Switzerland, the promised land of coats of arms

Most Swiss families have a coat of arms. This may come as a surprise abroad, where heraldry is often the preserve of nobility. However, this enthusiasm can be explained not only by tradition, but also by fashion. “The proportion of families with their own coat of arms varies from canton to canton, but it’s always significant. For example, 80-90% of families from canton Fribourg have their own coat of arms,” explains Heribert Bielmann, president of the Institut fribourgeois d’héraldique et de généalogie. Heraldry originated in the Middle Ages, when coats of arms had become necessary “as a distinctive sign for knights, who had become unrecognisable under their armour”, notes the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland. But over the centuries the practice spread to other strata of society, and even to commoners. For a long time, having a coat of arms was a way for individuals or groups to demonstrate their importance or autonomy. This was particularly true of patrician families, wealthy ...