The German and Scandinavian term Uradel (literally: original or ancient feudal nobility) refers to nobility

Nobility

Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...

 who can trace back their noble ancestry at least to the year 1400 and probably originates from leadership positions during the Migration Period

Migration Period

The Migration Period, also called the Barbarian Invasions , was a period of intensified human migration in Europe that occurred from c. 400 to 800 CE. This period marked the transition from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages...

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Divisions of German nobility

Uradel (ancient Nobility): Nobility that originates from leadership positions held before 1400; many Uradel titles date back to the initial settlement of the Germanic peoples during the Migration Period

Migration Period

The Migration Period, also called the Barbarian Invasions , was a period of intensified human migration in Europe that occurred from c. 400 to 800 CE. This period marked the transition from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages...

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Briefadel (newer nobility): Nobility conferred by letter patent; note that "Brief" in Briefadel means "letter", not "of short duration". The first known document is from 30 September 1360 for Wyker Frosch in Mainz; this dating demonstrates that to confer Uradel status a title needed not only antiquity (pre-1400) but also an origin in leadership status rather than mere official decree.

Hochadel (high nobility): Nobility that was sovereign or had a high degree of sovereignty, usually including the right of high justice

High Justice

High Justice is a 1974 collection of science fiction short stories by Jerry Pournelle. It was republished in a omnibus edition with Exiles to Glory in 2009 as Exile -- and Glory....

 (ability to impose death sentences).

Niederer Adel (lower nobility): Nobility that had a lower degree of sovereignty. The majority of knightly families and in general of the origination of the many names including the prefix von (of or from placename) and zu (at a given placename) or even von und zu (of/from and still at a given placename).