Generalstabsarzt and Admiralstabsarzt are in German armed forces the rank designations of the second highest grad of the generals rank group.

Germany

Bundeswehr

Generalstabsarzt and Admiralstabsarzt are the second highest general ranks of the Joint Medical Service or the military medical area of the Bundeswehr. Normally the Bundeswehr Surgeon General of the medical service (de: Inspekteur des Sanitätsdienstes) might be assigned. Equivalent to that

two-star rank An officer of two-star rank is a senior commander in many of the armed services holding a rank described by the NATO code of OF-7. The term is also used by some armed forces which are not NATO members. Typically, two-star officers hold the rank ...

s ( NATO-Rangcode OF-7) are

Generalmajor is the Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central and Northern European countries. Austria Belgium Denmark is the second lowest general officer rank in the Royal Danish Army and Royal Danish Air Force. As a two-s ...

(en: Major general) of the

German Army The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...

German Air Force The German Air Force (german: Luftwaffe, lit=air weapon or air arm, ) is the aerial warfare branch of the , the armed forces of Germany. The German Air Force (as part of the ''Bundeswehr'') was founded in 1956 during the era of the Cold War as ...

, and the

Konteradmiral ''Konteradmiral'', abbreviated KAdm or KADM, is the second lowest naval flag officer rank in the German Navy. It is equivalent to ''Generalmajor'' in the '' Heer'' and ''Luftwaffe'' or to '' Admiralstabsarzt'' and '' Generalstabsarzt'' in the ' ...

(en: Rear admiral) of the

German Navy The German Navy (, ) is the navy of Germany and part of the unified ''Bundeswehr'' (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the ''Bundesmarine'' (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when ''Deutsche Mari ...

Address

The manner of formal addressing of military surgeons with the rank ''Generalarzt'' (OF6, one-star), ''Generalstabsarzt'' (OF7, two stars) or ''Generaloberstabsarzt'' is, „Herr/Frau Generalarzt“. At the other hand, military surgeons with the rank ''Admiralarzt'' (OF6, one-star), ''Admiralstabsarzt'' (OF7, two stars) or ''Admiraloberstabsarzt'' is, „Herr/Frau Admiralarzt“.

Rank insignias

On the shoulder straps (Heer, Luftwaffe) there are two golden stars in golden oak leaves and the career insignia (de: Laufbahnabzeichen) as symbol of the medical standing, or course of studies. Regarding the Marine, the career insignia is in the middle of both sleeves, tree cm above the cuff strips, and on the shoulder straps between strips and button.

History

Wehrmacht 1933 – 1945

''Generalstabsarzt'' of the ''Wehrmacht'' was comparable to the

Generalleutnant is the Germanic variant of lieutenant general, used in some German speaking countries. Austria Generalleutnant is the second highest general officer rank in the Austrian Armed Forces (''Bundesheer''), roughly equivalent to the NATO rank of ...

(

OF-7 An officer of two-star rank is a senior commander in many of the armed services holding a rank described by the NATO code of OF-7. The term is also used by some armed forces which are not NATO members. Typically, two-star officers hold the rank ...

, two stars), as well as to the Gruppenführer and Generalleunant of the Waffen-SS. In line to the so-called Reichsbesoldungsordnung (en: Reich's salary order), appendixes to the Salary law of the German Empire (de: Besoldungsgesetz des Deutschen Reiches) of 1927Besoldungsgesetz vom 16. Dezember 1927 (RGBl. I …, C Soldaten S. 391), changes 1937 to 1940 (changes 1937 – 1940), the comparative ranks were as follows: C 2 *Generalleutnant (Heer and Luftwaffe) *Vizeadmiral (Kriegsmarine) *Generalstabsarzt, from 1934 (medical service of the Wehrmacht) *Generalstabsveterinär, from 1934 (veterinarian service of the Wehrmacht)

Comparative military ranks

;See also main article:

Ranks and insignia of the German Army (1935–1945) The as the German army and part of the inherited its uniforms and rank structure from the of the Weimar Republic (1921–1935). There were few alterations and adjustments made as the army grew from a limited peacetime defense force of 100,00 ...

