Non-reigning Titles
| Title (English) | Title (German) |
|---|---|
| Crown Prince(ss) | Kronprinz(essin) |
| Electoral Prince | Kurprinz(essin) |
| Grand Duke/Grand Duchess | Großherzog(in) |
| Grand Prince(ss) | Großfürst(in) |
| Archduke/Archduchess | Erzherzog(in) |
| Prince(ss) | Prinz(essin) |
| Duke/Duchess | Herzog(in) |
| Prince(ss) | Fürst(in) |
| Margrave/Margravine | Markgraf/Markgräfin |
| Landgrave/Landgravine | Landgraf/Landgräfin |
| Count(ess) Palatine | Pfalzgraf/Pfalzgräfin |
| Burgrave/Burgravine | Burggraf/Burggräfin |
| Altgrave/Altgravine | Altgraf/Altgräfin |
| Count(ess) of the Empire | Reichsgraf/Reichsgräfin |
| Baron(ess) of the Empire | Reichsfreiherr/Reichsfreifrau/Reichsfreiin |
| Count(ess) | Graf/Gräfin |
| Baron(ess) | Freiherr/Freifrau/Freiin |
| Lord / Noble Lord | Herr /Edler Herr |
| Knight (grouped with untitled nobles) | Ritter |
| Noble (Von Halffter) | Edler/Edle |
| Young Lord (grouped with untitled nobles) | Junker |
The heirs to sovereigns or to headship of mediatised families prefixed their title by Erb-, meaning Hereditary. For instance, the heir to a Grand Duke is titled Erbgroßherzog or simply Erbprinz, meaning Hereditary Grand Duke. A sovereign duke's heir was Erbprinz (Hereditary Prince) and a prince's (Fürst) heir might be titled Erbprinz or Erbgraf (Hereditary Prince, Hereditary Count). The prefix distinguished the heir from similarly titled junior siblings. The heirs of emperors and kings were titled Kronprinz (crown prince), while the heirs of prince electors were titled Kurprinz (electoral prince).
Read more about this topic: German Nobility, Titles and Ranks
Famous quotes containing the word titles:
“We have to be despised by somebody whom we regard as above us, or we are not happy; we have to have somebody to worship and envy, or we cannot be content. In America we manifest this in all the ancient and customary ways. In public we scoff at titles and hereditary privilege, but privately we hanker after them, and when we get a chance we buy them for cash and a daughter.”
—Mark Twain [Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835–1910)