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About the Blog

Heraldica Nova (2013–Present)

Heraldica Nova was founded in 2013 by Torsten Hiltmann as part of the Dilthey project Coats of Arms in Practice (Die Performanz der Wappen). Based at Humboldt University Berlin and funded by the Volkswagen and Fritz Thyssen Foundation‘s initiative Focus on the Humanities, the first research phase (2013–2019) aimed to refocus the potentials of heraldic sources for historical research and study medieval heraldry from the perspective of cultural history. Specifically, the project examined how coats of arms evolved from largely arbitrary symbols of the twelfth century into the complex symbolic system they had become by the end of the Middle Ages. Central to this inquiry was an exploration of the communicative capacities of coats of arms: their content, timing, modes of transmission, and role as visual media. In time for its second phase (2019–2024), the project moved from Münster to Berlin. With an additional focus on Digital Heraldry (machine learning and semantic web technologies), attention now turned to the concrete formal and material differentiation of heraldic communication in the High and Late Middle Ages as well as the digital operationalization and sustainable utilization of the results from the first phase. An overview of publications and subprojects related to Coats of Arms in Practice (Die Performanz der Wappen) can be found here.

In 2025, a new project was launched: In line with the genuine (cultural-)historical approach of its predecessors, HERALDic Identity in Context (2025–2028), soon to be accompanied by an individual website, is interested in medieval and early modern identities as a specific subject of the previously investigated heraldic communication. Under the guidance of Torsten Hiltmann (HU Berlin) and Laurent Hablot (EPHE Paris), the project team aims to explore the interrelationship between the expression of personal identity and signs of group affiliation through heraldic symbols in the Kingdom of France and the Holy Roman Empire between the 12th and 16th centuries. Central to this binational partnership, funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR)is the utilization and application of digital methods developed in the previous projects. Designed for large source corpora, the ontology-based Digital Heraldry Research Environment will not only provide for a versatile tool to search, describe and analyse tens of thousands coats of arms in their specific context of representation, but, because of its quantitative and media diversity, offer entirely new perspectives at both the micro and macro levels of historical analysis. Although this most recent research project was not originally connected to Heraldica Nova, it will become a central theme of the blog. In the future, readers can look forward to insights into meetings between the French and German teams, contributions from scientific advisors’ versed in the auxiliary sciences and Digital Humanities, as well as updates on developments in digital infrastructure and project-related research, including comparative and gender-historical perspectives.

Potentials of Heraldic Sources for Historical Research

By the end of the Middle Ages, heraldry was everywhere. Carved in stone and wood, painted in stained glass, and embroidered on textiles, or visualized in the form of textual descriptions, coats of arms existed in virtually every public and private space. Derived from the arbitrary signs of identification borne on the shields of twelfth-century knights, coats of arms had rapidly evolved into a highly complex and extremely versatile system of symbolic representation that was available to people of all social ranks and occupations and to a diverse range of groups and institutions. Given this ubiquity of heraldry in medieval and early modern communication, it is astonishing that historians have paid little attention to heraldic sources. In public opinion as much as in academic discussion, coats of arms are often perceived as nothing but a means to identify the makers, patrons, or owners of documents, art objects, and archaeological remains. However, as an important part of late medieval and early modern culture, deeply shaped by its mentalities and part of its communicative practices, the study of heraldic sources offers innovative insights into late medieval and early modern society, including issues such as kinship, family, identity, hierarchy, nobility, authority, representation, symbolic communication, or visual culture, to name but a few.

Aims of this Blog

This blog shall serve several purposes: it shall contribute to revealing the potentials of heraldic sources for modern approaches in historical science and help to put it to use. Hence, it shall offer a platform to scholars in social and cultural history to communicate and share ideas, inspirations, and observations on this field and provide a place to advertise new initiatives, to present current projects, and, above all, to read and to discuss. Further, it shall be a place of exchange between historians and heraldists, offering the chance to benefit from the respective competences of each other. It shall also help scholars who wish to study heraldry from a cultural-historical perspective by providing practical tools, interesting links, and resourceful databases.

This blog serves multiple purposes. It aims to highlight the untapped potential of heraldic sources for historical research and to support their practical application. It provides a platform for scholars in social and cultural history to exchange ideas, share insights, and discuss emerging trends. Here, researchers can announce new initiatives, present ongoing projects, and engage in meaningful dialogue. Beyond academic exchange, the blog fosters collaboration between historians and heraldists—creating opportunities to learn from each other’s expertise. For those approaching heraldry from a cultural-historical perspective, it offers practical tools, curated resources, and access to valuable databases and digital archives. In short: a space for discovery, dialogue, and interdisciplinary connection.
If you have any comments or ideas on how to improve this blog or would like to contribute, do not hesitate to contact us via heraldry.ifg@hu-berlin.de!