Landammann

Landammann or Landaman, plural -männer, meaning 'Amtmann of the land', is the German title used by the chief magistrate in certain Cantons of Switzerland and at times featured in the Head of state's style at the confederal level.

The French version is Landamman (plural Landammans), the Italian Landamano (plural Landamani)

If the office is held by a woman, she is addressed as Frau Landammann (Mrs. Landammann).

Origin of ammann/amtmann is found in the Swedish word ombudsmann, also found in the Icelandic words umboðsmaður and embættismaður, plural -menn. Ombudsmann originally meant a man (mann/maður) who is authorized to bring orders (bod/boð) around (om/um) his jurisdiction. The s in ombuds is a genitive ending.

Cantons

Today, Landammann still is the title of the president of the cantonal executive in the following Swiss cantons :

• Aargau annual since 1831-32 (before: an Amtsbürgermeister)
• Appenzell Innerrhoden
• Appenzell Ausserrhoden
• Glarus
• Nidwalden
• Obwalden
• Schwyz
• Solothurn
• Uri
• Zug

Some Swiss towns in those cantons use the equivalent title Stadtammann for the mayor.

Confederal

While before and after other titles, generally expressing presidence, where used, the title of the Head of state of the Swiss confederation has been:

• Erster Landammann (in German)/ (in French) Premier Landamman 'First official of the country': 23 November 1801 - 6 February 1802 Aloys Reding von Biberegg (b. 1765 - d. 1818); he succeeded himself as the first under the new, shorter, non-distinctive title:
• Landammänner/ Landammans:
  • 6 February 1802 - 20 April 1802 Aloys Reding von Biberegg
  • 20 April 1802 - 5 July 1802 Vinzenz Rüttimann (acting) (b. 1769 - d. 1844)
  • 5 July 1802 - 8 March 1803 Johann Rudolf Dolder (b. 1753 - d. 1807)
  • August 1802 - September 1802 Aloys Reding von Biberegg (again; now in rebellion)
• under French occupation, when emperor Napoleon I Bonaparte styled himself 'Mediator' (equivalent to his title Protector in the German Confederatio of the Rhine) of the Swiss (at first Helvetic) Confederation, the actual Head of the Confederation was simply the chief magistrate of the canton hosting the Swiss Diet (Helvetic confederal parliament), with the title Landammann der Schweiz (in German)/ Landamman de la Suisse (in French)/ Landamano della Svizzera (in Italian), usually for a year, 10 March 1803 - 31 December 1813

References

• This article incorporates text from the public domain 1907 edition of The Nuttall Encyclopædia.
• WorldStatesmen Switzerland - choose also in the alphabetical groups of Cantons