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 rank '' överste'' is a direct translation, as are the Finnish rank ''eversti'' and the Icelandic rank ''ofursti''.

History and origins

is a German word. Spelled with a capital O, "" is a noun and defines the military rank of colonel or group captain. Spelled with a lower case o, or "", it is an adjective, meaning "superior, top, topmost, uppermost, highest, chief, head, first, principal, or supreme". Both usages derive from the superlative of , "the upper" or "the uppermost".

As a family name, ''Oberst'' is common in the southwest of Germany, in the area known as the Black Forest ('' Schwarzwald''). The name is also concentrated in the north-central cantons of Switzerland (Aargau & Zürich). Here the Swiss version of ''Oberst'' is spelled ''Obrist''. The name first appeared in the thirteenth century in the German-Swiss border area, and early forms were ''Zoberist'' and ''Oberist.'' The name most likely refers to the "tribe that lives the highest on the mountain" or "the family that lives the highest in the village".

Translated as "superior" or "supreme", the rank of ''Oberst'' can trace its origins to the Middle Ages where the term most likely described the senior knight on a battlefield or the senior captain in a regiment. With the emergence of professional armies in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, an ''Oberst'' became the commander of regiment or battalion-sized formations.

By the eighteenth century, were typically afforded aides or lieutenants, often titled . This led to formation of the modern German rank of the same name, translated as lieutenant colonel.

Austria

Oberst is the fifth highest rank in the Austrian Armed Forces.

Bundesheer - Rank insignia - Oberst.png, Army

Denmark

The Danish rank of is based around the German term. Ranked OF-5 within NATO and having the paygrade of M402, it is used in the Royal Danish Army and the Royal Danish Air Force. The equivalent rank in the Royal Danish Navy is .

History

The rank can be traced back to at least 1563, when Count Günther of Schwarzburg-Arnstadt was named (; ) of the Danish troops during the First Northern War.
By 1586, was named ().

On 25 May 1671, the ranks were codified, by King Christian V, with the publication of the Danish order of precedence. Here there were two types of s. The colonel of the Life Guards placed below major general, and above colonels of the infantry and cavalry, which in turn was placed above the rank lieutenant colonel of the Life Guards.

As part of the Army Reform of 1867, the ranks of Major, Lieutenant colonel were removed, making the only senior officer. By 1889, was reintroduced.

Germany

(short: O) is the highest staff officer rank in the German Army (''Heer'') and the German Air Force (''Luftwaffe'').

''Oberst'' in the ''Bundeswehr''

The rank is rated OF-5 in NATO, and is grade A16 or B3 in the pay rules of the Federal Ministry of Defence. It is equivalent to:
* Oberstarzt, ''Oberstapotheker'', and ''Oberstveterinär'' in the Joint Medical Service of the German Bundeswehr;
* Kapitän zur See and Flottenarzt in the German Navy.

On the shoulder straps (Heer, Luftwaffe) there are three silver pips (stars) in silver oak leaves.

''Oberst'' in East Germany

was in the so-called ''armed organs of the GDR'' (), represented by Ministry of National Defence, and Ministry for State Security, the highest field officer rank, comparable to the colonel in many NATO-Armed forces (Rangcode OF-5). This was in reference to Soviet military doctrine and in line with other armed forces of the Warsaw Pact.

''Oberst'' in the ''Wehrmacht''

was in the German Reich and Nazi Germany the highest field officer rank, comparable to the OF-5 rank in many NATO-Armed forces. It was equivalent to ''Kapitän zur See'' in the ''Kriegsmarine'', and SS-Standartenführer in the Waffen-SS until 1945.

Norway

The rank of was introduced around the same time as Denmark, as Norway at the time was part of Denmark–Norway.

Norway-army-OF-5.svg, Army
Norway-air force-OF-5.svg, Air Force

Sweden

The Swedish variant , is the most senior field grade military officer rank in the Swedish Army and the Swedish Air Force, immediately above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general. It is equivalent to the naval rank of captain in the Swedish Navy.

Sweden-Field-OF-5 (2019).svg, Army
OF-5 Överste AMF hylsa.jpg, Amphibious Corps
OF-5 Överste FV hylsa.svg, Air Force

Switzerland

In the Swiss Army, the Oberst ranks above the lieutenant colonel ("Oberstleutnant") and below the brigadier general ("Brigadier"). In peacetime, it is the fourth highest officer rank.

The Oberst is the commander of a Kommando (Gren Kdo, Flpl Kdo), the army engineer staff, or an antiaircraft  (Flab) cluster. These formations are comparable to regiments. As a staff officer, the Oberst performs various specialized functions in the staffs of the Army, Air Force, and territorial regions. In the brigades, the Oberst (in the general staff - "Oberst i Gst") performs the role of deputy commander and/or chief of staff. In the military justice system, the presidents of the military courts hold the rank of Oberst.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Oberst
Military ranks of Germany
Military ranks of Austria
Military ranks of Switzerland
Military ranks of Denmark
Military ranks of Norway
Military ranks of Sweden
Military ranks of Finland

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