Patron Saint 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 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 and the Flemish Heraldic Council for the Flemish Community