Hofmeister
A steward or majordomo ( Latin magister / Prefect curiae , English Lord High Steward , Spanish Mayordomo del Rey ) was from the Middle Ages to the 19th century at European courts one of the first court officials . He was responsible for the management of the housekeeping and the service to the person of the prince . In the 15th century, the office of the Hofmeister gradually gained the importance of a state office, and the Hofmeister developed almost the effectiveness of a house and cabinet minister at the German royal courts .
The oldest court masters in Germany were monastic economic officials who, as adlates to the abbots , took care of secular management.
Until the 19th century, private tutors and administrators of large estates were also referred to as court masters .
Austria
In the Habsburg Monarchy the equivalent title was Obersthofmeister .
Russia
In the Russian Empire there were two titles at court until 1917, Hofmeister ( Russian Gofmeister ) and Oberhofmeister (Russian Ober-gofmeister ). According to the ranking table, they corresponded to the ranking categories K3 and K2.
literature
- Gerhard Seeliger : The German Hofmeisteramt in the late Middle Ages . Innsbruck 1887. Reprint: British Library, Historical Print Editions 2011, ISBN 978-1-241-46612-1 .
