Burgomaster (alternatively spelled burgermeister, literally "master of the town, master of the borough, master of the fortress, master of the citizens") is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief magistrate or executive of a city or town. The name in English was derived from the Dutchburgemeester.
The Burgomaster's Family, possibly painted by Gerard Donck c. 1640
Caption of a Bürgermeisteramt from 1505 (burgomaster Erhart Huck of Bozen, South Tyrol
The title "burgermeister" was first used in the early 13th century.[1]
In history (sometimes until the beginning of the 19th century) in many free imperial cities (such as Bremen, Hamburg, Lübeck etc.) the function of burgomaster was usually held simultaneously by three persons, serving as an executive college. One of the three being burgomaster in chief for a year (called in some cases in German: präsidierender Bürgermeister; in presiding burgomaster), the second being the prior burgomaster in chief, the third being the upcoming one. Präsidierender Bürgermeister is now an obsolete formulation sometimes found in historic texts.
In an important city, especially in a city state (Stadtstaat), where one of the Bürgermeister has a rank equivalent to that of a minister-president (governor), there can be several posts called Bürgermeister in the city's executive college, justifying the use of a compound title for the actual highest magistrate (also rendered as lord mayor), such as:
Regierender Bürgermeister (literally 'governing burgomaster', commonly translated as governing mayor) in West Berlin and reunited Berlin,[2] while in Berlin the term Bürgermeister without attribute – English Mayor – refers to his deputies,[3] and while the heads of the 12 boroughs of Berlin are called Bezirksbürgermeister, English borough mayor.[4]
Bürgermeister und Präsident des Senats ('Burgomaster and President of the Senate') in Bremen
Amtsbürgermeister (German; roughly translated: 'District Burgomaster') can be used for the chief magistrate of a Swiss constitutive canton, as in Aargau 1815–1831 (next styled Landamman)
Contemporary use
By jurisdiction
Arnold von Brauweiler, a German burgomaster, known in German as Bürgermeister
Bürgermeister (literally: 'master of the citizens'), in German: in Germany, Austria, South Tyrol, and formerly in Switzerland. In Switzerland, the title was abolished mid-19th century; various current titles for roughly equivalent offices include Gemeindepräsident, Stadtpräsident, Gemeindeamtmann, and Stadtamtmann.
Oberbürgermeister ('Supreme Burgomaster') is the most common version for a mayor in a big city in Germany (it is not in use in Austria). The Ober- (lit. upper) prefix is used in many ranking systems for the next level up including military designations. The mayors of cities, which simultaneously comprise one of Germany's 112 urban districts usually bear this title. Urban districts are comparable to independent cities in the English-speaking world. However, also the mayors of some cities, which do not comprise an urban district, but often used to comprise one until the territorial reforms in the 1970s, bear the title Oberbürgermeister. It is often translated into English as lord mayor.
Borgomastro or Sindaco-Borgomastro (Italian): in few communes of Lombardy
Burgemeester in Dutch: in Belgium a party-political post, though formally nominated by the regional government and answerable to it, the federal state and even the province. Mayor. In the Netherlands nominated by the municipal council but appointed by the crown. In theory above the parties, in practice a high-profile party-political post.
Burmistrz (Polish), a mayoral title, derived from German. The German form Oberbürgermeister ('Supreme Burgomaster') is often translated as Nadburmistrz. The German-derived terminology reflects the involvement of German settlers in the early history of many Polish towns.
Borgmästare, kommunalborgmästare (Swedish); the title is not used in Sweden in present times, the closest equivalent being kommunalråd (often translated to English as Municipal commissioner) or borgarråd (only in Stockholm City).
Session of the council of the community Oude IJsselstreek, eastern Netherlands: mayor Steven de Vreeze (right) as chairman of the council.
Low Countries
In the Netherlands and Belgium, the mayor (Dutch: burgemeester or French: bourgmestre) is an appointed government position, whose main responsibility is chairing the executive and legislative councils of a municipality.
In the Netherlands, mayors chair both the council of mayor and aldermen and the municipal council.[5] They are members of the council of mayor and aldermen (Dutch: college van burgemeester en wethouders, B&W) and have their own portfolios, always including safety and public order. They also have a representative role for the municipal government, both to its civilians and to other authorities on the local, regional and national level.
A large majority of mayors are members of a political party. This can be the majority party in the municipal council, but there are many exceptions on this. However, the mayors are expected to exercise their office in a non-partisan way.
