How did they become dukes and duchesses?

that's pretty complicated queston. , i'm sorry, answer going long.

first, it's important country of "germany" relatively modern invention. hundreds of years, germany made of multiple small countries multiple kings. so, rules of nobility differed 1 germanic country another. also, people confuse german nobility continental european , british systems of nobility/peerage. system of primogeniture (in firstborn son inherited title , properties) did/does not apply german nobility.

knightly families prove they'd been noble since, or before, 14th century didn't have receive title sovereign. instead, ruler officially "recognised" family's nobility being ancient. these families were, , still are, referred "uradel", meaning "ancient/old nobility". uradel families "freiherren" (technically barons, these higher british baron, while lower earl), "grafen" (counts), herzöge (dukes) or "fürsten" (princes). there uradel familes "adel ohne prädikat" (noble without title), meaning technically noble, , treated such, didn't have specific title. "adel ohne prädikat" families among oldest germanic noble families in existence.

in cases, however, male officially receive title sovereign/king via document called letter patent, reward... military service, example. if ruler bestowing title emperor, title had prefix "reichs" (imperial), in "reichsfreiherr" (meaning "imperial baron"). families became noble after 14th century were/are referred "briefadel", meaning "noble letter patent".

regardless of whether family uradel or briefadel, title handed down legitimate male descendants equally. exception rule prussia, did have limited system of primogeniture, in eldest son inherited title.

concerning renunciation of title: i've never heard of germanic nobles losing title, titles have conceivably stripped or renounced in cases of treason, or if ruler's territory taken on different monarch, after war or such. lots of germanic nobles lost holdings during napoleonic wars.

member of lower german nobility technically have married woman wanted, although have been huge social faux pas marry peasant. however, have been acceptable freiherr marry daughter of rich merchant, example. wife take on female equivalent of husband's title. example: woman married "freiherr" become "freifrau". sons inherit title "freiherr". if had daughter, referred "freiin" or, in rarer cases, "freifräulein". temporary; once daughter married, lose title , have take on title of husband, if had one.

rights of german nobility abolished in 1919, titles became part of family name. so, these days, belonging former noble family automatically inherits gender-specific title. also, title no longer carried on male side of family; can inherited mother, if kept name when married. man can marry woman , take on title, these days. also, women automatically called "freifrau", because titles "freiin" , "freifräulein" considered sexist. in case, titles aren't worth modern germans other status symbols, , people try avoid appearing snobby or elitist , leave titles out when asked names, or abbreviate words in surname.

in austria, however, titles , related words abolished @ same time aristocratic rights. so, modern austrians formerly noble families aren't allowed have "von" in name.

in germany how did establish if we're duke or duchess?

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