In medieval Europe, within the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...

, a Hofmeister (literally "court-master" or "house-master" in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

; la, Magister, Praefectus curiae; da, hofmester, hovmester, sv, hovmästare, cs, hofmistr, pl, ochmistrz; french: précepteur; it, precettore / istitutore) was an official who acted as an aide to royalty or to a senior nobleman or cleric. Later it became a term for a schoolmaster who looked after the welfare of students in addition to their education.

Roles

In the service of royalty and other magnates

A ''Hofmeister'' was one of the highest offices in the courts of German emperors and kings, and also existed in other princely

court A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in acco ...

s and the courts of smaller dynasties. His official role was initially in the direction of the royal household and serving privately on the monarch's person. In the 15th century it became a government office and in the German princely courts finally became equivalent to a privy counsellor or cabinet minister, and sometimes as something like the

Master of the Household The Master of the Household is the operational head (see Chief operating officer) of the "below stairs" elements of the Royal Households of the United Kingdom. The role has charge of the domestic staff, from the Royal Kitchens, the pages and foot ...

in the modern British royal court.

In the service of prelates

A ''Hofmeister'' was also the title given to someone who acted as an ''adlatus'' or aide to his abbot in a

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...

In service of education

Later a ''Hofmeister'' could also be a house-tutor, also responsible for the care of his students beyond their education. Even now, in some areas, an administrator for a greater good is known as a ''hofmeister'' when he would otherwise be called a ''house-tutor''.

Theatre

It gave its name to '' Der Hofmeister'', a play by

Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz (23 January 1751, or 12 January in the Julian calendar – 4 June 1792, or 24 May in the Julian calendar) was a Baltic German writer of the ''Sturm und Drang'' movement. Life Lenz was born in Sesswegen (Cesvaine), ...

Sources

Meyers Konversations-Lexikon ' or ' was a major encyclopedia in the German language that existed in various editions, and by several titles, from 1839 to 1984, when it merged with the '. Joseph Meyer (1796–1856), who had founded the publishing house in 1826, intended t ...

Literature

* Ludwig Fertig: ''Die Hofmeister. Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte des Lehrerstandes und der bürgerlichen Intelligenz.'' Metzler, Stuttgart, 1979, . * Gerhard Seeliger: ''Das deutsche Hofmeisteramt im späten Mittelalter'', Innsbruck, 1887; Reprint: British Library, Historical Print Editions 2011, . *

: '' Der Hofmeister'', Tragikomödie, 1774. * Johann Christian Müller: ''Meines Lebens Vorfälle und Neben-Umstände 2. Teil: Hofmeister in Pommern (1746-1755)'', Lehmstedt, Leipzig, 2013, . Positions of authority Government occupations Medieval occupations Education in Germany {{Germany-hist-stub