Hauptmann

2024-09-15T11:40:18Z

178.197.219.46:

{{Italic title}}
{{Short description|Officer's rank in the German, Austrian, and Swiss armies}}
{{about|the military rank and title|other uses|Hauptmann (disambiguation)}}
{{refimprove|date=February 2021}}

'''{{lang|de|Hauptmann}}''' ({{IPA|de|ˈhaʊ̯pman|lang|De-Hauptmann.ogg}}) is an [[Officer (armed forces)|officer]] rank in the armies of [[German Army|Germany]], [[Austrian Federal Army|Austria]], and [[Swiss Armed Forces|Switzerland]]. It is usually translated as ''captain''.

==Background==
While {{lang|de|Haupt}} in contemporary German means 'main', it also has, and originally had, the meaning of 'head', i.e. ''{{lang|de|Hauptmann}}'' literally translates to 'head-man', which is also the etymological root of ''captain'' (from [[Latin]] {{lang|la|caput}}, 'head').

This rank is equivalent to the rank of captain in the [[British Army|British]] and [[United States Army|US Armies]], and is rated [[Ranks and insignia of NATO armies officers|OF-2]] in [[NATO]].
:{{crossref|For the German maritime counterpart to captain, see [[Kapitän]].}}

Currently, there is no female form within the German military (such as ''Hauptfrau''): the correct form of address is "''Frau Hauptmann''."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://vsb-bund.de/index.php/infothek/item/748-weibldstgrd |work=Verband der Soldaten der Bundeswehr |title=VSB-Statement "weibliche Dienstgrade" |accessdate=February 12, 2021 |archive-date=August 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210805201526/https://vsb-bund.de/index.php/infothek/item/748-weibldstgrd |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.welt.de/wirtschaft/article189989647/Genderdebatte-Wann-gibt-s-die-Hauptfrau-bei-der-Bundeswehr.html |title=Wird "Frau Hauptmann" zur "Hauptmännin" oder "Hauptfrau"? |date=March 8, 2019 |first=Gerhard |last=Hegmann |work=[[Die Welt]] |accessdate=February 12, 2021 }}</ref>

More generally, a Hauptmann can be the head of any hierarchically structured group of people, often as a compound word. For example, a {{lang|de|Feuerwehrhauptmann}} is the captain of a fire brigade{{cn|date=June 2021}}{{dubious|date=June 2021}}, while {{lang|de|Räuberhauptmann}} refers to the leader of a gang of robbers.

Official Austrian and German titles incorporating the word include {{lang|de|[[Landeshauptmann]]}}, {{lang|de|[[Bezirkshauptmann]]}}, {{lang|de|[[Burghauptmann]]}}, and {{lang|de|[[Berghauptmann]]}}.

In [[Saxony]] during the [[Weimar Republic]], the titles of {{lang|de|[[Kreishauptmann]]}}, and {{lang|de|[[Amtshauptmann]]}} were held by senior civil servants.

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

==Military ranks==
===Austria===
{{empty section|date=October 2022}}
{{main|Ranks of the Bundesheer}}
<gallery class="center" caption="Rank insignia for {{lang|de|Hauptmann}}">
File:Bundesheer - Rank insignia - Hauptmann.png|Army
</gallery>

===Germany===
{{main|Rank insignia of the German Bundeswehr}}
{{Infobox military rank
| name = Captain
| native_name = Hauptmann
| image = {{nowrap|[[File:HD H 43 Hauptmann HAufkl.svg|88px]] [[File:LD B 43 Hauptmann.svg|88px]]}}
| image_size =
| caption = Army and Air Force insignia
| image2 =
| image_size2 =
| caption2 =
| country = {{flag|Germany}}
| service branch = {{army|Germany}} {{air force|Germany}}
| abbreviation = H or Hptm
| rank =
| NATO rank = [[Ranks and insignia of NATO armies officers#Officers (OF 1–10)|OF-2]]
| Non-NATO rank =
| formation = 19th century
| abolished =
| higher rank = ''[[Stabshauptmann]]''
| lower rank = ''[[Oberleutnant]]''
| equivalents = ''[[Kapitänleutnant]]'' (Navy)
}}

==== Rank insignia ====

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

{| class="wikitable centered"
|- style="background-color:#CEDAF2"
! Heer|| Luftwaffe
|-
|<gallery widths="80" heights="150">
HA OS5 43 Hauptmann i.G..svg|Hauptmann i.G. (Gen. staff service)
HA OS5 43 Hauptmann PzGren.svg|Hauptmann (Mechanized infantry)
HA OS5 43 Hauptmann d.R. PzGren.svg|Hauptmann d.R. (Mech. infantry reserves)
</gallery>
|<gallery widths="80" heights="150">
LA OS5 43 Hauptmann.svg|Hauptmann (field suit)
</gallery>
|}

===Switzerland===
{{empty section|date=October 2022}}
{{main|Military ranks of Switzerland}}
<gallery class="center" caption="Rank insignia for {{lang|de|Hauptmann}}">
File:OF-2 CH.gif|Army
</gallery>

====Swiss Guard====
{{empty section|date=October 2022}}
<gallery class="center" caption="Rank insignia for {{lang|de|Hauptmann}}">
Rank insignia of Hauptmann (OF-2) Pontifical Swiss Guard.svg|Army
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[World War II German Army ranks and insignia]]
* [[Ranks of the German Bundeswehr]]
* [[Rank insignia of the German Bundeswehr]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://germa83.uni-trier.de/cgi-bin/DWBcgi/getDWBArticle.tcl?hauptmann+100+1+960 Deutsches Wörterbuch, Hauptmann]{{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

{{German military ranks}}

[[Category:Military ranks of Germany]]
[[Category:Military ranks of Austria]]
[[Category:Military ranks]]
[[Category:German words and phrases]]

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Hauptmann