{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}} '''''Inhaber''''', or '''Proprietor''', was a term used in the [[Habsburg monarchy|Habsburg]] military to denote special honors extended to a noble or aristocrat. The Habsburg army was organized on principles developed for the [[feudal]] armies in which regiments were raised by a wealthy noble, called the ''Inhaber'' (proprietor) who also acted as colonel of the regiment. Originally, he raised the regiment, funded its needs, and received a portion of its revenue, which might be plunder or loot. He also shared in its shame or its honors.
Within the [[Prussian Army]], [[Bavarian Army]] and other German armies, the title was ''Regimentschef'' ({{langx|en|Regimental Chief}}). The [[Imperial Russian Army|Imperial Russian military]] adopted a similar system. In the [[United Kingdom]] there is a similar title called [[Colonel of the Regiment]]. If the appointment was honorary, a "second" colonel was appointed who would fulfill the duties of the colonel. An honorary incumbent was similar to a British [[Colonel-in-chief]].
==Practical application== When the ''Inhaber'' was a famous or royal person, a second colonel was chosen from among the nobility to perform his duties.<ref>Stephen Herold. [http://www.antiquesatoz.com/habsburg/1812/austarmy.htm ''The Austrian Army in 1812''.] In: [http://www.antiquesatoz.com/napoleon/ ''Le Societé Napoléonienne'']. Retrieved 31 December 2009.</ref> For example, on 16 September 1789, Friedrich Joseph, Count of Nauendorf, led a successful raid on the island of [[Borecs]] in the [[Danube]], which garnered massive amounts of supplies from the Turkish forces.<ref>{{in lang|de}} Fr. Vaníček. ''Specialgeschichte der Militärgrenze: aus Originalquellen und Quellenwerken geschöpft''. Wien: Aus der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, 1875, pp. 447–448.</ref> On 9 November of that year, he led four squadrons of his regiment to capture [[Kladovo|Gladova]], {{convert|10|mi|0}} from the so-called [[Iron Gates]] of the Danube;<ref>J. R. McCulloch. "Gladova." ''A dictionary, geographical, statistical, and historical of the various countries, places, and principal natural objects in the world''. London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, 1854, p. 903.</ref> he was afterward given command of Hussar Regiment H5 ''Wurmser'', named for [[Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser]]. After Wurmser's death, the regiment became known as ''Nauendorf''.<ref>{{in lang|de}} Jens-Florian Ebert. [http://www.napoleon-online.de/AU_Generale/html/Hotze.html ''Die Österreichischen Generäle 1792–1815: Friedrich Freiherr von Hotze'']. Accessed 15 October 2009;</ref>
==Authority and powers== In the [[Austrian Army during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars|Imperial-Royal Army]], the ''Inhaber'' possessed wide powers. First, he could appoint company officers, or at least held the right of refusal. Second, he had considerable legal authority over his regiment, much like that of a feudal lord. A Colonel-''Inhaber''/Colonel Proprietor was originally a noble (or wealthy aristocrat) who raised the regiment. Subsequently, a noble or an officer who had achieved some distinction was appointed to the regimental position as an "honorary" appointment. Each regiment was identified by the ''Inhaber's'' name as well as a number, and when the ''Inhaber'' changed so did the regimental name.<ref>Herold. [http://www.antiquesatoz.com/habsburg/1812/austarmy.htm ''The Austrian Army in 1812''.]</ref>
There were exceptions to this practice: If the appointment was honorary, a "second" colonel was appointed who would fulfill the duties of the colonel.<ref>Herold. [http://www.antiquesatoz.com/habsburg/1812/austarmy.htm ''The Austrian Army in 1812''.]</ref> The 3rd Infantry Regiment (German) was known as the ''Erzherzog Karl'', or Archduke Charles, from 1780 to 1847, named for [[Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen|Archduke Charles]], one of the sons of [[Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor|Leopold II]]. He ceased to function as its direct commander upon his promotion to Field Marshal in 1796, but several "second" colonels were appointed to carry out the administrative and leadership functions of the regiment. The regiment bore Charles' name until his death in 1847.