Hauptmann

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).
Hauptmann

(Heer / Luftwaffe)

Rank insignia German officer rank
Introduction 19th century
Rank group Commissioned officers
Army / Air Force Hauptmann
Navy Kapitänleutnant
NATO
equivalent
OF-2
Army Captain
NavyCaptain lieutenant

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 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 Captain in the British and US Armies, and is rated OF-2 in NATO.

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 the word Räuberhauptmann refers to the leader of a gang of robbers.

Official Austrian/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.

The word may cognate with the Swedish Hövitsman, which has the root meaning "Head man" or "the man at the head" and is closely related to the word "hövding," meaning Chieftain. Since medieval times, both titles have been used for state administrators rather than military personnel.

See also

Rank insignia

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

Heer Luftwaffe
junior Rank
Oberleutnant

German Bundeswehr officer rank
Hauptmann
senior Rank
Major
Stabshauptmann
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