Burgomaster

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The Burgomaster's Family, possibly painted by Gerard Donck c. 1640 'The Burgomaster's Family', Dutch oil on canvas painting, c. 1640, Honolulu Academy of Arts.jpg
The Burgomaster's Family, possibly painted by Gerard Donck c.1640
Manneken Pis dressed as a burgomaster from the Seven Noble Houses of Brussels. Manneken Pis en costume des Lignages de Bruxelles.jpg
Manneken Pis dressed as a burgomaster from the Seven Noble Houses of Brussels.

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.

Contents

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 .

Historical use

Caption of a Burgermeisteramt from 1505 (burgomaster Erhart Huck of Bozen, South Tyrol) HS 140 fol 53v BMraitung Erhart Hugkh 1505.jpg
Caption of a Bürgermeisteramt from 1505 (burgomaster Erhart Huck of Bozen, South Tyrol)

Contemporary use

By jurisdiction

Arnold von Brauweiler, a German burgomaster, known in German as Burgermeister Bartholomaus Bruyn (I) - Burgomaster Arnold von Brauweiler - WGA03660.jpg
Arnold von Brauweiler, a German burgomaster, known in German as Bürgermeister
Session of the council of the community Oude IJsselstreek, eastern Netherlands: mayor Steven de Vreeze (right) as chairman of the council. 2015-04-02 raadsvergadering oij 08.JPG
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. [9] 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.

Related Research Articles

In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as the means by which a mayor is elected or otherwise mandated. Depending on the system chosen, a mayor may be the chief executive officer of the municipal government, may simply chair a multi-member governing body with little or no independent power, or may play a solely ceremonial role. A mayor's duties and responsibilities may be to appoint and oversee municipal managers and employees, provide basic governmental services to constituents, and execute the laws and ordinances passed by a municipal governing body. Options for selection of a mayor include direct election by the public, or selection by an elected governing council or board.

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Lord mayor is a title of a mayor of what is usually a major city in a Commonwealth realm, with special recognition bestowed by the sovereign. However, the title or an equivalent is present in other countries, including forms such as "high mayor". Aldermen usually elect the lord mayor from their ranks.

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JohannesHudde was a burgomaster (mayor) of Amsterdam between 1672 – 1703, a mathematician and governor of the Dutch East India Company.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mayor of Frankfurt</span>

The Mayor of Frankfurt is the highest-ranking member of city government in Frankfurt, Germany. The mayor was traditionally elected by the city council. This system was replaced in 1995, and the position has been directly elected. Two people have won election since then: Petra Roth (CDU) and Peter Feldmann (SPD). Current mayor Nargess Eskandari-Grünberg (Green) assumed the office in November 2022 following a successful recall election against Feldmann.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louise Schroeder</span> German politician

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Sovereign is a title that can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French souverain, which is ultimately derived from the Latin superānus, meaning 'above'.

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<i>Zar und Zimmermann</i>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sybrand van Haersma Buma</span> Dutch politician

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Senate of Berlin</span> Government of Berlin

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tino Schwierzina</span> German politician (1927–2003)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Renner</span> German music producer, journalist and author

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References

  1. 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.
  2. "Curriculum Vitae Klaus Wowereit". Land Berlin, Der Regierende Bürgermeister, Senatskanzlei. Archived from the original on 30 March 2010. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  3. cf. Article 56 sec. 2 of the "Constitution of the State of Berlin (part 4)". Land Berlin, Der Regierende Bürgermeister, Senatskanzlei. Archived from the original on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  4. cf. Article 74 sec. 2 of the "Constitution of the State of Berlin (part 6)". Land Berlin, Der Regierende Bürgermeister, Senatskanzlei. Archived from the original on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  5. Kochan, Iryna. "Іван Франко та іншомовні слова" [Ivan Franko and foreign-language words](PDF). Проблеми мовознаства: 294.
  6. Shaikouskaya, Anna. "Юліта Неплах-Сітніцка: Беларуская культура тут мае глыбокія карані" [Yulita Neplakh-Sitnitska: Belarusian culture here has deep roots]. Kamunikat (in Belarusian). Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  7. "Дырэктар беларускага ліцэю ў Бельску-Падляскім: "Цяжка адказаць, навошта вучню беларуская мова"" [Director of the Belarusian liceum in Bielsk Podlaski: "Hard to answer why one should learn Belarusian"]. Belsat (in Belarusian). 15 November 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  8. "Bùrméster". sloworz.org (in Polish). Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  9. A Dutch mayor does not vote in the municipal council.