Heraldry and Genealogy

 

Course taught by: doc. PhDr. Frederik Federmayer, PhD.

ECTS: 3

Form of instruction: Lecture

Course objective:

In the lectures, students will acquire basic information about heraldry and genealogy. They will become familiar with the development of these auxiliary historical sciences, their terminology and methodology, sources, literature, and the current state of research. Seminars will focus on working with heraldic and genealogical sources, on describing and creating coats of arms, as well as the scientific identification and analysis of heraldic emblems. Students will gain knowledge about the use of coats of arms in historical and archival research. The lectures will also cover the interdisciplinary use of genealogy. Students will become familiar with genealogical research techniques aimed at collecting and evaluating genealogical and biographical data and compiling genealogical tables and charts.

Course syllabus:

  • Introduction to heraldry and genealogy, subject of study of these disciplines
  • Information on scientific heraldic and genealogical literature
  • Heraldic terminology, description of coats of arms
  • Heraldic sources
  • State symbolism (Hungary, Austrian Empire, Czechoslovakia, Slovak Republic)
  • Origins of coats of arms, noble and burgher heraldry
  • County, municipal, local, and ecclesiastical heraldry
  • Genealogical terminology, types of genealogical charts, compiling tables
  • Work with genealogical sources, interpretation and analysis
  • Parish register research and its specifics
  • Research on noble, burgher, and peasant families
  • Research on specific social groups
  • The most important historical families from the territory of present-day Slovakia
  • Genealogy of Hungarian and Transylvanian ruling dynasties

Requirements for completion:

  • Regular attendance (maximum 3 absences)
  • Writing a seminar paper (30% of the grade)
  • Successful completion of the final exam (during the exam period, 70% of the grade)

Recommended literature:

  • VRTEĽ, L.: Osem storočí slovenskej heraldiky. Martin, MS 1999 (resp. ďalšie vydania).
  • GLEJTEK, Miroslav. Heraldika. Úvod do štúdia erbov. Kysucké múzeum v Čadci, Čadca 2013.
  • OROS, Z.-ŠIŠMIŠ, M.: Rodové postupnosti a ich grafický vývoj. SGHS, Martin 2004.
  • ŠIŠMIŠ, M.(zost.): Genealógia, heraldika a príbuzné disciplíny, Stav a perspektívy. SGHS, Martin 2003.
  • ŠIŠMIŠ, M.(zost.): Príručka ku genealogickému výskumu na Slovensku a v slovacikálnom zahraničí. Martin, SGHS 2004.