Geheimrat was the title of the highest advising officials at the imperial, royal or princely courts of the Holy Roman Empire, who jointly formed the Geheimer Rat reporting to the ruler. The term remained in use during subsequent monarchic reigns in German-speaking areas of Europe until the end of the First World War. At its origin the literal meaning of the word in German was 'trusted advisor' - the word "geheim" (secret) implying that such an advisor could be trusted with the Monarch's secrets (similar to "secretary" in English being linguistically related to "secret"). The English-language equivalent is Privy Councillor.

The office contributing to the state's politics and legislation had its roots in the age of absolutism from the 17th century onward, when a governmental administration by a dependent bureaucracy was established similar to the French Conseil du Roi. A precursor was the Reichshofrat, a judicial body established by Emperor Maximilian I of Habsburg. In Austria, the professional title of Hofrat (also Hofrath, Court Councillor) has remained in use as an official title for deserved civil servants up to today.

With the Empire's dissolution and the rise of Constitutionalism in the aftermath of the French Revolution, the office of a Geheimrat became an honorific title conferred by the German states upon high officials, accompanied by the address Exzellenz. During that period related titles no longer affiliated with an office arose, like Geheimer Kommerzienrat, an award for outstanding contributions in the field of commerce and industry, or Geheimer Medizinalrat, an award for outstanding contributions to medicine. The term is also used in combination with the word Ecke Geheimratsecke, colloquially describing male pattern baldness at the 'edges' of the forehead (i.e. the upper 'corners' of the face).

In the Republic of Austria the title was officially abolished in 1919. In Germany, the title largely disappeared after the fall of the German Empire in 1918, when the various princely states of Germany were replaced by the constituent states of the Weimar Republic, although Geheimräte continued to be appointed by the Free State of Bavaria. However, many honorees continued to use it, and the title Geheimrat, its abbreviation Geh. Rat and related abbreviations (Geh. Med.-Rat, Geh. Ober-Med.-Rat and even Geh. Hofrat) appear in captions until the 1930s, such as used by the German Federal Archives.[1][2]

Notable Geheimräte

BornDiedNametitle given
15301616Nicholas Remyin 1575 by Duke Charles III of Lorraine
16091680Raimondo Montecuccoliin 1660 by Emperor Leopold I
16461716Gottfried Leibnizin 1678 by Duke John Frederick of Brunswick-Calenberg
16841752Philipp Otto von Grumbkowin 1710s
16861747Andrey Ostermanin 1721 by Emperor Peter I of Russia
17141767Emerich de Vattelin 1758 by Elector Frederick Augustus II of Saxony
17201786Mathias Franz Graf von Chorinsky Freiherr von Ledskein 1778 by Empress regnant Maria Theresa of the Holy Roman Empire[3]
17491832Johann Wolfgang von Goethein 1779 by Duke Charles Augustus of Saxe-Weimar
17551830Samuel Thomas von Sömmerringin 1810 by King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria
17771855Carl Friedrich Gauss
17881857Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorffin 1841 by King Frederick William IV of Prussia
17931864Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struvein 1856 by Emperor Alexander II of Russia
18051896Johann Gustav StickelCharles Frederick, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
18211894Hermann von Helmholtz
18311897Heinrich von Stephanin 1868 by King Wilhelm I of Prussia
18351913Felix Draesekein 1906 by King Frederick Augustus III of Saxony
18451918Richard Assmannby German emperor King Wilhelm II of Prussia
18491925Felix Klein
18401918Ignaz Bing
18511930Adolf von Harnackby German emperor King Wilhelm II of Prussia
18521915Friedrich Loefflerby German emperor King Wilhelm II of Prussia
18531931Georg von Schanzin 1914 by King Ludwig III of Bavaria
18541917Emil Adolf von Behringin 1903 by German emperor King Wilhelm II of Prussia
18541915Paul Ehrlichin 1911 by German emperor King Wilhelm II of Prussia
18551936Ferdinand Tönniesin 1917 by German emperor King Wilhelm II of Prussia
18571928Theodor Curtiusin 1895 by German emperor King Wilhelm II of Prussia
18581947Max Planckby German emperor King Wilhelm II of Prussia
18651951Alfred Hugenbergby German emperor King Wilhelm II of Prussia
18911964Leo Maximilian Baginskiin 1919 by Prince Albert of Thurn and Taxis
18611949August Bierby German emperor King Wilhelm II of Prussia[4]
18751951Ferdinand Sauerbruch
18271908Gottfried von Schmittin 1888 by Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria
18381907Josef von Schmittin 1896 by Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria

See also

References

  1. "Bundesarchiv – Picture database: Picture archive". Archived from the original on 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2009-08-20.
  2. "Mitglieder, welchen die Ehrengabe verliehen wurde". Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics (February 1993). Berlin / Heidelberg: Springer. ISSN 0932-0067 (print), 1432-0711 (online); vol. 156, no. 12. DOI 10.1007/BF01790506. p. XV
  3. Österreichische Staatsarchiv (ÖStA) (Austrian State Archives (ÖStA)); Allgemeines Adelsarchiv der österreichischen Monarchie (General Archive of Nobility of the Austrian Monarchy), Author: Karl Friedrich Benjamin Leupold, Publisher: Hoffmeister, Wien (Vienne), 1789, Volume 1, Issue 2, Page 179-184, in German.
  4. Little Jr., DM (1962). "Classical file". Survey of Anesthesiology. 6 (3): 351. doi:10.1097/00132586-196206000-00068.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.