The Lords of Westerburg free sempervirens descended from the ancient Gaugrafen of Lahngaues; they are of the same origin as the House of Wied-Runkel and have 1226 separated from this.

They performed like the famous taverns of Limpurg and two other houses in the Middle Ages the title “of the Holy Roman Empire Semper Free”. The term free sempervirens has its origin in the expression “sendbarfrei”and means “chivalrous or ritterbürtig.

Coat of arms:

The held in early Gothic style sheet shows the mutually facing shields from Westerburg (in red with a golden cross, bewinkelt of each 5 gold small crosses) and of Leiningen (In Blue 3 Silver, Red Eagle reinforced 2. 1 covered with a pot helmet, the Westerburger (r. Flight with shield picture) Leininger and crest (Linden) united bears.

Literature:

• Genealogical history of uradeligen, rich and poor count's princely, unable wonderful, Mighty House of Leiningen and Westerburg-Leiningen for archival, manuscript and printed sources Edit. by Ed. Brinckmeier, Brunswick: Sattler 1890-1891, siehe diesen Artikel
• History and genealogy of the dynasties of Westerburg from documents and other archival sources, Johann Georg Lehmann, Wiesbaden: Verlag Roth 1866