Helmschmid, Desiderius

The Helmschmids of Augsburg were one of the most prestigious families of blacksmiths and armourers of late medieval Europe. The name, occasionally spelled Helmschmied, literally means helmet smith. The most well-known members of the family were Lorenz Helmschmid (active from 1467, died in 1515), Kolman Helmschmid (1471 - 1532) and Desiderius Helmschmid (1513 - 1579).

The Helmschmids made armour for Philip II, King of the Spanish Empire, for the high nobility of the Holy Roman Empire including the Emperor, for the Archdukes of Austria and Tyrol, as well as other rich and powerful clients of the time.1​ They competed for fame, prestige and noble patronage with the two other best known and most prestigious families of armourers of the time in Europe, the Seusenhofer family of Innsbruck (Austria) and the Missaglia family of Milan.