Hauptmann

Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian, and Swiss armies. While Haupt in contemporary German means 'main', it also has and originally had the meaning of 'head', i.e. Hauptmann literally translates to 'head-man', which is also the etymological root of captain (from Latin caput, 'head'). It equates to the rank of captain in the British and US Armies, and is rated OF-2 in NATO. (For the German maritime counterpart to captain, see Kapitän.)

This article is about Hauptmann used in German-speaking countries as officer OF2-rank, as well as title. For equivalent OF2-rank in Anglophone armed forces, see Captain (armed forces). For people of this name, see Hauptmann (disambiguation).
Captain
Hauptmann
Army and Air Force insignia
Country Germany
Service branch German Army
 German Air Force
AbbreviationHptm
NATO rankOF-2
Formation19th century
Next higher rankMajor
Next lower rankOberleutnant
Equivalent ranksKapitänleutnant (Navy)

More generally, it can be used to denote the head of any hierarchically structured group of people, often as a compound word. For example, a Feuerwehrhauptmann is the captain of a fire brigade, while Räuberhauptmann refers to the leader of a gang of robbers.

Official Austrian and German titles incorporating the word include Landeshauptmann, Bezirkshauptmann, Burghauptmann, and Berghauptmann.

In Saxony during the Weimar Republic, the titles of Kreishauptmann, and Amtshauptmann were held by senior civil servants.

Hauptmann (from Early Modern High German Heubtmann) is cognate with the Swedish hövitsman, which also has the root meaning 'head-man' or 'the man at the head', and is closely related to hövding, meaning 'chieftain'. Since medieval times, both titles have been used for state administrators rather than military personnel. Heubtmann may also be the origin of the title hetman, used in Central and Eastern Europe.

Rank insignia

On the shoulder straps (Heer, Luftwaffe) there are three silver pips (stars).

HeerLuftwaffe
  • Hauptmann i.G.
    (Gen. staff service)
  • Hauptmann
    (Mechanized infantry)
  • Hauptmann d.R.
    (Mech. infantry reserves)
  • Hauptmann
    (field suit)
junior Rank
Oberleutnant
German Bundeswehr officer rank
Hauptmann		 senior Rank
Major
Stabshauptmann
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See also

References
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