Amtsmann

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The ''Amtmann'' or ''Ammann'' (in Switzerland) was an official in German-speaking countries of Europe and in some of the Nordic countries from the time of the Middle Ages whose office was akin to that of a bailiff. He was the most senior retainer (''Dienstmann'') of an ''Amt''; the administrative office of a territorial lord ('' Landesherr'') created to manage the estates of manors (''Gutshöfe''), castles and villages. The estates were both administrative as well as juridical districts. The ''Amtmann'' was usually a member of the nobility or a cleric. In towns, he was also often a member of the wealthy classes amongst the citizenship. He resided in an ''Amthaus'' or ''Amtshaus'' and collected taxes from the district (''Amtsbezirk''), administered justice and maintained law and order with a small, armed unit.

Later, the word ''Beamter'' superseded the older word ''Amtmann'' and has come to mean "official" or "civil servant". The word ''Amtmann'' is derived from ''ambet-ambachtos'' - "one sent round", Celtic: Latin ''ambactus'' "envoy", "herold", "servant", French, ''ambassadeur'', "ambassador". By contrast, the Icelandic word ''ambátt'', "female slave" and the Norwegian ''ambått'' "room maid", "maiden", emerged from the Celtic-Latin via Old German/Old Nordic.

In Holstein during the Danish era (to 1864) the ''Amtmann'' was the senior official of a sovereign department (''landesherrliches Amt''). As head of the administration he was subordinate from 1546 to the ministry (German Chancellery) in Copenhagen. The ''Amtmann'' was also a secular judge of the trial court (''erster Instanz'') and, together with the '' Propst'' or provost, made up the ecclesiastical court or consistory (''Konsistorium''). In a literary testimony to the office, Detlev von Liliencron wrote a ballad called ''"Pidder Lüng"'' in which there is an ''Amtmann'' of Tønder, called Henning Pogwisch.

In Switzerland the ''Ammann'' (''Amtmann'') was an office, since the Middle Ages, elected by the citizens who was the leader of the executive of a canton (''Landammann''), a town ('' Stadtammann'') or a parish ('' Gemeindeammann'').

Official use today

Today in Germany, an ''Amtmann'' is the official title for an official (''Beamter'') of pay band (''Besoldungsordnung'') A 11 in the "upper service" level (''gehobener Dienst'') of the German Civil Service, corresponding to an Army Captain.

In the Austrian state of Burgenland, ''Amtmann'' is the title of a municipal official.

The feminine form, ''Amtfrau'' (e.g. ''Regierungsamtfrau'' - ''RAmtfr'' - or ''Zollamtfrau'' - ''ZAF'') has become widely accepted. For a time the word ''Amtmännin'' was also used instead of ''Amtfrau''. This term was formerly the norm in several German states and the federal administration. It has however largely disappeared, albeit in the Federal Customs Administration the title ''Zollamtmännin'' (an alternative to ''Zollamtfrau'') has been chosen. Originally the introduction of official titles such as ''Justizamtfrau'' was started in the 1970s by a Lower Saxon female official/law enforcement officer who refused her posting order as long as it was not made out in the feminine form. In Switzerland, a female ''Landammann'' is usually titled and referred to as ''Frau Landammann''.

See also

* Amman (disambiguation)
* Ammann (disambiguation)
* ''Bezirksamtmann''

General and cited references

* Hans-Cord Sarnighausen: "Die alten Amtschreiber und Amtmänner", in: ''Zeitschrift für Niederdeutsche Familienkunde'', Issue 4/2000, pp. 147–152.

External links

Karl Kroeschell: ''Der Amtmann. Zur Kulturgeschichte eines Juristenberufs.'' 2000
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