The mayor is appointed by the national government (the Crown) for a renewable six-year term. In the past, mayors for important cities were often chosen after negotiations (behind the scenes) between the national parties. This appointment procedure has been criticised because it was seen by some as undemocratic. Especially the party D66 had a direct election of the mayor as one of the main objectives in its platform. In the early 2000s, proposals for change were discussed in the national parliament. However, opponents of the status quo were divided between two alternatives: direct election of the mayor by the people or appointment by the municipal council. A constitutional change to direct election gained a majority in both chambers but failed to pass the final vote in the Senate in March 2005.
In the meantime, although the law remained the same, the practice changed. Nowadays, when a vacancy occurs, a special committee of the municipal council interviews (behind closed doors) candidates, which are pre-selected by the provincial governor (the King's Commissioner). After advice by the committee, the council express its preferences to the Minister of the Interior, who almost always follows this recommendation.
References
^Bishop, Joseph Torrey (1908). "The Burgermeister, Germany's Chief Municipal Magistrate". American Political Science Review. 2 (3): 396–410. doi:10.2307/1944809. hdl:2027/hvd.hx3ee5. ISSN 1537-5943. JSTOR 1944809. S2CID 143649993.
^. Land Berlin, Der Regierende Bürgermeister, Senatskanzlei. Archived from the original on 30 March 2010. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
^cf. Article 56 sec. 2 of the . Land Berlin, Der Regierende Bürgermeister, Senatskanzlei. Archived from the original on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
^cf. Article 74 sec. 2 of the . Land Berlin, Der Regierende Bürgermeister, Senatskanzlei. Archived from the original on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
^A Dutch mayor does not vote in the municipal council.
External links
Look up burgomaster, burgomeister, or burghermaster in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
WorldStatesmen—here Switzerland, see also other present countries
March 10, 2023
burgomaster, burgermeister, redirects, here, fictional, character, burgermeister, meisterburger, santa, claus, comin, town, film, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sour. Burgermeister redirects here For the fictional character Burgermeister Meisterburger see Santa Claus Is Comin to Town film This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Burgomaster news newspapers books scholar JSTOR June 2015 Learn how and when to remove this template message Burgomaster alternatively spelled burgermeister literally master of the town master of the borough master of the fortress master of the citizens is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief magistrate or executive of a city or town The name in English was derived from the Dutch burgemeester The Burgomaster s Family possibly painted by Gerard Donck c 1640 Manneken Pis dressed as a burgomaster from the Seven Noble Houses of Brussels In some cases Burgomaster was the title of the head of state and head of government of a sovereign or partially or de facto sovereign city state sometimes combined with other titles such as Hamburg s First Mayor and President of the Senate Contemporary titles are commonly translated into English as mayor Contents 1 Historical use 2 Contemporary use 2 1 By jurisdiction 2 2 Low Countries 3 References 4 External linksHistorical use Edit Caption of a Burgermeisteramt from 1505 burgomaster Erhart Huck of Bozen South Tyrol The title burgermeister was first used in the early 13th century 1 In history sometimes until the beginning of the 19th century in many free imperial cities such as Bremen Hamburg Lubeck etc the function of burgomaster was usually held simultaneously by three persons serving as an executive college One of the three being burgomaster in chief for a year called in some cases in German prasidierender Burgermeister in presiding burgomaster the second being the prior burgomaster in chief the third being the upcoming one Prasidierender Burgermeister is now an obsolete formulation sometimes found in historic texts In an important city especially in a city state Stadtstaat where one of the Burgermeister has a rank equivalent to that of a minister president governor there can be several posts called Burgermeister in the city s executive college justifying the use of a compound title for the actual highest magistrate also rendered as lord mayor such as Regierender Burgermeister literally governing burgomaster commonly translated as governing mayor in West Berlin and reunited Berlin 2 while in Berlin the term Burgermeister without attribute English Mayor refers to his deputies 3 and while the heads of the 12 boroughs of Berlin are called Bezirksburgermeister English borough mayor 4 Erster Burgermeister literally First Burgomaster in Hamburg Burgermeister und Prasident des Senats Burgomaster and President of the Senate in Bremen Amtsburgermeister German roughly translated District Burgomaster can be used for the chief magistrate of a Swiss constitutive canton as in Aargau 1815 1831 next styled Landamman Contemporary use EditBy jurisdiction Edit Arnold von Brauweiler a German burgomaster known in German as Burgermeister Burgermeister literally master of the citizens in German in Germany Austria South Tyrol and formerly in Switzerland In