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< | {{italic title}} | ||
{{About|the German title||Herzog (disambiguation)}} | |||
[[File:T09 Herzog.svg|thumb|Image of a ''Herzogskrone'', the [[heraldic crown]] of a ''Herzog'']] | |||
'''''Herzog''''' is a [[German nobility|German hereditary title]] held by one who rules a territorial duchy, exercises [[feudalism|feudal]] authority over an [[estate (land)|estate]] called a [[duchy]], or possesses a right by law or tradition to be referred to by the ducal title. The word is usually translated by the English ''[[duke]]'' and the Latin ''[[dux]]''. Generally, a ''Herzog'' ranks below a [[king]] and above a [[count]].<ref name= "pine">[[Leslie Pine|Pine, L.G.]]. Titles: How the King became His Majesty. ''Titles in Western Europe.''Barnes & Noble, Inc. 1992, pp. 70-73. {{ISBN|978-1-56619-085-5}}.</ref> Whether the title is deemed higher or lower than titles translated into English as "prince" (''[[Fürst]]'') has depended upon the language, country and era in which the titles co-existed. | |||
==History== | |||
[[File:Ducal Hat.svg|thumb|Image of a ''Herzogshut'', the ducal hat of a ''Herzog'']] | |||
''Herzog'' is not related to ''[[Herz (disambiguation)|Herz]]'' ('heart'), but is derived from German(ic) '''He(e)r''' (English: 'army') and '''zog (ziehen)''' (English: 'to move', also: ''in die Schlacht ziehen'' – "to go into battle"), a military leader (compare to Slavic [[voivode]]). It may have originated from the [[Proto-Germanic]] title of ''[[wikt:Herzog|Harjatugô]]'', who were elected by their tribes to lead them into battle. Thus, ''Herzog'' was a title borne by [[Germanic Peoples|Germanic]] warriors who exercised military authority over a tribe by general acclaim among its members or warriors,<ref name= "pine"/> especially in the [[stem duchy|stem duchies]]. | |||
During the medieval era, some of the most powerful [[vassal]]s whose territories lay within the boundaries of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] took or were granted the title of ''Herzog'' by the Emperor. Several dynasties, such as the [[House of Habsburg|Habsburgs]] of Austria, [[House of Hohenzollern|Hohenzollerns]] of Prussia, [[House of Welf|Welfs]] of Hanover, [[House of Wettin|Wettins]] of Saxony, [[House of Wittelsbach|Wittelsbachs]] of Bavaria and the [[House of Württemberg]], held the ''Herzogswürde'' (dukedom) before becoming kings. | |||
| | Although a ''Herzog'' ranked below a [[Prince Elector]] within the Empire, he also belonged by hereditary right to the ''Fürstenbank'' (Chamber of Princes) within the ''[[Imperial Diet (Holy Roman Empire)|Reichstag]]'', exercised ''[[Landeshoheit]]'' within his [[Imperial state]] and enjoyed ''[[Imperial immediacy|Reichsunmittelbarkeit]]'' within the Empire. Therefore, ''Herzöge'' were regarded as members of the ''Hoher Adel'' ([[German nobility|reigning nobility]]) whose families inter-married with sovereign dynasties outside as well as within the Empire. They ranked as royalty, distinct from nobles who were subject to a lesser [[suzerainty|suzerain]] than the Emperor. | ||
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| | Occasionally, the Emperor conferred the title of ''Herzog'' on a nobleman who was not necessarily a [[Prince of the Holy Roman Empire]] and did not rule a duchy. Such a person ranked only as a ''Titularherzog'' (duke-by-title) in Germany's non-reigning nobility. | ||
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==Current usage== | |||
| | ''Herzog'' was borrowed into other European languages, with the chief meaning of the word being "duke", such as Russian ''gertsog'' (''герцог''), Belarusian ''hertsag'', Croatian, Serbian and Bosnian ''herceg'' (''херцег''; e.g., [[Herzegovina]]), Bulgarian ''hertsog'', Latvian ''hercogs'', Lithuanian ''hercogas'', Estonian ''hertsog'', Finnish ''herttua'', Hungarian ''herceg'', Georgian ''herts’ogi'', Danish ''hertug'', Dutch and Afrikaans ''hertog'', Icelandic ''hertogi'', Luxemburgish ''Herzog'', Norwegian ''hertug'' and Swedish ''hertig''. | ||
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The Slavic semantic equivalent of ''Herzog'' (for example in Polish) is ''voivode'', or Russian ''воевода'', where ''voi-'' (army) and ''-vode'' (to lead, to guide). Some historical territories of the former [[Yugoslavia]] have both names of [[Herzegovina]] and [[Vojvodina]]. | |||
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}} | ''Herzog'' is not uncommon as a surname in German-speaking countries. The surname does not indicate an aristocratic origin (much like the family name "King" in English does not indicate a royal ancestry). | ||
==See also== | |||
{{wiktionary|Herzog}} | |||
* [[Dukes in Italy, Germany and Austria]] | |||
* [[Voivode]] | |||
* [[King|König]] | |||
==References== | |||
{{reflist}} | |||
[[Category:German noble titles]] | |||
[[Category:Herzegovina]] | |||
[[de:Herzog]] | |||
[[he:הרצוג (תואר)]] | |||