= Kriegsmarine

= Rank designations of the Kriegsmarine as to Match 30, 1934, are contained in the table below.

Germany before 1933

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...

and

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...

''Generalstabsarzt der Armee'' (en: Surgeon General of the Army) was an appointment and the official title of the Chief of the entire military medical service. Officers, assigned to that particular staff position, could rise in ranks op to ''Generalleutnant'' (OF7). In the first instance the ''Generalstabsarzt of the Prussian Army'' could be promoted to the

Oberst ''Oberst'' () is a senior field officer rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, and Norway. The Swedish ...

OF5-rank. Since 1856 he could rise to ''Generalmajor'', and since 1873 to ''Generalleutnant''. At the same time the ''Generalstabsarzt'' was Chief of the Medical department of the

Prussian Ministry of War The Prussian War Ministry was gradually established between 1808 and 1809 as part of a series of reforms initiated by the Military Reorganization Commission created after the disastrous Treaties of Tilsit. The War Ministry was to help bring the ...

, and Chief of the ''Medical corps''. He was also superior to the ''Generalarzt''. Equivalent authority, mandate and competence was with the ''Generalstabsarzt'' of the

Imperial German Navy The Imperial German Navy or the Imperial Navy () was the navy of the German Empire, which existed between 1871 and 1919. It grew out of the small Prussian Navy (from 1867 the North German Federal Navy), which was mainly for coast defence. Wilhel ...

. He was also Chief of the Medical division in the

German Imperial Naval Office The Imperial Naval Office (german: Reichsmarineamt) was a government agency of the German Empire. It was established in April 1889, when the German Imperial Admiralty was abolished and its duties divided among three new entities: the Imperial Na ...

, and Chief of the Navy's Medical corps.

Austria-Hungary

In the

Austria-Hungarian Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

Heer there were two regular ''Generalstabsarzt'' staff positions established. One ''Generalstabsarzt'' was Chie of the Medical division of the Reichskriegsministerium and Chief of the military surgeon officer corps. The second ''Generalstabsarzt'' was

Praeses ''Praeses'' (Latin ''praesides'') is a Latin word meaning "placed before" or "at the head". In antiquity, notably under the Roman Dominate, it was used to refer to Roman governors; it continues to see some use for various modern positions. ...

of the Military medical committee. That particular rank was comparable to the ''Generalmajor'' OF6-rank (Major general). In some cases a Surgen General of a Generalkommando (en: Army corps or Corps — XXX —) could be promoted to the rank of ''Generalstabsarzt''.

Officers with that rank

* Johann Traugott Dreyer von der Iller (1804-1871), k. k. Generalstabsarzt *

Felix von Kraus Felix von Kraus (October 3, 1870 - October 30, 1937) was an Austrian dramatic bass. Born in Vienna, he received a doctorate in musicology from the University of Vienna in 1894; as a singer, however, he was mainly self-taught. He made his debut ...

(1805-1875), r. med., Generalstabsarzt und Sanitätsreferent * Partnon, Generalstabsarzt

Relevant literature

* Neumann, Alexander: ''Arzttum ist immer Kämpfertum - Die Heeressanitätsinspektion und das Amt "Chef des Wehrmachtsanitätswesens" im Zweiten Weltkrieg (1939-1945), 2005. * Süß, Winfried: ''Der "Völkskörper" im Krieg: Gesundheitspolitik, Gesundheitsverhältnisse und Krankenmord im nationalsozialistischen Deutschland 1939-1945'', 2003.

References

{{Military ranks by country Military ranks of Germany Military ranks of Austria Austro-Hungarian Army Two-star officers of the Bundeswehr Two-star officers of Nazi Germany sl:Generalstabsarzt