The Royal Belgian Genealogical and Heraldic Office (

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

: 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 kinsh ...

and heraldic society in Belgium. It was founded in 1942 as an asbl and has over a thousand members interested in genealogy 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, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branch ...

. While it publishes exclusively in

French language French ( or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire, as did all Romance languages. French evolved from Gallo-Romance, the Latin spoken in Gaul, and more specifically in Nor ...

, it covers all regions of Belgium. 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 Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...

and government subsidies 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 for the

French Community The French Community (1958–1960; french: Communauté française) was the constitutional organization set up in 1958 between France and its remaining African colonies, then in the process of decolonization. It replaced the French Union, which ...

and the Flemish Heraldic Council for the

Flemish Community The Flemish Community ( nl, Vlaamse Gemeenschap ; french: Communauté flamande ; german: Flämische Gemeinschaft ) is one of the three institutional communities of Belgium, established by the Belgian constitution and having legal responsibilitie ...

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

References

{{Heraldry Genealogy publications Literature on heraldry

Publications

Board of directors

See also

References