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Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

Ritterbürger

English translation:

citizen-knight

Added to glossary by Kaportnoy
Mar 15, 2016 17:31
8 yrs ago
German term

Ritterbürger

German to English Other History Medieval History
Statussymbol der ritterbürgerlichen Oberschicht scheinen auch gemauerte, mehrgeschoßige Wohntürme gewesen zu sein.

Were these people knights? Any ideas?
Proposed translations (English)
3 +1 citizen-knight
3 Upper class / middle class
2 nobility/peerage
References
English and German titles
Change log

Mar 16, 2016 07:25: BrigitteHilgner changed "Level" from "Non-PRO" to "PRO"

Votes to reclassify question as PRO/non-PRO:

PRO (3): franglish, Phoebe Indetzki, BrigitteHilgner

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Discussion

seehand Mar 16, 2016:
cives et milites vielleicht kann man sich ja mit dem Lateinischen aus der Affaire ziehen im Internet findet man auf jeden Fall diese Bezeichnungen, wenn es um Ritterbürger ging ...
Lancashireman Mar 16, 2016:
Your choice last time: Bürger = burgher http://www.proz.com/kudoz/german_to_english/history/6057511-...
So you already have half of your (hyphenated) compound noun:
burgher-knight class
knight-burgher class
There is, however, some evidence on Google for 'citizen-knight'.
But in any case, you cannot do justice to this term unless you include *both* elements.
franglish Mar 15, 2016:
@Kaportnoy If the text refers to Austria or Bavaria, 'Ritter' corresponds to, I cite, niedere Adelsstufe, meist zusammen mit einem Orden verliehen. I'll see if I can come up with an English equivalent.

Proposed translations

+1
20 hrs
Selected

citizen-knight

See Discussion Box.
This was a specific tier of medieval German society. The other terms suggested are either too broad (nobility) or inappropriate to the period (middle class).
Heinrich Heine:
http://www.forgottenbooks.com/readbook_text/The_Works_of_Hei...
http://gutenberg.spiegel.de/buch/vermischte-schriften-385/5
I'm not convinced by the choice of 'burgher'.
Peer comment(s):
agree Machiel van Veen (X) : Good find, Lancashireman. I agree.
30 mins
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you!"
2 mins

nobility/peerage

or noblesse
Something went wrong...
29 mins

Upper class / middle class

A knight normally was somebody from the upper class or middle class, a burgher only middle class or lower class. Ritterburgerlich stands somewhere inbetween of it, so I think it most probably that it must be middle class.

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Note added at 32 min (2016-03-15 18:04:32 GMT)
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Ritterburgerlich, yes, I think those people where knights. The social status is above burghers.
Something went wrong...

Reference comments

2 hrs
Reference:

English and German titles

Nobility that held legal privileges until 1918 greater than those enjoyed by commoners, but less than those enjoyed by the Hochadel were considered part of the lower nobility or Niederer Adel. Most were untitled, only making use of the particle von in their surnames. Higher-ranking noble families of the Niederer Adel bore such hereditary titles as Ritter (knight), Freiherr (or baron) and Graf. Although most German counts belonged officially to the lower nobility, those who were mediatised belonged to the Hochadel, the heads of their families being entitled to be addressed as Erlaucht ("Illustrious Highness"), rather than simply as Hochgeboren ("High-born"). There were also some German noble families, especially in Austria, Prussia and Bavaria, whose head bore the titles of Fürst (prince) or Herzog (duke); however, never having exercised a degree of sovereignty, they were accounted members of the lower nobility (e.g., Bismarck, Blücher, Pless, Wrede).


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Note added at 2 hrs (2016-03-15 20:15:56 GMT)
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https://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_nobility

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