Image credit:
http://wirzbald.ch/wirz-von-erlenbach.html
PATENT OF NOBILITY GRANTED TO HEINRICH, HANS AND
JAKOB WIRTZ OF URIKON
page 38b
We, Albrecht von Constetten
Dean at Einsieldeln by the grace and favor of the
most serene, most mighty and most insuperable
Prince and Lord Friedrich, Roman Emperor, and all-
time insuperable Prince and Lord Friedrich, Roman
Emperor, and all-time augmentor of the realm, king
in Hungary, Dalmatia, Croatia, etc., etc.,
Duke in Austria, Styria, Carinthia, and Krain, Lord
of the Slovenian Marches and Portenau, Count of
Hapsburg, Tyrol, Firdt and Kiburgh, Margrave at
Burgau, and Count of Alsace, Count Palatinate of
the Lateran and of the Imperial Court,
affirm and announce publicly by these letters that
there have come before us the honorable, dutiful
and God-fearing Heinrich, Hans, and Jakob,
brothers, having in common the name of Wirtz of
Urikon. Whereas we derive from the Imperial grace
and favor which we have praised above, a commission
and power to confer patents of nobility, devices,
shield and helmet, and to issue in such matters an
Imperial Bull and letters with the seal of his
majesty; they have humbly prayed that we might
grant and confer unto them, and all their lawful
heirs and descendants, a coat of arms, devices and
helmet by virtue of the imperial power conferred
unto us.
Whereas his imperial majesty, in his innate Roman
Imperial grace, has always been inclined to provide
for the subjects of his majesty and the Holy Roman
Empire and to confer unto them the imperial favor,
therefore we are particularly inclined toward those
whom we have always found ready and diligent in
most submissive and obedient in the service of the
Holy Roman Empire. Such praiseworthiness, honesty
and good sense which they have faithfully and
unfailingly showed to the Imperial Majesty and to
the Empire they also continue to show daily, and
may well and may and should well show such
qualities in the future.
Therefore, with the Imperial powers cited above,
upon ample consideration, good council and proper
knowledge, we have conferred the favors descirbed
subsequently unto the said Heinrich, Hans and Jakob
Wirtz and have conferred upon them the right that
they and their legitimate heirs should be
hereinafter be bearers of the coat of arms, should
page 38c
Therefore, with the Imperial powers cited above,
upon ample consideration, good council and proper
knowledge, we have conferred the favors described
subsequently unto the said Heinrich, Hans and Jakob
Wirtz and have conferred upon them the right that
they and their legitimate heirs should be
hereinafter be bearers of the coat of arms, should
be so addressed and by all respected in such
quality, and should therefore be entitled to all
favor, liberty, and right, justice and descent, and
be further entitled to such offices and fiefs,
vassalage rights and judgement as pertains to other
rightful nobility of the Empire, to use such rights
and priveleges and have the enjoyment thereof, as
any other rightful nobility of the empire and
gentlemen of the empire and gentlemen of the
quality of the Holy Roman Empire may have as right
such privelege and custom, without leave or
hindrance by anyone. So as to record and confirm
such favors we have issued a coat of arms and
device to the said Heinrich, Hans and Jakob Wirtz,
called von Urikon and to all their ligitimate
heirs, as follows:
From the top of the shield to the bottom, five
stripes of equal width, of which the first is
yellow, the second red, the third yellow, the
fourth red, the fifth and last one yellow again.
Upon the shield a helmet adorned with a yellow and
red lanyard, lying before and behind the helmet.
Upon the helmet, an angel appearing somewhat above
the belt line, the angel having limbs, the tunic
falling straight down, the angel having long yellow
hair, outstretched arms, duly folded hands, two
wings in back in parallel in the manner of angels.
The angel and the wings to be divided and colored
from top to bottom in yellow and red stripes, as in
the shield, such as the coat of arms, device,
shield and helmet are painted in the center of this
present letter and painted properly illuminated
with colors.
And further we graciously confer and convey and
affirm by virtue of this letter and liberty and the
here depicted coat of arms and devices and say and
decree that the said Heinrich, Hans and Jakob Wirtz
of Urikon and their legitimate descendants forever
shall be entitled to have the here depicted coat of
arms and device in any and all knightly matters and
business upon their honor and to all ends, and
page 38d
shall be entitled to use same in seals, tombstones
and devices according to all their neccessary use
and enjoyment as all other properly descended
bearers of coats of arms and gentlemen of the
quality may use and enjoy the coats and devices by
rights and customs, without any let or hindrance.
We thereby most humbly and respectfully and in all
diligence and earnestness ask all electors,
prelates, counts, knights, captains,
administrators, judges, mayors and other
dignitaries, citizens and commonfolk, etc., etc.,
and all other subjects of our Imperial Majesty and
the Holy Roman Empire, since we are acting upon the
power conferred to us and the orders given to us by
the Imperial Majesty, that they may protect and
preserve the said Heinrich, Hans and Jakob, called
von Urikon, and all their legitimate descendants
forever as regards the above described favors,
liberties, coat of arms, and devices, with which we
have endowed them, under penalty of the disfavor of
the Imperial Majesty and the Holy Roman Empire, and
the customary fine relating to letters of Nobility,
to wit, 20 mark of gold, which shall be forfeit,
half of it to go to the Imperial Treasury and the
other half to the above named Heinrich, Hans and
Jakob Wirtz, called von Urikon, and their
legitimate descendants, said fine to be paid
without fail; without prejudice to the coats of
arms and rights of those who may already have the
like of the here depicted coats of arms and
devices. In documentation of this letter, we, the
above named Albrecht von Bonstettin, Dean, etc.,
etc., and imperial commissioner have affixed our
several and above-cited seals deriving from our
office as Count Palatinate.
Given at Einsiedeln, on the tax day after the day
of St. Nicolas, the Holy Bishop, this being the
first day of December, of the year 1492 after the
birth of Christ.
From GENEALOGICAL PEDIGREES OF ANCIENT FAMILIES OF WIRTZEN, Weiland, First Volume, Edited by David Wurtz and David Conrad Wirtz, 1848; 914 pages; Translated 1970s by Rudolph Stengel and reprinted 1989 by John and Teresa Wurts.
Back to Wurts heraldry page
