The Royal Belgian Genealogical and Heraldic Office ( French: Association Royale Office Généalogique et Héraldique de Belgique or OGHB) is a private

genealogical Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kin ...

and heraldic society in Belgium. It was founded in 1942 as an ''ASBL'' and has over a thousand members interested in

genealogy Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kin ...

and

heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and genealo ...

. While it publishes exclusively in the

French language French ( or ) is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European family. Like all other Romance languages, it descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire. French evolved from Northern Old Gallo-R ...

, it covers all

regions of Belgium In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

. Its main purpose is the historical study of families without distinction of social class or profession as well as the auxiliary sciences of history, such as genealogy and heraldry. The OGHB benefits from royal patronage and

government subsidies A subsidy, subvention or government incentive is a type of government expenditure for individuals and households, as well as businesses with the aim of stabilizing the economy. It ensures that individuals and households are viable by having acce ...

and is thus considered as having a somewhat greater status than a purely private society. It used to record the arms of persons and families before this task was taken over by the

Council of Heraldry and Vexillology The Council of Heraldry and Vexillology ( French: Conseil d’héraldique et de vexillologie) is the Heraldic authority for the French-speaking Community of Belgium. It is the institution that advises the Government of the French-speaking Commu ...

for the

French Community The French Community () was the constitutional organization set up in October 1958 between France and its remaining African colonies, then in the process of decolonization. It replaced the French Union, which had reorganized the colonial em ...

and the Flemish Heraldic Council for the

Flemish Community The Flemish Community (, ) is one of the three institutional communities of Belgium, established by the Belgian constitution and having legal responsibilities only within the precise geographical boundaries of the Dutch-language area and of the ...

Publications

The association publishes a number of publications: * ''Le Parchemin: a bimonthly review with table and index.'' *''Le Héraut'': quarterly link sheet with practical information and announcements. *''Les Recueils'': works, each issue of which includes a major study (most often genealogical). Example: the living heraldic armorial.

Board of directors

Source:

References

{{Authority control Genealogy publications Literature on heraldry

Publications

Board of directors

See also

References