| {{ad}} |
|
|
|
| Origins Available: |
| | Germany |
Saxony, one of the oldest and most beautiful regions of Germany, is the esteemed birthplace of the Schlagel family. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adopt a second name to identify themselves as populations grew and travel became more frequent. This happened later in Germany than in most other European countries and surnames were not introduced in the German duchies until after the 12th century. The manner in which Schlagel became a hereditary surname is extremely interesting because it was initially a name of an occupation. Occupational surnames date back to the feudal era. However, under the Feudal System, occupational names did not become hereditary until the offices themselves became hereditary. It was only after an occupation was inherited by several generations in lineal descent, that occupational names came to be applied to entire families, and so became hereditary surnames.
The surname Schlagel was first found in the Anhalt region of ancient Saxony, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a major contributor to the political development of the nation. Chronicles first mention Wolbero Slegel of Cologne in 1142, and the knight Herman Slegel of Bavaria in 1309.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Schlagel research. Another 162 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1719, 1749, 1767, 1821, 1845 and 1868 are included under the topic Early Schlagel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Spelling variations of this family name include: Schlegel, Schlegell, Schlegele, Slegel and others.
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Schlagel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.