Hochwohlgeboren (, "High Well-born"; ) is an

honorific An honorific is a title that conveys esteem, courtesy, or respect for position or rank when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term "honorific" is used in a more specific sense to refer to an Honorary title (academic), h ...

and manner of address for members of the

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...

in some parts of Europe.

German

This form of address originally had connections with the ability of a ''

Freiherr (; male, abbreviated as ), (; his wife, abbreviated as , ) and (, his unmarried daughters and maiden aunts) are designations used as titles of nobility in the German-speaking areas of the Holy Roman Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and in ...

'' (

Baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...

) to bequeath a family

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

and to hold landed property as

allodial Allodial title constitutes ownership of real property (land, buildings, and fixtures) that is independent of any superior landlord. Allodial title is related to the concept of land held "in allodium", or land ownership by occupancy and defense ...

instead of a

fief A fief (; ) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of feudal alle ...

. The actual address is ''Euer Hochwohlgeboren'' ("Your High Well-born") and is the correct form of address not only German ''

en'' but also ''

Ritter Ritter (German for "knight") is a designation used as a title of nobility in German-speaking areas. Traditionally it denotes the second-lowest rank within the nobility, standing above " Edler" and below "" (Baron). As with most titles and desig ...

'' and ''

Edle Edler () was until 1919 the lowest rank of nobility in Austria-Hungary and Germany, just beneath a ''Ritter'' (hereditary knight), but above untitled nobles, who used only the nobiliary particle ''von'' before their surname. It was mostly given to ...

''. The title should not be confused with ''(Euer)

Hochgeboren Hochgeboren (, "high-born"; ) is a form of address for the titled members of the German nobility, German and Austrian nobility, ranking just below the German mediatisation, sovereign and mediatised dynasties. The actual address is ''"Euer" Hochgeb ...

''. This title ranks higher than ''Hochwohlgeboren'' and is the style of mediate ''

Graf (; feminine: ) is a historical title of the German nobility and later also of the Russian nobility, usually translated as "count". Considered to be intermediate among noble ranks, the title is often treated as equivalent to the British title ...

en'' (''mediate Counts''; immediate counts or ''Reichsgrafen'' are entitled to the address ''

Erlaucht His/Her Illustrious Highness (abbreviation: H.Ill.H.) is the usual English-language translation of the German word , a style historically attributed to certain members of the European nobility. It is not a literal translation, as the German word ...

'') and those ''Freiherren'' descending from the mediæval ''

Uradel (, German: "ancient nobility"; adjective or ) is a genealogical term introduced in late 18th-century Germany to distinguish those families whose noble rank can be traced to the 14th century or earlier. The word stands opposed to '' Briefadel'' ...

''. Another honorific title was ''(Euer)

Wohlgeboren Wohlgeboren (, "well-born") was a form of address for the lowest ranks of German nobility. The Latin version of this term is "''spectabilis''". German usage The actual address was ''(Euer) Wohlgeboren'', it is the proper form of address for a ''Vo ...

'' which ranked lower than Hochwohlgeboren and was claimed by

Bourgeois The bourgeoisie ( , ) are a class of business owners, merchants and wealthy people, in general, which emerged in the Late Middle Ages, originally as a "middle class" between the peasantry and Aristocracy (class), aristocracy. They are tradition ...

notables. In the 19th century it became customary to address academic and other civil honoraries by this title, e.g., a number of letters to

Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud ( ; ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating psychopathology, pathologies seen as originating fro ...

are addressed to "''Hochwohlgeboren'' Prof. Dr. Sigmund Freud". It is commonly abbreviated in correspondence as: “I.I.H.H.” for married couples “I.H.” (= ''Ihre Hochwohlgeboren'') for women. “S.H.” (= ''Seine Hochwohlgeboren'') for men.

Swedish

In Sweden ''Högvälboren'' (High Well-born) is used to address

barons Barons may refer to: *Baron (plural), a rank of nobility *Barons (surname), a Latvian surname *Barons, Alberta, Canada * ''Barons'' (TV series), a 2022 Australian drama series * ''The Barons'', a 2009 Belgian film Sports * Birmingham Barons, a Min ...

and

count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

s, ''Välboren'' (Well-born) is used to address untitled nobles.

Dutch

In The Netherlands ''Hoogwelgeboren'' (High Well-born) is used to address a

, a

Knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

or a

Jonkheer (female equivalent: ; in the masculine only; ''jonkvrouw'' is used in the feminine, even in French; ) is an honorific in the Low Countries denoting the lowest rank within the nobility. In the Netherlands, this in general concerns a prefix used ...

. ''Hooggeboren'' (High-born) is used to address

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...

Margrave Margrave was originally the Middle Ages, medieval title for the military commander assigned to maintain the defence of one of the border provinces of the Holy Roman Empire or a monarchy, kingdom. That position became hereditary in certain Feudal ...

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

s or

Viscount A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. The status and any domain held by a viscount is a viscounty. In the case of French viscounts, the title is ...

Russian

Imperial Russia Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor/empress, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * ...

, civil, military and court officials in the 6th to 8th grades according to the

Table of Ranks The Table of Ranks () was a formal list of positions and ranks in the military, government, and court of Imperial Russia. Peter I of Russia, Peter the Great introduced the system in 1722 while engaged in a struggle with the existing hereditary ...

were addressed with a style similar in meaning (''Ваше высокоблагородие''). Similarly the style ''(Euer) Wohlgeboren'' (''Ваше благородие'') was applied to officials in the 9th to 14th grades, while ''(Euer) Hochgeboren'' (''Ваше высокородие'') was enjoyed by officials in the 5th grade. As such the honorific address was also implied by membership in some grades of the Russian dynastic orders of chivalry.

Hungarian

In Hungarian the equivalent word was "nagyságos" and literally comes from this term in Latin "''magnificus''".

References

{{Imperial, royal, and noble styles Styles (forms of address)