Switzerland the title was abolished mid 19th century various current titles for roughly equivalent offices include Gemeindeprasident Stadtprasident Gemeindeamtmann and Stadtamtmann Oberburgermeister Supreme Burgomaster is the most common version for a mayor in a big city in Germany it is not in use in Austria The Ober lit upper prefix is used in many ranking systems for the next level up including military designations The mayors of cities which simultaneously comprise one of Germany s 112 urban districts usually bear this title Urban districts are comparable to independent cities in the English speaking world However also the mayors of some cities which do not comprise an urban district but often used to comprise one until the territorial reforms in the 1970s bear the title Oberburgermeister It is often translated into English as lord mayor Borgmester Danish Borgarstjori Icelandic and Faroese Borgermester Norwegian Bokmal Borgermester Low German Burgomaestre Spanish Purkmistr Czech Burgumaisu Basque Borgomastro or Sindaco Borgomastro Italian in few communes of Lombardy Burgemeester in Dutch in Belgium a party political post though formally nominated by the regional government and answerable to it the federal state and even the province Mayor In the Netherlands nominated by the municipal council but appointed by the crown In theory above the parties in practice a high profile party political post Bourgmestre French in Belgium Luxembourg and the Democratic Republic of the Congo Burgomestre Portuguese Burgermeister Estonian Burmistras Lithuanian derived from German Buergermeeschter Luxembourgish Polgarmester Hungarian derived from German Burmistrz Polish a mayoral title derived from German The German form Oberburgermeister Supreme Burgomaster is often translated as Nadburmistrz The German derived terminology reflects the involvement of German settlers in the early history of many Polish towns Borgmastare kommunalborgmastare Swedish the title is not used in Sweden in present times the closest equivalent being kommunalrad often translated to English as Municipal commissioner or borgarrad only in Stockholm City Boargemaster West Frisian Pormestari Finnish Session of the council of the community Oude IJsselstreek eastern Netherlands mayor Steven de Vreeze right as chairman of the council Low Countries Edit In the Netherlands and Belgium the mayor Dutch burgemeester or French bourgmestre is an appointed government position whose main responsibility is chairing the executive and legislative councils of a municipality In the Netherlands mayors chair both the council of mayor and aldermen and the municipal council 5 They are members of the council of mayor and aldermen Dutch college van burgemeester en wethouders B amp W and have their own portfolios always including safety and public order They also have a representative role for the municipal government both to its civilians and to other authorities on the local regional and national level A large majority of mayors are members of a political party This can be the majority party in the municipal council but there are many exceptions on this However the mayors are expected to exercise their office in a non partisan way The mayor is appointed by the national government the Crown for a renewable six year term In the past mayors for important cities were often chosen after negotiations behind the scenes between the national parties This appointment procedure has been criticised because it was seen by some as undemocratic Especially the party D66 had a direct election of the mayor as one of the main objectives in its platform In the early 2000s proposals for change were discussed in the national parliament However opponents of the status quo were divided between two alternatives direct election of the mayor by the people or appointment by the municipal council A constitutional change to direct election gained a majority in both chambers but failed to pass the final vote in the Senate in March 2005 In the meantime although the law remained the same the practice changed Nowadays when a vacancy occurs a special committee of the municipal council interviews behind closed doors candidates which are pre selected by the provincial governor the King s Commissioner After advice by the committee the council express its preferences to the Minister of the Interior who almost always follows this recommendation References Edit Bishop Joseph Torrey 1908 The Burgermeister Germany s Chief Municipal Magistrate American Political Science Review 2 3 396 410 doi 10 2307 1944809 hdl 2027 hvd hx3ee5 ISSN 1537 5943 JSTOR 1944809 S2CID 143649993 Curriculum Vitae Klaus Wowereit Land Berlin Der Regierende Burgermeister Senatskanzlei Archived from the original on 30 March 2010 Retrieved 7 April 2010 cf Article 56 sec 2 of the Constitution of the State of Berlin part 4 Land Berlin Der Regierende Burgermeister Senatskanzlei Archived from the original on 12 June 2011 Retrieved 7 April 2010 cf Article 74 sec 2 of the Constitution of the State of Berlin part 6 Land Berlin Der Regierende Burgermeister Senatskanzlei Archived from the original on 12 June 2011 Retrieved 7 April 2010 A Dutch mayor does not vote in the municipal council External links Edit Look up burgomaster burgomeister or burghermaster in Wiktionary the free dictionary WorldStatesmen here Switzerland see also other present countries Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Burgomaster amp oldid 1143669450, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
