Oberst
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Oberst ([ˈoːbɐst] in German) is a military 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 the Finnish rank eversti and the Icelandic rank ofursti.
Oberst is also the name of a danish rockband from Copenhagen.
[edit] History
Oberst is a German Word. Spelled with a capital, "Oberst" it is a noun and defines the military rank of colonel or group captain. Spelled with a lower case o, or "oberst", it is an adjective, meaning top, topmost, uppermost, highest, chief, head, first, principal, supreme. Both usages derive from the superlative of ober(e) “the upper”, thus “the uppermost”.
As a family name, Oberst is common in the southwest corner of Germany in the area known as the Black Forest. It is also concentrated in the north central cantons of Switzerland (Aargau & Zurich). Here the Swiss version of Oberst is spelled Obrist. The name first appeared around 1200 to 1300 AD around what is today the German/Swiss border area and early forms were Zoberist and Oberist. The name most likely refers to the "tribe that lives the highest in 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 perhaps the senior Captain in a regiment. With the founding of professional armies in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, an Oberst became the officer in charge of regiment or battalion-sized formations.
By the eighteenth century, Obersts were typically afforded aides or lieutenants, often called by the title Oberstleutnant. This led to formation of the modern German rank of the same name, translated as Lieutenant Colonel.
Oberst was used in the militaries of Germany and Austria during both World Wars. Oberst was also used as the prefix of the now obsolete SS rank of Oberstgruppenführer. The direct SS equivalent to an Oberst was known as a Standartenführer. A Colonel General during the World Wars was called Generaloberst.
| Junior Rank Oberstleutnant |
German officer rank Oberst |
Senior Rank Brigadegeneral |
