Alderman

As an older man, also aged man Oldermann, alderman, alderman - sole unambiguous notation of this title is the Latinized form Comes Hansae ( " Consul of the Hanseatic League" ) - have been or are referred to:

• A Chairman, notably the Hanseatic trading posts ( Warehouses ). He was elected by the merchants located there and was in charge ( duty to protect) about this, pay attention to the observance of the rights within the branch, led the common purse and usually also held the position of an arbitrator or judge. The Chair of a branch could also consist of several older men.

• An official delegated by the respective Hanseatic City of voting participants of the third and regional days of the Hanseatic cities. These meetings were more frequent and more regular than the (total ) Hanse days and therefore usually in the importance for the individual city. Each participating Hanseatic city had only once at a voting representative; nevertheless unanimity was not required for the implementation of decisions by the majority ( minority did not have to participate, see the behavior of the Hanseatic city of Dortmund in a said in the main article Hanseatic specific case ). - Older man (today we would say: Chairman ) of the Hanse or the entire German cities of the Hanseatic League (since the Hansa Convention represented the top and at the same time only Hanseatic institution in the strict sense) has always been the Mayor of Lübeck, who represented the Hanseatic cities outward.

• The leader of a guild called foreman, because the guild was a master association ( in northern Germany an office ). The Assembly of craftsmen or merchants in a government office or a guild was from the Middle Ages to protect its own interests against the rulers and used as economic hedges. The Old Man was chosen mostly and took the guild to the outside. Example of a still existing today advocacy is the Stralsund Schiffer Compagnie 1488, which is still represented by its age man. In the Swiss Saffron Guild of Master Builder wearing a gilt crown champion.

The introduction of the Napoleonic freedom of trade in 1810, the guilds fell in Office ( or sized urban Ratsvetretung ) and Guild ( equal support and sociability ), whereby the definition of the upper master after 1810 had no lexical relevance.

In the St. Knudsgilden the older man is elected for life, only if he frees his office or dies, a replacement by ballot is ( white ball = yes; black ball = no) carried out by secret ballot by the chair brothers.