<ref>Stephen Millar, [http://www.napoleon-series.org/military/organization/Austria/infantry/c_austrianinf1.html ''Austrian Infantry Regiments and Their Commanders 1792-1815: Line Infantry Regiments Nrs. 1-10''.] In [http://www.napoleon-series.org/index.html Napoleon Series], Robert Burnham, Editor in chief. 1995-2009. Accessed 31 December 2009.</ref> In another example, [[Karl Aloys von Fürstenberg]] was promoted to [[Major General|major general]] and, at the end of June 1790, given the coveted position of second colonel of the 34th Infantry-Regiment ''Anton Esterhazy'', where he served as the executive officer for Antal Esterhazy, the Regiment's '''Colonel and Proprietor'''.<ref>{{in lang|de}} Ebert, "Feldmarschall-Leutnant Fürst zu Fürstenberg," [http://www.napoleon-online.de/AU_Generale/html/fuerstenberg.html ''Die Österreichischen Generäle 1792-1815'']. Retrieved 7 October 2009.</ref> Thus, a rising-star—in this case Fürstenberg—performed the day-to-day duties of the Colonel and Proprietor, who is usually a noble and is often posted in a different assignment, sometimes a different location.<ref>Herold. [http://www.antiquesatoz.com/habsburg/1812/austarmy.htm ''The Austrian Army in 1812''.]</ref> Another exception was the [[4th Infantry Regiment "Hoch- und Deutschmeister"|4th Infantry Regiment]], known as Deutschmeister (later Hoch- und Deutschmeister), whose title derived from the [[Grand Master of the Teutonic Order|Grand Master (Hochmeister)]] of the [[Teutonic Order]] serving as its regimental proprietor. Rather than adopting the proprietor's personal name, the regiment retained only the title of "Hoch- und Deutschmeister".<ref>{{Cite web |title="Hoch- und Deutschmeister", ehem. IR4 |url=http://www.deutschmeisterbataillon.com/geschichte/ |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=Hoch- und Deutschmeister |language=de-DE}}</ref>
The ''Inhaber'' usually held the position for life: For example, [[Karl Eugen, Prince von Lothringen-Lambesc]] was Colonel-Proprietor of the 21st [[Cuirassier]] Regiment, from 22 June 1794 until his death in Vienna on 21 November 1825. The ''Inhaber'' was often of the same nationality as the regiment, be it German, Bohemian, Moravian, Hungarian, or Galician, which reflected the Habsburg vision of their army as the feudal people-in-arms under the control of the aristocracy.<ref>Herold. [http://www.antiquesatoz.com/habsburg/1812/austarmy.htm ''The Austrian Army in 1812''.]</ref>
The Imperial Russian military also used this system, and regiments frequently bore the name of a geographic region from which it was originally raised.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Sources== * {{in lang|de}} Ebert, Jens-Florian. [http://www.napoleon-online.de/AU_Generale/html/Hotze.html ''Die Österreichischen Generäle 1792–1815: Friedrich Freiherr von Hotze'']. Accessed 15 October 2009; *{{in lang|de}} Hürlimann, Katja. [https://web.archive.org/web/20171201080750/http://www.hls-dhs-dss.ch/textes/d/D19630.phpHotz Johann Konrad (Friedrich von Hotze)]. * Herold, Stephen. [http://www.antiquesatoz.com/habsburg/1812/austarmy.htm ''The Austrian Army in 1812''.] In: [http://www.antiquesatoz.com/napoleon/ ''Le Societé Napoléonienne''.] Accessed 31 December 2009. * Lins, Joseph. [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13374b.htm "Saint Petersburg."] ''The Catholic Encyclopedia''. Vol. 13. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 17 Oct. 2009. * McCulloch, J. R. "Gladova." A dictionary, geographical, statistical, and historical of the various countries, places, and principal natural objects in the world. London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, 1854. * Millar, Stephen. [http://www.napoleon-series.org/military/organization/Austria/infantry/c_austrianinf1.html ''Austrian Infantry Regiments and Their Commanders 1792-1815: Line Infantry Regiments Nrs. 1-10''.] In [http://www.napoleon-series.org/index.html Napoleon Series], Robert Burnham, Editor in chief. 1995–2009. Accessed 31 December 2009. * {{in lang|de}} Vaníček, Fr. ''Specialgeschichte der Militärgrenze: aus Originalquellen und Quellenwerken geschöpft''. Wien: Aus der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, 1875.
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[[Category:Austrian Empire]] [[Category:Austrian noble titles]] [[Category:Military ranks of Austria]]