{{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 rank in the armies of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It is usually translated as ''captain''.
==Background== While {{lang|de|Haupt}}<!--German capitalized ALL nouns.--> 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 and US Armies, and is rated 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}}<!--Swedish nouns are NOT capitalized.-->, 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|Military ranks of Austria }} {{Infobox military rank | name = Captain | native_name = {{lang|de|Hauptmann}} | image = 75px | image_size = | alt = | caption = Peaked cap | image2 = {{nowrap|75px|Anzug 75/03 60px|Rockkragen}} | image_size2 = | alt2 = | caption2 = Field uniform {{pipe}} service uniform | image3 = | image_size3 = | alt3 = | caption3 = | country = {{flag|Austria}} | service branch = Austrian Armed Forces | abbreviation = Hptm | rank group = Junior officer | rank = | NATO rank = | Non-NATO rank = OF-2<ref name="Austria">{{cite web |title=Rank Insignias |url=https://www.bundesheer.at/en/rank-insignias |website=bundesheer.at |publisher=Ministry of Defence |access-date=4 November 2023}}</ref> | pay grade = | formation = | abolished = | higher rank = {{lang|de|Major}} | lower rank = {{lang|de|Oberleutnant}} | equivalents = | history = }} {{Clear}}
===Germany=== {{main|Rank insignia of the German Bundeswehr}} {{Infobox military rank | name = Captain | native_name = Hauptmann | image = {{nowrap|88px 88px}} | image_size = | caption = Army and Air Force insignia | image2 = | image_size2 = | caption2 = | country = {{flag|Germany}} | service branch = {{army|Germany}}<br>{{air force|Germany}} | abbreviation = H or Hptm | rank = | NATO rank = 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.<br /><small>(Gen. staff service)</small> HA OS5 43 Hauptmann PzGren.svg|Hauptmann<br /><small>(Mechanized infantry)</small> HA OS5 43 Hauptmann d.R. PzGren.svg|Hauptmann d.R.<br /><small>(Mech. infantry reserves)</small> </gallery> |<gallery widths="80" heights="150"> LA OS5 43 Hauptmann.svg|Hauptmann<br /><small>(field suit)</small> </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