A (), sometimes called a , is the

chair A chair is a type of seat, typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. They may be made of wood, metal, or synthetic materials, and may be padded or upholstered in vari ...

of a Dutch water board. The dijkgraaf is the equivalent of a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

in local government and a King's Commissioner in provincial government, chairing both the legislative and executive council, while having both ceremonial and representational roles as well as their own portfolios. The term goes back to pre-medieval days. Literally the term means "Dike

count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York ...

", like other titles ending in (equivalent to English: -

grave A grave is a location where a dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as grav ...

and german: -

graf (feminine: ) is a historical title of the German nobility, usually translated as " count". Considered to be intermediate among noble ranks, the title is often treated as equivalent to the British title of "earl" (whose female version is " ...

) of feudal origin, but remained a functional official. The government bodies in the Netherlands today in order of rank are: #National #Provincial #Municipal #Water boards. In medieval times and earlier however, the water boards were the same as municipal, and since it was a country of duchies, the Water board () was in governmental terms the equivalent of a city (), and thus also the highest form of government.

References

Dijkgraaf
definition (Dutch)
Water Canon
(English version) website of The

Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management The Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management (Dutch: ''Ministerie van Verkeer en Waterstaat''; V&W) was a Dutch ministry responsible for water management, public and private transport and infrastructure. It is now part of the Min ...

First female dijkgraaf Joan Leemhuis-Stout
(Dutch) Government of the Netherlands Water boards (Netherlands) {{Netherlands-gov-stub