Who is the burgomaster? The definition has several meanings. First of all, the burgomaster is the name of the administrative position occupied by the head of the city government. There are also other definitions. For example, there is a species of seagull with this name.
History of the word "burgomaster"
Burgomaster is a corruption of the German word Burgmeister, which literally means "head of the city". The title of the post of burgomaster appeared at the turn of the 16th-17th centuries in some European countries for which the German legal tradition was acceptable: Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg, Denmark, Belgium, Hungary, Germany, the B altic states. At that time, the meaning of the word "burgomaster" was defined as the position held by the head of the city government.
In Russia, until the 60s of the XIX century, the head of the city government was called the burgomaster. Such an official was determined by the results of the elections of city societies. The elected burgomaster presided over town halls and magistrates. He was a replacement for the former "zemstvo head." In provincial cities, the burgomaster was considered a civil servant of the ninth grade, and in county towns - an official of the tenth grade. Grade degreedetermined the advantages enjoyed by the mayor. These were mainly differences in pay and living conditions.
Elections of the burgomaster were carried out every three years, and the salary for his maintenance was allocated from the income of the city. The diligent work of such an official was marked by commendation sheets, increased salaries, and the release of a departmental residential building from the presence of a boarding house. At present, of all the post-Soviet republics, the name of such a position has been preserved only in Latvia. The position of "vowel burgomaster" exists in Riga.
Mayor in Germany
For example, let's find out what a burgomaster is in Germany: position, rank or administrative unit, using the example of the mayor of the city of Berlin (what he does, what his duties are).
The ruling mayor of Berlin is elected not only as the head of the executive city government, but also as a civil servant, combining two parallel functions: mayor of the city and prime minister of the state of Berlin. The current burgomaster is also the head of the Berlin government (Senate).
By the way, until 1948, the mayor in Germany was called the "Mayor". And the definition of "ruling burgomaster" is the name that the German mayor received from the Soviet authorities after the war. Of course, it operated only on the territory of the GDR. There was no such term in Germany, because Western countries had influence there.
What is a steward?
If the burgomaster is the city chief, then the burgomaster isvillage chief. In Russia, this could be a village headman who oversaw the performance of the peasants' duties. He was also entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining order in the village.
Sometimes a steward was a person appointed by a landowner to manage his estate. Under the reign of Emperor Peter the Great, the burgmaster and the burgomaster are the same name for an official appointed to govern the city and subordinate to the burmister town hall or the chamber of Moscow. Such an official was responsible for the placement of buildings, their reconstruction, and the collection of resources for new buildings. He was asked about the presence of the capital's flag and the combat effectiveness of regional troops.
Modern definition of burgomaster
Currently, the burgomaster is the mayor of the city, the acting head of the administration. In his hands is also the entire executive power of a certain locality. In Russia, the name of such a position was fixed after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Now this name has become official.
When the election of the city governor was abolished, the election of the mayor began to be held from deputies, representatives of the city duma. And accordingly, the new mayor must be from the parliamentary faction.
Similar positions
The Burgomaster is the highest city official in Germany and several European countries. But there were and there are other names for similar positions of the heads of city government.
- mayor –a name that still exists in the Balkan countries: Macedonia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro;
- mayor - public office of an official in Ukraine, Russia, Estonia until 1918;
- starosta - an employee in the cities of Lithuania and the Czech Republic;
- city president is the name of the mayor of Poland;
- head of city administration - civil servant in Russia and Kazakhstan;
- the head of a municipality is the head of a settlement or village in Russia;
- Chairman of the commune - manager of the city government in Albania.
Zoological definition
What does burgomaster mean in terms of zoology? Hardly anyone knows that this is not only a unit of administrative control, but also the name of a large polar gull! This name is due to the place of the bird's settlement, which is a cluster of birds, called the "bird market". Here, the seagull "takes tribute" from the gathering of migratory colonial birds in the form of their eggs and chicks. The distribution area of gulls is the polar regions of America, Asia, and Europe. The bird's habitats are rocky shores, coastal tundra, arctic islands.
In conclusion, we note that at the beginning of the 20th century, printed dictionaries of common foreign words often used in Russian were published in Moscow and St. Petersburg. According to their definition, a burgomaster is:
- "an employee elected by the city, a native of the merchant class to attend general Duma meetings and to look after city needs";
- "mayor in all German cities";
- "a leading city leader in the city government."
Also burgomaster is a word that has become very popular due to its peculiar old sound. It gave the name to the most unusual, at first glance, things. With this name in the city of Lvov (Ukraine) a new mini-brewery was opened, and in Moscow, on Theater Square, there is a beer restaurant "Burgomaster". The same name has the ruler of the fabulous country Esgaroth in the fantastic movie "The Hobbit".
