initial settlement of the Germanic peoples during the Migration Period.
- Briefadel (newer nobility)
- Nobility conferred by letter patent; note that "Brief" in Briefadel means "letter", not "of short duration". The first known document is from 30 September 1360 for Wyker Frosch in Mainz; this dating demonstrates that to confer Uradel status a title needed not only antiquity (pre-1400) but also an origin in leadership status rather than mere official decree.
- Hochadel (high nobility)
- Nobility that was sovereign or had a high degree of sovereignty, usually including the right of high justice (ability to impose death sentences).
- Niederer Adel (lower nobility)
- Nobility that had a lower degree of sovereignty. The majority of knightly families and in general of the origination of the many names including the prefix von (of or from placename) and zu (at a given placename) or even von und zu (of/from and still at a given placename).
See also